Question I never thought I would ask ... securing headsail sheets to the clew...

[capnsensible]

You're welcome

What first attracted you to that picture of your idol, Lakey? Is it coz L. Dicaprio has a full head of hair?

 

[Kukri]

Well, I can carry on with the two bowlines and three cable ties a side or I can improve the shining hour as we are not going anywhere for now and she is not the ideal daysailer and do either my old Sleightholme method (I think he got it from Hervey Garrett Smith?) or something involving Dyneema and soft shackles.

 

[PetiteFleur]

My boat has a babystay so bowlines always snagged, so several years ago I use a double length of sheet with a bowline in the centre, but fitted with 3 short lengths of 10mm 3 strand rope in the knot - this makes it easy to undo the bowline at layup time by just cutting/pulling away the 3 strand rope and the bowline undoes easily. I've found this system never snags on the babystay.

 

[dunedin]

I hadn’t had a problem... # 1 Son the Professional Navigator and I even cross checked each other’s bowlines. But they undid themselves in minutes (nb no flogging!)

I have used bowlines successfully for at least 20 seasons. With a new rope (or new end of an old rope) I always winch the sheet to tighten the knot before going sailing - get it nice and tight and it will stay.
When refitting the rope will probably have retained the shape of the knot - make sure it is tied in exactly the same place and it will again be secure. That’s what works for me.

 

[johnalison]

I have always used bowlines but I have an unlimited degree of admiration for those who use fancy methods, such as soft shackles to get the bloody thing to work properly.

 

[LittleSister]

I am starting to gain a notion of what it may be like to be an elephant’s mahout. She doesn’t have any vices - in fact she has lovely manners, as long as you don’t try to go astern, other than upwind, in a marina, but the forces involved are very big!

You may qualify for associate membership of the long-keelers club!

 

[webcraft]

.
One line, cow hitch.

- W

 

[Kukri]

You may qualify for associate membership of the long-keelers club!

Well, she’s my first fin keeler. And I can’t tell the difference... She heaves to perfectly, and is hopeless in marinas! If anything slightly more hopeless than Mirelle, a 37ft pre-War gaff cutter (call that 51ft with the bowsprit run out) because Mirelle had the prop on the port quarter, so the one thing that she would always do was spin on a sixpence ...to port...?. This came in very handy in Dutch canals... but the turning circle to starboard was about a cable, on a good day.

Kukri has the prop eight feet away from the rudder, so, by the time the prop wash gets anywhere near the rudder, it has lost interest...

But the heaving-to is an unexpected pleasure.

 

[Kukri]

.
One line, cow hitch.

- W

Now change headsails. ?

 

[LittleSister]

For foresail sheets that catch on the babystay (or whatever), there is a solution for which I can't remember the exact details, but it involves siezing the sheets together for a short length near the cringle, but with the sheets crossing over one another (i.e. the foresail side of the starboard sheet with the winch end of the port sheet one end of the seizing, and vice versa). This presents a continuous straight(ish) edge to the baby stay, rather it getting trapped in the folds of a knot or parallel siezed sheets.

 

[johnalison]

Now change headsails. ?

I've only got one.

 

[LittleSister]

If anything slightly more hopeless than Mirelle, a 37ft pre-War gaff cutter (call that 51ft with the bowsprit run out) because Mirelle had the prop on the port quarter

Ah! Having had a 14 foot bowsprit and offset prop you'll already have honorary life membership of the long-keelers club!

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

I'll bet @Kukri tied the bowlines with short (and tidy) tails. If left long they damp the motion of the knot when tied to a flogging sail. If I'm using bowlines I tend to leave them about a foot long - and no, they've never snagged on anything.

 

[Poignard]

The answer is simple. Tie a bowline and then use a little self amalgamating tape wrapped around the rope end and loop. The knot will not come undone even with severe flogging. I have used this on various knots including sheets and reefing lines for years and never had a problem.

Not a bad idea to stop them snagging on the shrouds.

Heat shrink sleeve would do as well, I suppose

 

[webcraft]

Now change headsails. ?

.
Only one furler.

But you could have dedicated sheets for each headsail if you really wanted?


- W

 

[Robin]

The answer is simple. Tie a bowline and then use a little self amalgamating tape wrapped around the rope end and loop. The knot will not come undone even with severe flogging. I have used this on various knots including sheets and reefing lines for years and never had a problem.

Have done that and used whipping, both worked. On non-sheet applications with 3strand, tuck tail through a strand

 

[rotrax]

I am starting to gain a notion of what it may be like to be an elephant’s mahout. She doesn’t have any vices - in fact she has lovely manners, as long as you don’t try to go astern, other than upwind, in a marina, but the forces involved are very big!

My mate Paul has been skipper on Nic 55's many times.

He would agree with your findings...............................................

 

[Iliade]

• Water knot, with stopper, if you can force both sheets opposite ways through the cringle.
• Halyard knot/anchor knot, both best undone with a knife.
• Figure eight will stay done up but two are nearly as hazardous as a shackle.
• Wash, or at least wet, the rope ends if it is old and you should get a better knot.
• Just bend the rope back on itself and seize it.
• If you must keep the sheets when changing the sail, move with the times and use a soft shackle :0)

 

[Star-Lord]

I use Bowline, but important to have a decent tail because it may slip a bit when first tied. This is quite a good read. How safe is the bowline knot in different situations?

 

[Fantasie 19]

OK, I've only got a baby boat, so loads are low, but I have a single line for the sheets, that I attach with a lark's head. Once it's tightened itself down, it never slips. I did it as a temporary measure once and forgot to do it again properly, but it worked, so I've used it ever since.

Is there a difference between a lark's head, and what I'd call a cow hitch? either way, I use the same as Stemar, but for largely the same reasons - small loads/small boat...