Leech tension

[Petercatterall]

Am trying to improve the performance of my Colvic 32 Motor Sailor. An obvious problem is leech tension.
The main sheet is attached to the centre of the full wheelhouse which is only a foot below the boom. As the boom moves out there is no downward pull from the main sheet.
The boat has the old round the boom reefing which I want to persever with but this makes the use of the kicking strap very difficult. Any real tension here and the rollers twist, nip the sail, move forward or all of these things.
There are U bolts either side of the coach roof and I have tried attaching the kicker to one of these rather than to the base of the mast, this seems far more effective, more force further back on the boom and no pulling the rollers forward.
The strap has to be freed to tack then unclipped and repositioned on the other side but this is easilly managed from the wheel house.
Are there any other solutions which I could employ?? Ideas please

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[Strathglass]

What you need is a reefing horseshoe.

This slides over the boom, even with the reefed sail rolled over it. It is moved to the kicker position and the kicker is attached to it in the normal manner. It puts a symetrical load on the boom so it will not try to unwrap.
You will need a line from the horseshoe to the outhaul to prevent it pulling towards the gooseneck as you tighten the kicker.
They are usually cast and sometimes have two pairs of rollers built in to make reefing easier.

I used to have one but it is long gone.

Why not ask if anyone has a spare one on the 'wanted' forum?

Cheers

Iain


<hr width=100% size=1><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by iainsimpson on 23/11/2003 10:41 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[Johnjo]

When I had my Colvic Watson 26 M/S full wheelhouse version.

I used the horseshoe tensioner as Ian mentioned, My mainsheet came off the end of the boom on to the deck behind the wheelhouse when I first had her, worked okay, but not the best !

I then fitted a track and slider on to the roof at the back of the wheelhouse, this worked a lot better,more control. It also stopped the mainsheet rubbing against the back of the wheelhouse.

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[Avocet]

I used to have round-boom reefing and made up a long length of seat belt webbing from the bottom of the boom to the top of the kicker. When I reefed, the webbing just rolled up with the sail. I found it a lot kinder to the sail than the "claw" - especially as my boom wasn't round. The downside is that I could only just get to about "2nd reef" before it was all used up and as it rolled up, it tended to move forwards. I could combat this up to a point by having the webbing initially attached much further aft than was usual but it was still far from ideal. Also, by about 2nd reef, the sail shape was so completely useless that further reefing would have been pointless anyway. I carried a trysail but never had to use it.

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[Petercatterall]

Thanks for the tips.
I do have a horsesho with two pairs of rollers but had problems with it pulling forward and digging in to the sail under tension.
I did use a line like an out haul to try to stop this but it still wasnt much good.
I had thought of replacing this line with a wire rope to stop it stretching.
I will also see if I can get a traveller across the coach roof but I can see difficulties in then getting the main sheet into the wheel house.
(I just hate having to put any body parts out of the warm dry wheel house!!)
Thanks again.

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[Guest]

Set two lines ....... with ends coming back to cockpit to clutches / cleats.
Fix boom end to underside of boom and then each line to seaparte eyes on side of boat at decklevel ..... run the end back to cockpit.

Now you can slack off one and haul in the one that is side boom is on. When reefing allow the line to roll with the sail and lock off the boom at reefed point ..... use lines still. If you want to it is an idea to use 'flat strapping' that protects the sail instead of cutting into like rope would.

Anyway - its an idea ...... in fact if you rig preventers ..... for downwind sailing you already basically have the above !!


<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ...
Bilge Keelers get up further ! I came - cos they said was FREE Guinness !
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[Petercatterall]

Thanks Nigel.
I think that I could attach these lines to the end of the boom where the topping lift is. This doesn't revolve with the boom so the line would not touch the sail.
I think that I could run the lines via pulleys into the wheelhouse and onto the main winches.
Hmm thanks

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