Lines led to cockpit. What's the downside?

[[70521]]

1 - is there something I'm missing? A benefit to going to the mast that becomes apparent in a bigger vessel and wasn't clear to me in my 23footer?

2 - Can all boats be modified to enable this? I see that virtually no Westerly Centaurs have coachroof winches for the reefing lines etc. (I've seen one on the Westerly owners website) There are a couple of boats I've seen which would be suitable except for this issue, and I'm up for installing deck organisers etc, but maybe it isn't always possible to do?

I sail a 10.1m (33 foot in old money). Everything is led back to the cockpit, as a single hander I have no need to go on deck unless picking up a mooring buoy or to play the bagpipes if people anchor too close to me.

Any boat can do this, just needs a bit of thought, some cash and DIY skills.

If you are planning to single hand having a Remote Mic within easy reach of the wheel or tiller is the biggest single factor that takes all the stress out of entering a big harbour/marina.

 

[Wing Mark]

We have a short main downhaul - just from the headboard to the third car down, and attached by a Velcro loop (as a “fuse”, in case ever got jammed on anything, but has never done so).
This downhaul does mean a trip to the mast - but not needed if need to dump the sail in a hurry, as blowing the halyard it all comes down in a run. Downhaul only used when lower slowly to fold neatly into stack pack for a full “harbour stow”, as then there is no momentum or weight of cloth to pull the last bit down.

A small keelboat I used to crew on, we had a jib downhaul rigged to about the 4th hank down from the head, it was enough to get the jib on the deck when using the kite. You could do the same with the main, a light line to a slider, not using the top slider might mean it's less prone to jamming?
A light line led to the head of the main, or maybe the luff near the hounds, is also useful for indicating mast bend, you see calibration marks on some sails now and then.

 

[Stemar]

" My top tip would be to include a downhaul for the main. "


That is indeed a good idea I feel foolish for not considering sooner. My main often sticks on the way down and I have to get up and stuff it into the stackpack by hand. How does one rig a downhaul? I've never used one.

Simon.

The headboard on Jissel's main had a hole in it below the slider, so I ran a light line from that hole - simply tied off, passing through the eyelets of a couple of sliders on the way down, though a block at the bottom of the mast and another tied to the grab rail and back to a small cleat - flag halliard size under the sprayhood. Simple, cheap and it worked well. This is the one bit of string that doesn't need quality blocks.

 

[geem]

I sail a 10.1m (33 foot in old money). Everything is led back to the cockpit, as a single hander I have no need to go on deck unless picking up a mooring buoy or to play the bagpipes if people anchor too close to me.

Any boat can do this, just needs a bit of thought, some cash and DIY skills.

If you are planning to single hand having a Remote Mic within easy reach of the wheel or tiller is the biggest single factor that takes all the stress out of entering a big harbour/marina.

How did you adjust the leach line on the main with three reefs in when broad reaching?
We are very happy with reefing at the mast and would never change it. It suits our boat perfectly. The problem of adjusting the leach line was overcome on our new sails by having the leach line taken to the headboard of the sail and down the luff so we can adjust it from the mast when reefing. For us it was way too risky in a big sea, hanging over the guardwires. Far more dodgy than going to the mast for us ?

 

[Daydream believer]

How did you adjust the leach line on the main with three reefs in when broad reaching?
We are very happy with reefing at the mast and would never change it. It suits our boat perfectly. The problem of adjusting the leach line was overcome on our new sails by having the leach line taken to the headboard of the sail and down the luff so we can adjust it from the mast when reefing. For us it was way too risky in a big sea, hanging over the guardwires. Far more dodgy than going to the mast for us ?

With a decent sail the leech line would need rare adjustment. Mine has been slack since I had the sail. Indeed one of the leech cleats has been taped up as it once hooked the topping lift when I wanted to drop the sail.

However, All I would do is head up wind, Bring the boom over the cockpit , reach up & tighten it. My leech line has cleats at the clew & roughly just above each reef point. So would be easy to reach up & tension with a light pull whereby it would catch immediately

 

[[70521]]

How did you adjust the leach line on the main with three reefs in when broad reaching?

By pulling on the bits of line that the sailmaker kindly placed in the sail, if necessary centering the sail to reach the leech. How do you do it?

 

[Daydream believer]

How did you adjust the leach line on the main with three reefs in when broad reaching?
We are very happy with reefing at the mast and would never change it. It suits our boat perfectly. The problem of adjusting the leach line was overcome on our new sails by having the leach line taken to the headboard of the sail and down the luff so we can adjust it from the mast when reefing. For us it was way too risky in a big sea, hanging over the guardwires. Far more dodgy than going to the mast for us ?

In reading this it has reminded me that on my last mainsail I did have to adjust the leech line on the top third, when it was 6 years old. So I decided to renew.
I simply dropped the sail in port & tensioned the line to the cleat that was fitted just above the third reef. This meant that only that section of sail was adjusted. If I had a line to the mast - as you have- I would have pulled on the entire leech & probably spoiled the lower 2 sections of leech.

Of course if one has an old sail or a cloth that stretches a lot & leech line adjustment is needed, it would not be an issue. However, on a decent sail it is different matter

 

[geem]

In reading this it has reminded me that on my last mainsail I did have to adjust the leech line on the top third, when it was 6 years old. So I decided to renew.
I simply dropped the sail in port & tensioned the line to the cleat that was fitted just above the third reef. This meant that only that section of sail was adjusted. If I had a line to the mast - as you have- I would have pulled on the entire leech & probably spoiled the lower 2 sections of leech.

Of course if one has an old sail or a cloth that stretches a lot & leech line adjustment is needed, it would not be an issue. However, on a decent sail it is different matter

Yep, not needed to set it yet on brand new Vectran sails but time will come when it's howling and I can do it from the mast?

 

[geem]

By pulling on the bits of line that the sailmaker kindly placed in the sail, if necessary centering the sail to reach the leech. How do you do it?

We found we that very difficult by the time the third reef was in. Too much sail stacked on the boom and too far to reach the cleat on the leach without risking going over the side. Centering the boom was dodgy due to the risk of a gybe knocking you over the side. We just didn't do it when it blowing 35kts.
Doing it at the mast is safer for us

 

[[70521]]

We found we that very difficult by the time the third reef was in. Too much sail stacked on the boom and too far to reach the cleat on the leach without risking going over the side. Centering the boom was dodgy due to the risk of a gybe knocking you over the side. We just didn't do it when it blowing 35kts.
Doing it at the mast is safer for us

We all have our ways with our own boats... I prefer to stay in the cockpit rather than move about a deck.