How to set up 6:1 mainsheet purchase?

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mdonnelly

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Continuing rejuvenation of running rigging and took off mainsheet and which came out of washing machine clean and undamaged. Unfortunately I cannot work out how to redo! I have 2 triple blocks, the lower of which contains the jam cleat. The fixing point is over the lower middle sheave. Anybody help?
Thanks, Mark.
 
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There's not a lot of choice. You have to do the center sheaves first, then go to the outer ones ... always passing through from the same side. This does leave a cross-over which will cause some chafe.

If you pass from the becket (tie-off) to the outside sheave, the blocks will be asymmetrically loaded and will tilt, wearing out the sides of the sheaves.
 
The right angle reeving shown by Harken, with the fixed end on the cleat is worth a try, it can avoid any contact between the different strands, and is balanced.
Friction is not your friend!
 
lw395 said:
The right angle reeving shown by Harken, with the fixed end on the cleat is worth a try, it can avoid any contact between the different strands, and is balanced.
Friction is not your friend!
Click to expand...

Actually the top block is NOT balanced. It is reaved from left to right. It will tilt under load and the sheaves will wear. Looks nice in the picture though!
 
I have a system running off the end of the boom so that it enables us to pull oneline for 3:1 or two lines for 6:1 if it gets too heavy.

It does mean a lot of sheet line in the cockpit when all is pulled in, but it does allow Mrs.S to sail the boat more confidently knowing she can get it close hauled on her own if needs be.

If someone has been sailing it and always hardening up using the same single line it eventually leaves one line very long and the other very short so we now and again have to sort it all out, but it's still worth it on a cruiser with female crew methinks.

This is the best photo/vid' I can find of it ........... http://s725.photobucket.com/user/jo...rt=3&o=0&_suid=136555494244103319909156701777

I would like a system of holding up the lower block off the teak rail around the top of the cockpit though. Any suggestions?

S
 
Stork_III said:
This diagram from Barton is clearer and works. http://www.bartonmarine.com/tech-info-triple-mainsheet-vang-block-system-reeving-diagram.asp
Click to expand...

Thanks for posting. Just tried the Barton threading method and it has solved the longstanding friction / top block tilting problems on Stargazer's 6:1 mainsheet.
This afternoon's project was to finally (8 years after first commissioning!) get her mainsheet reliably free running - whatever that entailed! Before setting off to the chandlers to fork out for new blocks or a smaller diameter sheet, I did a Google search to double check that my threading was correct. It was, to the Harken method - which, as noted earlier in this thread, delivers an unbalanced load on the top block and comes with a health warning about fiction where the sheet crosses itself. I then stumbled on this thread and discovered the Barton method. Highly recommended!
 
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