genoa sheets; separate or conjoined single ?

[RupertW]

I'm not sure how you are going to use it, but the loop is a single point of failure.

That is my main issue with a single sheet and caused the most dangerous moment of my sailing life half way across Biscay.

With a single sheet and a simple knot the risk is less but my old sail changing habits allowed me to thoughtlessly have a shackle attached to the Genoa which came undone. I would have killed for a second sheet to allow me to tack and control it instead of having to roll out a Genoa uncontrolled in 35 knot gusting 42 knot winds and very confused seas. The memories of dropping it and controlling it partly underwater with sweeping waves at the bow lives with my wife (at the helm) even more than with me.

After that the simplicity and redundancy of two independent bowlined sheets was obvious.

 

[adwuk]

After that the simplicity and redundancy of two independent bowlined sheets was obvious.

+1

 

[MM5AHO]

I use 2 separate sheets, one green and one red.
That way I can easily remember that Red is to Port, green to Stbd !!

 

[Amulet]

Tried most of these suggestions. Single sheet with cow hitch wins for me. Sits flatter than a clove hitch. Becomes hard but not impossible to detach. I know one person who has done two transats with this system and swears by it.

 

[Daydream believer]

Tried most of these suggestions. Single sheet with cow hitch wins for me. Sits flatter than a clove hitch. Becomes hard but not impossible to detach. I know one person who has done two transats with this system and swears by it.

No problem if you only have one foresail but if you regularly change sails it is a pain to have any knot that can jam- unless you have a set of sheets for every sail

 

[Amulet]

No problem if you only have one foresail but if you regularly change sails it is a pain to have any knot that can jam- unless you have a set of sheets for every sail

Agreed

 

[GHA]

Agreed

Just add softshackle..

 

[nigelmercier]

Just add softshackle ...

I agree, but there are several variations and methods, and I'm confused over which is the best proven.

 

[GHA]

I agree, but there are several variations and methods, and I'm confused over which is the best proven.

I find this method for the knot easiest, plus a handy length calc here..
http://l-36.com/soft_shackle_howto.php

You don't even need to bury the tail before the knot, but it looks prettier.

Animation of diamond knot..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9vOc5ODVTw

Evans Starzinger came up with an alternative to the diamond knot..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcyxNc3BQj4

But really not that much in it, dyneema is so strong you'll break something else first.

 

[johnphilip]

At that stage you just cut the sheet in half & you can then reverse them etc & are no worse off than if you had 2 sheets to start with

+1, obvious really.

 

[Spyro]

I started using this method last year wish I'd done it years ago. Very easy to rig and derig. No knots to catch when tacking.

 

[simonfraser]

I started using this method last year wish I'd done it years ago. Very easy to rig and derig. No knots to catch when tacking.

+1 I stitched and bound the rope eye too, it's flat and not going to come undone.

 

[Spyro]

+1 I stitched and bound the rope eye too, it's flat and not going to come undone.

.

I worried about the eye slipping when under tension but it never has. I just bound a couple or turns of thread to make identifying the middle a bit easier when it comes to refitting.

 

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

The clew on my Genoa has an external ring. When I tried doubling a sheet and using a cow hitch / lark's head it didn't hold except in very light winds. I now use an Alpine butterfly loop and a soft shackle on my asymmetric but the Genoa still has single sheets plus hefty snap shackles. When the time comes to replace the Genoa sheets I shall most probably change to something like what I have on the asy.