Changing the sheets

[alahol2]

Where you use 'a double line of smaller stuff cow hitched to the clew', I put that length into the loop of the butterfly then soft shackle to the clew.

Someone mentioned about attaching a whisker pole. For that, I've made a coyt of stiff rope which is held to the clew with a cow hitch in the soft shackle. Happily, cow hitches don't seem to jam up in dyneema.

Thanks
Now that I'm using dynema as the 'small stuff' I may as well just make it into an extra long soft shackle. Maybe cow hitched to the alpine butterfly so that it can't be dropped off the boat when changing headsail.

 

[LadyInBed]

Maybe cow hitched to the alpine butterfly

That would become a reef knot ?

 

[Rum_Pirate]

Why not a Lark's head in the middle of the sheet?

 

[srm]

Why not a Lark's head in the middle of the sheet?

Otherwise known as a "cow hitch".

 

[Rum_Pirate]

Otherwise known as a "cow hitch".

Fair enough. ?

However is anyone tying a Lark's Head/Cow Hitch with two sheets to the clew , i.e. having the hitch with a short tail/bitter end?

If so how long are the tails or should they be?

 

[LadyInBed]

Fair enough. ?

However is anyone tying a Lark's Head/Cow Hitch with two sheets to the clew , i.e. having the hitch with a short tail/bitter end?

If so how long are the tails or should they be?

I may be wrong, but it looks like you haven't read through the full thread, hopefully it will all then become clearer.

 

[Kelpie]

Just to follow this up, we've just done 850nm under mostly just genoa, cow hitch didn't slip at all. I wonder if I can get it undone now...

 

[Spirit (of Glenans)]

Post deleted.

 

[Spirit (of Glenans)]

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 ?

The fenders and mooring line are usually left unattended, while the sheets, when in use, are always under observation, so it's not a fair comparison.

 

[thinwater]

Wouldn't a Sheet Bend be neater, and more appropriate?

I think you are not understanding what he means.

The sheet is one length of rope, from the clew, behind the mast, and back to the clew. Both bowlines are attaching the ends to the clew.

Yes, this could be done with two bowlines, or one of many other connections.

 

[Spirit (of Glenans)]

I think you are not understanding what he means.

The sheet is one length of rope, from the clew, behind the mast, and back to the clew. Both bowlines are attaching the ends to the clew.

Yes, this could be done with two bowlines, or one of many other connections.

Yes, I had misread it. I've since deleted the post. It's time I went to sleep?

 

[thinwater]

Yes, I had misread it. I've since deleted the post. It's time I went to sleep?

You're 5 hours ahead of me! Yup, it's late.

 

[Refueler]

The fenders and mooring line are usually left unattended, while the sheets, when in use, are always under observation, so it's not a fair comparison.

Cannot agree with you .... I want my sheets to be absolutely secure and be trusted to maintain set of sail. I do not sit in cockpit watching sheets all time ... and last thing I want is sheets giving out due to an unsuitable hitch !!

 

[thinwater]

Cannot agree with you .... I want my sheets to be absolutely secure and be trusted to maintain set of sail. I do not sit in cockpit watching sheets all time ... and last thing I want is sheets giving out due to an unsuitable hitch !!

... After read post after post from experienced sailors telling you this is proven to be secure over many decades.

It is a suitable method. Not the only method. Perhaps not the best method for every material or sail construction. Not the method I use every time, but a method I have used several times, for many years. A suitable method. You are free to feel differently.

 

[Refueler]

... After read post after post from experienced sailors telling you this is proven to be secure over many decades.

It is a suitable method. Not the only method. Perhaps not the best method for every material or sail construction. Not the method I use every time, but a method I have used several times, for many years. A suitable method. You are free to feel differently.

Absolutely I am free to my own opinion.

I regard myself - having been a Senior Deck Officer for many years - and professional Seaman ... a Cow Hitch is not in my usual 'use category'.
The only observation of Cow Hitch use is with chain stopper on ships wire mooring lines. Because it does not lock up and is easily removed once wire is made fast. It would be hard to find it used anywhere else except where coiled ropes etc are hung ...

 

[geem]

Absolutely I am free to my own opinion.

I regard myself - having been a Senior Deck Officer for many years - and professional Seaman ... a Cow Hitch is not in my usual 'use category'.
The only observation of Cow Hitch use is with chain stopper on ships wire mooring lines. Because it does not lock up and is easily removed once wire is made fast. It would be hard to find it used anywhere else except where coiled ropes etc are hung ...

Did you have genoa sheets on an oil tanker?

 

[Refueler]

Did you have genoa sheets on an oil tanker?

Silly billy ..... the fact is the Cow Hitch is a lazy mans hitch to just hold something temp while doing another thing. Its not supposed to be a load bearing hitch.

Have you ever worked a chain stopper ??

 

[geem]

Silly billy ..... the fact is the Cow Hitch is a lazy mans hitch to just hold something temp while doing another thing. Its not supposed to be a load bearing hitch.

Have you ever worked a chain stopper ??

I beg to differ. Kite surfing kites use thin dyneema line. The lines are held to the kite using a cow hitch. These are extremely load bearing. This is universal on every kite manufacturers kites and line set up. 100s of thousands of kites using a load bearing cow hitch. Four on each kite

 

[Refueler]

I beg to differ. Kite surfing kites use thin dyneema line. The lines are held to the kite using a cow hitch. These are extremely load bearing. This is universal on every kite manufacturers kites and line set up. 100s of thousands of kites using a load bearing cow hitch. Four on each kite

I knew there was a reason I didn't go Kite Surfing .....

You are making a fundamental error ..... the Cow hitch when tensioned on BOTH lines exiting is stable. It works. It becomes UNstable when only one exiting line carries load and other is free .....

 

[geem]

I knew there was a reason I didn't go Kite Surfing .....

You are making a fundamental error ..... the cow hitch when tensioned on BOTH lines exiting is stable. It works. It becomes UNstable when only one exiting line carries load and other is free .....

I think you are making the fundemental error. You said a cow hitch wasnt a load bearing knot. It only needs load on one side to tension the knot. Many people have talked about how hard they are to undo on genoa sheets. Does this sound like a knot that is unstable?