Mainsheet forward of Sprayhood

[xhurleyman]

Good day gents,
My first thread on this subject was accidentally put onto the Scuttlebut area yesterday and a few people answered, thank you. I want to find out the feasability of having a mainsheet system forward of the cockpit, above the cabin roof and had been looking at a mainsheet bridge over the sliding cabin entry with a track with sheeting system to enable the car to be pulled either to port or starboard. A friend of mine today sent me some pics of the arrangement on a Sadler 290 where the mainsheet starts off tied to a double block which is fitted to two short wire strops each attached to a deck fitting inverted U bolt on the port and starboard of the boat cabin roof. The mainsheet is fed ultimately through three blocks on the underside of the boom and thence down to one at the base of the mast before going back aft, through the lower part of the sprayhood to presumanly a jammer.

For those of you with Sadler 290's is this a standard fitting and does it work well not being able to move a car up or down a track?

In heavy winds, when caught out with my current boat before reefing, with a track I have been able to depower the sail by moving the car to leward, but with no track and a single midships fitting this would not be possible.

With a Sadler 26 which is the boat I would like to do this on there would only be space for two blocks on the underside of the boom, would this be sufficient to spread the load.

I look forward to your comments, thanks
Kevin

 

[johnalison]

I have no experience of the two boats mentioned but I would be very reluctant to do anything to make it harder for the helmsman to reach the mainsheet or control the mainsail, especially in a smallish boat. Taking the mainsheet across the coachroof seems to be a popular feature these days but I suspect that it is driven by the appeal of an uncluttered cockpit rather than its usefulness. I have sailed on other folks' boats with this arrangement and wheel steering and have felt uncomfortable about it. I can see that with a Sadler 26, the helmsman would be close to the bulkhead and might be able to manage though he would probably have to let go of the helm.

I can't remember the arrangement on a Sadler 26, but on my 29 the mainsheet track was on the bridgedeck. Although it appeared intrusive, we soon adjusted to its presence and the main was easy to manage when short-handed.

 

[charles_reed]

It's totally feasible - my boat has just that. But it's a Parker 31 with 385 ft2 main.

However you will need a much deeper boom section than on a comparable end-restrained boom and, on mine it's an 8:1 tackle before being led to the gooseneck and thence back to the cockpit.

I'd definitely be wary of the boom section - you can always up the ratio by having multiple blocks - my boom section is 145mm deep x 105mm.

 

[johna]

Mainsheet in front of sprayhood

The solution I adopted for my Sabre 27 was to have two main sheet systems one port and one starboard each with normal mainsheet blocks on the corner of the coach roof forward of the spray hood and at the boom. Clam cleats on the coach roof under the spray hood tensioned the sheets. Yes the loading on the boom is different to the design position and you could puty a bend in it if you tried but I never experienced a real problem.

Excellent control of the boom at all times and could even be set to windward. In my case where I had wheel steering on the Sabre it made single handed sheet handling much easier. Also cleared the cabin entrance of sheets.

 

[knuterikt]

My boat came with this setup when new - but we have done some improvements.
Originally the main sheet was led to one cabin top winch, now it's been changed to german sheeting system

The text on this picture is misleading - the block are attached to the lower end of the turnbuckle with a dynema strap. A bungy cord is used to keep the block up from the deck when sheet is slack.

Main sheet can be adjusted by the helmsman

Traveler arrangement, originally the cleat was located at the end of the traveler, using the Spinlock PXR cleats I can operate the traveler from the wheel also.

 

[xhurleyman]

Mainsheet ahead of the spraycover

That sounds interesting on your Sabre. I want to be able to move the position for two reasons, currently it is right in front of the cabin entrance and when the boom is well out the mainsheet can drag against the back part of the cabin and secondly it fouls the shallow sprahood. I would like to have a deeper sprayhood to be able to sit under it during rainy weather.
I presume you have two blocks on the boom one ahead of the other and the blocks on the cabin roof, are they the type on large springs to prevent the blocks falling over?

Thanks for the photos, it is always easier to imagine a conversion when you have something to go on

Cheers
Kevin

 

[William_H]

Main Sheet

There are difficulties with most cruising type boats and especially if they have a dodger. A friend has a 32ft that he likes to race. The main sheet was on a track across the cabin in front of the dodger. The sheet tail was difficult to reach being on the cabin top. A quick modification bought the tail of the mainsheet and the pulley with cam cleat back to near the end of the boom so it can be adjusted from the cockpit. Albeit a bit strange reaching up to the boom to release the main sheet.
His traveller controls are reasonable coming from the ends of the tracks under the dodger to cleats to hand.

Another friend has a near new Beneteau 39 and that has the previously mentioned mainsheet to 2 pulleys either side if the cabin top. Having sailed on this I hate it for the inefficiency of not being able to control the location of mainsheet. ie you can't pull the sheet up to windward to get the boom in the middle of the boat. All you can do is effectively try to pull the boom down very hard which might bring it nearer the centre.
I would fit a traveller track if it were my boat.

Many larger boats have the so called "German main sheet" This can be really successful in fact I would say virtually all the boats in Sydney to Hobart race use it. There is a mainsheet system on a traveler however they bring out 2 tails from the pulleys each tail goes down the boom to the gooseneck then out to the cabin side then aft to cleats and a winch. This gives access to control from either side but one sided may suit you. The actual traveler track and attachment of the pulleys can be on the cabin top (huge loads on the middle of the boom) or at the boom end ie at or near the transom. Less loads but smaller range of sideways adjustment of traveler.
I certainly use my traveler a lot on the little boat 21ft and would not be without it.
good luck olewill

 

[Bosun Higgs]

I had a Moody 336 with a mainsheet track forward of the sprayhood. It worked OK ( just) with a crew but was a PITA single handed ( the boat had a wheel which didnt help) . One of the attractions of the boat I have now was the mainsheet and traveller being where they should be just bin front of the helmsman. But then that has its disadvantages too - no ability to fit a cockpit table to the wheel pedastle and the need to undo the mainsheet with the cockpit tent up.

You pays your money as the saying goes. But personally I would never move the mainsheet forward of the helmsman - the leverage is all wrong so its no good even with the tail brought back.

 

[johna]

Mainsheet in front of sprayhood

Kevin

This is the only picture I can find of the arrangement on the Sabre. It was taken by the owner I sold it to but as he has now sold it on he won't mind me posting it.

The arrangement from cabin top to boom can be seen. At the boom I had one fitting for both sets of blocks and at the cabin top I think it was a pad eye with double block shackled to it.

Trust this is helpful.

John

 

[PetiteFleur]

The solution I adopted for my Sabre 27 was to have two main sheet systems one port and one starboard each with normal mainsheet blocks on the corner of the coach roof forward of the spray hood and at the boom. Clam cleats on the coach roof under the spray hood tensioned the sheets. Yes the loading on the boom is different to the design position and you could puty a bend in it if you tried but I never experienced a real problem.

Excellent control of the boom at all times and could even be set to windward. In my case where I had wheel steering on the Sabre it made single handed sheet handling much easier. Also cleared the cabin entrance of sheets.

That's the system my friends Contessa 28 has, the only difference is that he uses funny Spinlock 'jammers' that seem to have a knack in getting them to work - you have to flick the rope down to jam it and yank it up to release it. I think they were designed for dinghies not yachts. They are a PITA and I keep telling him to get proper clutches but he's an accountant.................