Mainsheet Improvements

[paulrae]

I'm in the 'fortunate' position that I, my wife and teenage daughter enjoy sailing on our Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 32.2. When conditions get a bit lively my wife prefers that I helm, leaving her and my daughter to handle the sheets. This presents a problem when sheeting in the main, as there's very little purchase from the 2:1 system so I'd like to make things a little easier.

The traveller is fitted to the coach roof, so the main sheet passes from the coach-roof winch, along the coach roof, up the mast, along the under-side of the boom to a block which is mounted around half-way along the boom. It then goes over the sheave to a block on the traveller and back to the under-boom block, where it's made off. The system is shown on this website, described as the 2:1 system.

I've had various bits of advice, including changing the single blocks to doubles, or going for the 4:1 system shown the website above, using 2 single blocks and one double.

Does anyone have experience of the above modifications with positive or negative outcomes?

Cheers

Paul

 

[KenMcCulloch]

Increasing the number of parts in the purchase will certainly make things easier. 2:1 is pretty low power for a mainsheet especially if it's led to the middle rather than the end of the boom.

You should also think about developing your whole family's skills if they are the usual crew. Only having one person on the boat who is happy helming in more than say 20knots wind does limit your options a bit. Train your daughter up.

 

[exfinnsailor]

Fitting extra blocks will need more string .. The more you fit the more string you need .. Alot of dingy's use multi purchase .. Its quite easy use a fiddle block on the coach roof traveller and a double block on the boom will give you 3 : 1 but you will probably need an extra 2 - 3m of string .. Have a look at a Beneteau they have a similar system .. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[savageseadog]

There's a Harken guide on this very site YBW.com Harken Mainsheet Guide

It would unusual to sheet with a winch on a boat your size. You need to be thinking about 8:1 or a coarse/fine system with two tails. All the blocks should be ball bearing type and a ball bearing car and traveller is to my mind a good investment too

 

[ebbtide]

[ QUOTE ]
You need to be thinking about 8:1 or a coarse/fine system with two tails.

[/ QUOTE ]

Excellent - but improve on that by long-splicing the two tails end-to-end.

 

[paulrae]

Thanks for the advice. I had thought about doing something like this, as one of my friends has this on his Elan 333. My main problem is the location of the traveller forward of the sprayhood. I haven't seen any way of of having a coarse/fine arrangement with this configuration. Can you point me in the direction of some way of doing this?

 

[savageseadog]

I meant to say you could think about a coarse/fine trim system. Not sure it's necessary really on that size boat, a nice luxury though. Have a look on the Harken site as there might be more there. Other than that contact the builder or designer, have a walk round a marina or two. It's an important thing to get right. I opted for the Harken windward car traveller as well by the way.