Changing the sheets

[andsarkit]

I like the look of an alpine butterfly and a soft shackle. I always take off the sheets at the end of a sail to stop them chafing on the shrouds (my sheets go outside the shrouds). This is probably a hangover from the days of hank on sails and as I now have a furler it requires an extra rope to secure the furled sail. My sheets are 35 years old and still in perfect condition.
I have always used a single length sheet from the days of hank on sails when it is too easy to lose the end of separate sheets when changing sails at night.

 

[thinwater]

I think we have settled that there are probably a dozen ways that work, and I think I have used all of the above plus a few more variations with success.

Best wishes for the new year!

 

[srm]

Agree with @Sandy . First used a cow hitch when I got my current boat in 2009 as I had a nice long sheet and did not want to cut it as I thought it might be a temporary use. I thought the hitch might slip but it never has and is still in use on both my headsails, and has been well tested under load. It has never been a problem to undo when taking the sail off for the winter.
Why use all the clumps of rope and clutter with the potential for snagging that some people are suggesting when a simple loop through the clew will do the job?

 

[thinwater]

The only thing you do NOT want is metal shackles. I've had several boats configured that way, mostly the result of 2:1 tackles on self-tacking jibs. Even heavy clew rings can be a menace.

 

[dunedin]

Good point.
I've already had to end-for-end one of the old genoa sheets due to a sharp bit on the spin pole- now filed smooth.
Other than that the old sheets are in excellent condition. The new sheet is to go on to a second genoa which we may fly as a twin headsail rig. Experimented with it on our last passage and it was very encouraging, but we were using old bits of rope as sheets and they aren't really long enough, so new sheets it is.

One big advantage of keeping the new sheet in a single length is that it could be used as a spare halyard if the need arose (in which case we would either go back to single genoa or improvise replacement sheets).

Possibly bowline both ends to the genoa, and treat as a continuous sheet (if space in cockpit is not an issue)

 

[RupertW]

I’d agree with those saying two separate sheets. I once had a single attachment for both sheets. In the middle of Biscay with a heavily rolled Genoa it came loose leaving a wildly flapping scrap of sail out of reach and little control holding the boat upwind to do anything. The next hour was unpleasant. It’s been two separate sheets with two separate knots ever since.

 

[PetiteFleur]

I have used a bowline for my genoa sheets for years. Initially my 2 separate sheets always snagged on the baby stay, so I used a double length of rope with a bowline at the centre. The secret for easy undoing is to use 3 lengths of 10mm 3 strand x 60mm long rope clamped in the knot. This makes it very easy to undo by cutting and dragging out the short lengths of rope. Works for me for the last 14 years on my Moody33 mk2.
I've also thought about a soft shackle but not got around to trying it - maybe this year...

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Cows are banned on board Chiara, just as much as mention of the long eared one. 2 sheets, bowlines. That will be replaced on our new sail, in March, with dyneema sheets spliced onto the clew.

 

[Refueler]

Me ?

I've used a bound eye in middle of a single rope and a keeper piece of rope which was i ncluded in the bind .... pass eye through clew - pass keeper through the eye.

Later boats where sheets are larger diameter and tight to get the eye through - I have used separate sheets with each a bowline. This is how I have it now.

I have also used a quick snap shackle on swivel ... but it tended to rotate and twist the sheets ... plus I never fancied risk of getting banged on the head with it !

Note : I have a pet dislike of a common habit boaters have .... they furl the sail and leave a length of sail free to shag itself out in the wind ... the sheets barely tensioned to control it ....
Personally I prefer to roll sail 2 extra turns so sheets actually are round the sail .... tighten sheets to hold all .... this way - that triangle of sail at the clew never gets shagged out flapping in the wind ...

 

[geem]

Cows are banned on board Chiara, just as much as mention of the long eared one. 2 sheets, bowlines. That will be replaced on our new sail, in March, with dyneema sheets spliced onto the clew.

Fine for your kind of sailing but 2 or 3 weeks of downwind sailing for the OP and it's a different kind of game

 

[Refueler]

Let me ask a question :

Would you trust a Cow Hitch to hold your fenders ? or use with a mooring line ? So why trust it with your sails ?

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Fine for your kind of sailing but 2 or 3 weeks of downwind sailing for the OP and it's a different kind of game

Well exactly. We’d run out of water after 5 days max.

 

[Daydream believer]

[QUOTE="Refueler, post: 8113994, member: 32157"
Later boats where sheets are larger diameter and tight to get the eye through - I have used separate sheets with each a bowline. This is how I have it now.
[/QUOTE]
I am confused
If you cannot get the eye through how come you can get 2 separate pieces through to tie bowlines. Is that not the same diameter

 

[doug748]

I've just bought a length of rope to use as new genoa sheets. It's in one long length and I'd like to keep it that way for various reasons.

I was just going to cow hitch it on to the clew, but I'm wondering if it's better to make a bowline at the mid point with the tails adjusted accordingly. Probably a bit of a pain but perhaps less likely to jam solid?

I find the cow hitch does jam pretty hard but a few minutes with a screwdriver generally frees it, I take it apart every year to wash and move the pinch points. Knots tend to hang up on my forward lowers in light airs, very annoying.
Never had it slip and if it did it can't go very far, I used to whip it in but don't bother now.

I have used both rope toggles and mechanical stuff but prefer the hitch. The rope toggle can pull out even if you never think it can; if it's going to let go it never does it in quiet weather. My last one found a way of escaping last season so back to the old.

.

 

[Praxinoscope]

I used a very similar arrangement to the one shown in poignards post #9 on my last boat, it was highly successful and am currently modifying the jib sheets on my current boat to the same method.

 

[greeny]

Me ?

Note : I have a pet dislike of a common habit boaters have .... they furl the sail and leave a length of sail free to shag itself out in the wind ... the sheets barely tensioned to control it ....
Personally I prefer to roll sail 2 extra turns so sheets actually are round the sail .... tighten sheets to hold all .... this way - that triangle of sail at the clew never gets shagged out flapping in the wind ...

+1 - I wish i had a fiver for every time I'd sorted out boats left like this in the marina during a blow. If the blow is forecast I usually add a separate line around the sail at clew height to add security. Just common sense really.

 

[Neeves]

Never understood this liking of the Cow Hitch ...... its a hitch that basically is used to hang a piece of cord on a rail ... never designed to take a load ...

Too many here claim to use it with success and under load. What it was designed for is irrelevant - if it works - it works. As mentioned it tightens up and can be a devil to remove.

Jonathan

 

[Zing]

I've just bought a length of rope to use as new genoa sheets. It's in one long length and I'd like to keep it that way for various reasons.

I was just going to cow hitch it on to the clew, but I'm wondering if it's better to make a bowline at the mid point with the tails adjusted accordingly. Probably a bit of a pain but perhaps less likely to jam solid?

I advise changing the sheets it they ever get wet.

 

[Neeves]

We have two sheets, sometimes three sheets.

The normal 2 sheets are sewn into hollow dyneema webbing, with a gap between the 2 sheets. The gap is used to cow hitch the sheets. As the cow hitch is only in the webbing its low profile and being dyneema slippery (and strong). The third sheet is used when we are reaching and need to alter the sheet angle beyond that possible by moving the cars.

The third sheet is removed if we tack, but as we seldom tack its not an issue.

Jonathan

 

[Kelpie]

+1 - I wish i had a fiver for every time I'd sorted out boats left like this in the marina during a blow. If the blow is forecast I usually add a separate line around the sail at clew height to add security. Just common sense really.

Or even better wrap the spinnaker halyard around the furled genoa.