Clutch Congestion

[savageseadog]

That goes totally against my experience. Every race boat I can think of has the pole down double-ended (so 2:1) and led back either side to a cam cleat that the pole trimmer can reach. Never known it to be excessively loaded, and we fly kites in 30kts.

It might be that you and your crew know what you're doing! If the sheet/guy aren't handled properly a fair bit of load can come on the downhaul and the pole can sky and be difficult to get back down.

 

[doug748]

I have got a couple of winches on the mast - one at the back, one at the side - i think I may put spare and jib halyard on the mast as you suggest, along with reefing lines. That way, I can fit everything else to the 8 coachroof clutches. Reluctant to fit further clutches/clam cleats because of the headliner problem..

Hi Yealm. That is the standard set up, I think. The port, genoa winch (wrong not winch, cleat), I generally hang the halyard on from April to November but then I have a furling sail.

I also reef at the mast which is convenient, as already pointed out, for the main halyard on that side and also my basic kicker. My kicking strap does not impart much control over the tiny main, it is either on or off. Long, fractional booms with powerful kickers have a satisfactory spring and range of control which is lacking, hence to my shame it is left, much like the genoa halyard.

The stuff I lead back to the cockpit is:

Two downhauls which double as gybe preventers on the main
Two spinnaker halyards the reasons for which I would rather not go into.
One uphaul.

I cut three 4in inspection plates in the lining when I fitted jammers, as per John Morris's suggestion. They look ok with teak plugs, I wish they were not there, but then again it was the only real way I could lead wiring to the area above the companion way. If I did it again I would epoxy hardwood or tufnol plates to the topsides and tap into that or, even better, use captive bolts. As you probably know the coachroof it solid glass so you can screw into it if you have to.

 

[Yealm]

Thnaks - yes agree about the kicker!
May I clarify - do you secure the main halyard at the mast? If so do you have winches on either side - one for the genoa and one for the main?

Hi Yealm. That is the standard set up, I think. The port, genoa winch, I generally hang the halyard on from April to November but then I have a furling sail.

I also reef at the mast which is convenient, as already pointed out, for the main halyard on that side and also my basic kicker. My kicking strap does not impart much control over the tiny main, it is either on or off. Long, fractional booms with powerful kickers have a satisfactory spring and range of control which is lacking, hence to my shame it is left, much like the genoa halyard.

The stuff I lead back to the cockpit is:

Two downhauls which double as gybe preventers on the main
Two spinnaker halyards the reasons for which I would rather not go into.
One uphaul.

I cut three 4in inspection plates in the lining when I fitted jammers, as per John Morris's suggestion. They look ok with teak plugs, I wish they were not there, but then again it was the only real way I could lead wiring to the area above the companion way. If I did it again I would epoxy hardwood or tufnol plates to the topsides and tap into that or, even better, use captive bolts. As you probably know the coachroof it solid glass so you can screw into it if you have to.

 

[lpdsn]

I also reef at the mast which is convenient, as already pointed out, for the main halyard on that side and also my basic kicker. My kicking strap does not impart much control over the tiny main, it is either on or off. Long, fractional booms with powerful kickers have a satisfactory spring and range of control which is lacking, hence to my shame it is left, much like the genoa halyard.

Always handy to have ready access to the kicker with a spinnaker up.

 

[doug748]

Thnaks - yes agree about the kicker!
May I clarify - do you secure the main halyard at the mast? If so do you have winches on either side - one for the genoa and one for the main?

Yes, that was wrong I don't have a port winch, I should have said cleat..

So I don't have a winch on each side and the tension on the port side genoa halyard is minimal. Harken recommend just enough tension to take out the creases in the luff of the sail, I put on a bit more than that but not much.
I guess you could tension it right up, if you wanted to, by attaching a light line with a rolling hitch above the cleat and taking it back to a coachroof winch before making it off.
I only shifted the genoa halyard to the mast relatively recently, mainly to get the acres of rope off the top of the coachroof, where it got in the way and was little practical use.

The standard starboard side winch handles the main halyard which I secure by the mast. I prefer to hoist at the mast as the sail slides can be encouraged and any slight snags with the boom/battens/lazy jacks can be met as they crop up. It's just my way of doing stuff and I freely admit to being a very rough and ready sailor

 

[awol]

Always handy to have ready access to the kicker with a spinnaker up.

Doesn't do much on a CO32.

 

[lpdsn]

Doesn't do much on a CO32.

Of course they're supernatural so will never broach with the spinnaker up in heavy air. On other boats the kicker helps balance the main and spinnaker when the helm starts pulling funny faces.

 

[Yealm]

Yes, that was wrong I don't have a port winch, I should have said cleat..

So I don't have a winch on each side and the tension on the port side genoa halyard is minimal. Harken recommend just enough tension to take out the creases in the luff of the sail, I put on a bit more than that but not much.
I guess you could tension it right up, if you wanted to, by attaching a light line with a rolling hitch above the cleat and taking it back to a coachroof winch before making it off.
I only shifted the genoa halyard to the mast relatively recently, mainly to get the acres of rope off the top of the coachroof, where it got in the way and was little practical use.

The standard starboard side winch handles the main halyard which I secure by the mast. I prefer to hoist at the mast as the sail slides can be encouraged and any slight snags with the boom/battens/lazy jacks can be met as they crop up. It's just my way of doing stuff and I freely admit to being a very rough and ready sailor

How do you find hoisting the main at the mast? Mine’s got quite a bit of friction- needs 2 hands to pull and another to take up the slack (or a mast clutch which I don’t have) ..

 

[awol]

Of course they're supernatural so will never broach with the spinnaker up in heavy air. On other boats the kicker helps balance the main and spinnaker when the helm starts pulling funny faces.

A few years ago during a West Highland Week passage race, where slow boats go off first, the crew saw a black squall coming with quite a few of the faster boats behind us wiping out spectacularly. "Don't worry" said me "Contessas don't broach". The squall hit, the spinnaker collapsed then filled with a bang and we were left with just the tapes flying from the masthead.
Only time I've actually broached is when the pole skyed when the pit lost control of the downhaul - that's why I'm not keen on cam-cleats. Pinning down the lazy guy stops the death-roll leading to drama.

 

[doug748]

How do you find hoisting the main at the mast? Mine’s got quite a bit of friction- needs 2 hands to pull and another to take up the slack (or a mast clutch which I don’t have) ..

Not bad, I have Rutgerson slides and full length battens, which makes a heavy sail, but it slides fairly easily and I am no physical specimen. Now and again I use the original main which has a bolt rope and that is ok as well.
When I remember I use a touch of silicone grease, which may help.