Diameter of sheets for cruising chute

[eddystone]

Looking around for some bin end braid on braid for soon to be delivered cruising chute. On a 32' boat, will 8 mm sheets be OK, or would I be better to go for 10 mm? And also tack line to come back to cockpit.

 

[MoodySabre]

I think that anything less than 10mm would be uncomfortable to use even if thinner would be better weight wise. The tack line is not so important so long as it fits the clutch.

 

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

My boat is the same length. The chute has 10mm sheets not for the strength but for ease of handling, as has already been noted. The sheets for the large Genoa (35m²) are 14mm for the same reason.

 

[lw395]

A single lightweight sheet for light air is nice.
In any breeze, you need the winch and self tailer to work well, 10mm sounds thin enough.

 

[bedouin]

My boat is about the same size - I would go for 10mm or 12mm for the cruising chute for ease of handling and because it fits winches better. For tack line I have a 2:1 system and 8mm is fine for that.

I do have a pair of light weight Dyneema 8mm sheets but they are not that easy to handle.

 

[RupertW]

My boat is about the same size - I would go for 10mm or 12mm for the cruising chute for ease of handling and because it fits winches better. For tack line I have a 2:1 system and 8mm is fine for that.

I do have a pair of light weight Dyneema 8mm sheets but they are not that easy to handle.

We use 8mm on a 12.5m boat with masthead rig - handling seems fine and it doesn't seem to slip on the winch except when you want it too. In the very light winds that we often use it in I wanted to keep weight well down

 

[Tranona]

10mm on a similar size boat. Works well.

 

[Kwik Decision]

Our chute sheets are 8 mm, and are a compromise between a) being light in weight, to reduce the effect of the sheets pulling down the clew in light airs and b) being comfortable to handle in stronger wind. As IW395 has noted, as soon as the wind picks up a bit, the sheets are on the winches, and our self tailers seem to grip 8 mm without issue. We're happy with the choice, but I wouldn't criticize anybody for going a little thicker to make handling easier.

 

[eddystone]

Looks like 10 mm then: if I had the skill, which I don't, I'd splice some thinner dyneema onto the ends, as on our Flying Fifteen spinnaker sheets.

Re. tack line, I was just planning to run a line from a block on the bow roller through the stanchion bases and tie it off somewhere I can reach from the cockpit - is a purchase necessary?

 

[MoodySabre]

Looks like 10 mm then: if I had the skill, which I don't, I'd splice some thinner dyneema onto the ends, as on our Flying Fifteen spinnaker sheets.

Re. tack line, I was just planning to run a line from a block on the bow roller through the stanchion bases and tie it off somewhere I can reach from the cockpit - is a purchase necessary?

I have no purchase on mine but it does come back through a clutch. I'd fix a block to the stanchion base if I was using it for that purpose.

 

[Kwik Decision]

Re. tack line, I was just planning to run a line from a block on the bow roller through the stanchion bases and tie it off somewhere I can reach from the cockpit - is a purchase necessary?

I run our tack line under the bow roller, using the roller itself as the block. I can also get a sensible lead back to a spare clutch on the coach roof, and so can use a winch if I need to tweak it. Would this work for you? If you don't have a spare clutch, you could take the 2nd reef line out temporarily while using the chute.

 

[eddystone]

I run our tack line under the bow roller, using the roller itself as the block. I can also get a sensible lead back to a spare clutch on the coach roof, and so can use a winch if I need to tweak it. Would this work for you? If you don't have a spare clutch, you could take the 2nd reef line out temporarily while using the chute.

Clutches full up but there is a bullseye jammer - not a good angle to the winch but workable

 

[bedouin]

Re. tack line, I was just planning to run a line from a block on the bow roller through the stanchion bases and tie it off somewhere I can reach from the cockpit - is a purchase necessary?

No - purchase is not necessary, I use one because it doubles up as a spinnaker pole downhaul. Mine is attached to the stem fitting, goes through a block attached to the bow cleat then down the side deck - works well on my boat but whatever suits your layout.