Mainsheet set up

[Gunfleet]

The original mainsheet set up on my boat had no traveller or horse but used three pad eyes on deck - the one I have now only uses one pad eye with two 3-sheave blocks. Does anyone know what this original rig up should look like? A link to a picture or drawing somewhere on t'internet would be lovely. I've sneaked around the marina trying to find another but can't. I've got to stop looking or people will think I'm trying to nick their outboard or something.
Thanks

 

[Porthandbuoy]

According to your bio you have a Nic 26, same as myself, so not a very wide transom.
Ladybird has a traveller, but from what you describe your original setup may have had an endless mainsheet with two jammers, one to port and one to starboard. By hauling in on one you would tend to pull the boom that direction as well as down.

 

[jimi]

The original mainsheet set up on my boat had no traveller or horse but used three pad eyes on deck - the one I have now only uses one pad eye with two 3-sheave blocks. Does anyone know what this original rig up should look like? A link to a picture or drawing somewhere on t'internet would be lovely. I've sneaked around the marina trying to find another but can't. I've got to stop looking or people will think I'm trying to nick their outboard or something.
Thanks

Is it possible to set up 2 mainsheets, 1 on each eye at the side? If so it will give you almost totallt control of the boom position.

 

[BAtoo]

According to your bio you have a Nic 26, same as myself, so not a very wide transom.
Ladybird has a traveller, but from what you describe your original setup may have had an endless mainsheet with two jammers, one to port and one to starboard. By hauling in on one you would tend to pull the boom that direction as well as down.

I would agree with this; the outer two pad-eyes being effectively turning blocks to send the (double-ended) mainsheet up to the boom to a double or triple block then down to a single or double depending on how much purchase you want/need. The tails would go forward to a winch/jammer on each side. No traveller but the pull to windward would keep the boom to windward a little.

Its like the 2:1 set-up as here:- http://www.harken.com/rigtips/mainsheet.php - 11th one down; and if you combine the 2 singles at the deck to a double and miss out the traveller its what you have.

 

[Gunfleet]

Is it possible to set up 2 mainsheets, 1 on each eye at the side? If so it will give you almost totallt control of the boom position.

Hi Jim. Long time no speak. I could do that, but you have seen me forget to control a mainsheet on GlenRosa. Simpler is probably better given the propensity for operator error! So just the one main, I think.

 

[Gunfleet]

I would agree with this; the outer two pad-eyes being effectively turning blocks to send the (double-ended) mainsheet up to the boom to a double or triple block then down to a single or double depending on how much purchase you want/need. The tails would go forward to a winch/jammer on each side. No traveller but the pull to windward would keep the boom to windward a little.

I think I'm going to have to draw this... but I think I know what you mean. There's no sign of winches or jammers, so perhaps it begins at the boom, goes out to turning eyes, then back to a triple at the top, triple at the bottom, or whatever advantage will be needed in that configuration. That would mean a bight going through the bottom, central sheave with jammer (wtf are those things called). Which would be neat, to save cockpit confusion.

 

[BAtoo]

I think I'm going to have to draw this... but I think I know what you mean. There's no sign of winches or jammers, so perhaps it begins at the boom, goes out to turning eyes, then back to a triple at the top, triple at the bottom, or whatever advantage will be needed in that configuration. That would mean a bight going through the bottom, central sheave with jammer (wtf are those things called). Which would be neat, to save cockpit confusion.

Well, if you want simple ignore the 2 outer pad-eyes and do a simple 4 or 6 to 1 as on system 1 or 2 of the harken page, but you will have no windward pull as in the, probable, original system

 

[Gunfleet]

Yes, the second illustration is the system I have now, but as you suggest, there's no pull to windward. And as porthandbouy suggested, the boat has a small, 1960s style stern, so there isn't really much room to fit a traveller. Thanks for finding those pictures.

Mine must have begun with some three part arrangement to justify the three pad eyes. And I have seen a tackle with three pad eyes on a small boat where the multi sheave part is all on one side (port). I don't think that would improve things and wouldn't be suitable for a four ton boat anyway.
John

 

[aslabend]

Gunfleet,
this is the set-up on Siri

It goes from one quarter up to the boom, down to a block on the other quarter and back up to the boom and then down to a block on the cockpit combing and along to a cam cleat. Not sure if this is the original but as there is a pad-eye midships on the stern that I think may have been used once to make it more of a "W" than the current set-up.

I've wondered about fitting a traveller but so far it just seems like to much effort for minimal return.

 

[Seajet]

Gunfleet,

how about you put a strong carabiner on the bottom of the lower purchase - with swivel if necessary.

That way you could generally use the central eye, but in light winds momentarily slacken off the sheet and put it on the windward eye.

This, combined with a strong topping lift, would also allow use of the boom & mainsheet as a derrick for assisting MOB's back aboard ( pelican hooks on the guardrails completing that set-up ).

 

[Gunfleet]

Thanks for posting that picture Siri. I looked at your website and your boat looks great. Events have overtaken me - all that poking round the stern has let me discover the ash part of the tiller lamination has gone soft where it goes through the rudder headstock. So even more woodwork coming up for me!

 

[SHUG]

Lets try a verbal description!

On the boom you have a twin sheave with becket . On each outer pad you have a single sheave and another single sheave in the middle..
Here we go; Start at the boom where one end of the sheet is fixed. Take the sheet to the starboard sheave and return to the boom and so down to the port sheave and then back to the boom before dropping down to the sheave on the central pad and so to your winch or jammer.
Simples....works a treat.

 

[lw395]

Gunfleet,
this is the set-up on Siri

It goes from one quarter up to the boom, down to a block on the other quarter and back up to the boom and then down to a block on the cockpit combing and along to a cam cleat. Not sure if this is the original but as there is a pad-eye midships on the stern that I think may have been used once to make it more of a "W" than the current set-up.

I've wondered about fitting a traveller but so far it just seems like to much effort for minimal return.

There is no pull to windward on this set up either, as the sum of the pull vectors on the boom will be pretty much halfway between the two eyes on deck.
However, it is a system that has served well.
If you go changing it for windward sheeting you may need a more powerful kicker and a stronger boom.
I would go with this system unless you have a clear idea why you want something different.

A traveller would enable you to let the main out 'like a barn door' without dumping the leach tension. However, this is much more necessary on a modern low ballast boat which has greater need to be sailed in that style.

 

[aslabend]

Thanks for posting that picture Siri. I looked at your website and your boat looks great. ....

Proof positive that the camera does lie!

 

[Gunfleet]

<<Proof positive that the camera does lie!>>
Does it? Well, it cleans things up. It bends things. It certainly doesn't work like our eyes.

By the way, all that lovely teak might hide a bit of wet rot in the cockpit lockers. Guess how I know! I think the trick is to get a bottle brush and keep the hardwood channels under the locker lids free of accumulated muck.

ps your tiller is set about 6 inches higher than mine, which lines up with the coamings. Is it comfortable up there?

 

[Gunfleet]

Lets try a verbal description!

On the boom you have a twin sheave with becket . On each outer pad you have a single sheave and another single sheave in the middle..
Here we go; Start at the boom where one end of the sheet is fixed. Take the sheet to the starboard sheave and return to the boom and so down to the port sheave and then back to the boom before dropping down to the sheave on the central pad and so to your winch or jammer.
Simples....works a treat.

Yes, that sounds right. I've got all that kit sitting in the shed in one way or another, so I'll give it a go.

 

[Gunfleet]

<<how about you put a strong carabiner on the bottom of the lower purchase - with swivel if necessary.
>>
Thanks for the thought, Seajet. I'm afraid I don't think a carabinier is a suitable attachment for the mainsheet... it's almost designed to stretch a carabinier with repeated shock loads.

 

[Seajet]

<<how about you put a strong carabiner on the bottom of the lower purchase - with swivel if necessary.
>>
Thanks for the thought, Seajet. I'm afraid I don't think a carabinier is a suitable attachment for the mainsheet... it's almost designed to stretch a carabinier with repeated shock loads.

How's that then ? Just use a suitable size carabiner or some other quick attach / detach shackle...

My boat may only be 22' but the carabiner works fine both for mainsheet and MOB, I know 'cos I was the MOB !

It would be a fair old mainsheet & sail to stretch a properly sized fitting- have just checked back and your boat is a Nic 26 ? What's the problem, I thought maybe she was a J class or something !

 

[BAtoo]

I think I'm going to have to draw this... but I think I know what you mean. There's no sign of winches or jammers, so perhaps it begins at the boom, goes out to turning eyes, then back to a triple at the top, triple at the bottom, or whatever advantage will be needed in that configuration. That would mean a bight going through the bottom, central sheave with jammer (wtf are those things called). Which would be neat, to save cockpit confusion.

As there is no sign of associated winches or jammers replace the outer turning blocks with a block with clam cleat such as:-

Part number 03511

then you have control on each side and can do the double/triple or single double on the centre pad-eye & boom as I suggested before.

I find boom position quite helpful when going to windward and would want to have at least some control over this.