ratchet pulley - what is point of it?

[tim_ber]

I bought a nice little dinghy for quick little sails.

Mainsheet system did not have a means of jamming it off.

Been looking at what is available and bought a few second hand bits and bobs.

Bought this ratchet pulley and I do remember a friend with a dinghy from years ago and a ratchet noise as they hauled the mansheet in.

But this ratchet pulley I have bought will not actually hold the mainsheet will it?

As far as I can figure out, you haul in easily with a nice ratchet sound and the sheet does not pay out as easily as before (because of grooves on the pulley that will not turn backwards), but that is all it does doesn't it?

It is just an aid, so one doesn't have to use so much force to hold mainsheet, isn't it?

To actually jam it off I need a proper mainsheet system with cam cleats and so forth involved don't I?
cheers

 

[Deleted member 36384]

Yes to all. Some have a switch you can flick and the ratchet switches off and allows the sheave to free wheel. The ratchet function is useful in gusty weather where playing the mainsheet is necessary.

 

[tim_ber]

Thanks for that.

Really glad I got it for pennies and not pounds.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

When I were a lad it was a common wisdom that you should never jam or cleat a dinghy main-sheet. If it was too much to hold, the dinghy was over-powered! A ratchet block sounds ideal - taking some of the strain, but allowing the sheet to run if hit by a gust.

 

[nimbusgb]

The ratchet takes the load off when you have one hand on the tiller, the mainsheet in your teeth and your reaching for another metre of main.

 

[tim_ber]

When I were a lad it was a common wisdom that you should never jam or cleat a dinghy main-sheet. If it was too much to hold, the dinghy was over-powered! A ratchet block sounds ideal - taking some of the strain, but allowing the sheet to run if hit by a gust.

Thanks. Makes sense. I have never had a dinghy with a jammy thing, but then I used to be strong and fit. But my fingers aren't quite what they used to be. Perhaps this ratchet thing will be a good compromise.

cheers

 

[dunedin]

When I were a lad it was a common wisdom that you should never jam or cleat a dinghy main-sheet. If it was too much to hold, the dinghy was over-powered! A ratchet block sounds ideal - taking some of the strain, but allowing the sheet to run if hit by a gust.

+1. Absolutely the reason. Often also used on gennaker and spinnaker sheets for the same reason - takes some of the load but releases instantly if necessary

 

[onesea]

+1. Absolutely the reason. Often also used on gennaker and spinnaker sheets for the same reason - takes some of the load but releases instantly if necessary

Its kind of like why you put a turn or 2 on winch even if you are not going to need to use a winch handle to tighten it...

 

[grumpy_o_g]

When I were a lad I had a ratchet block on the mainsheet of my Heron dinghy. It had a spring which would hold the sheet against the ratchet when under tension. As soon as you freed off the mainsheet the spring would expand forcing the block away from the ratchet and allowing it turn freely so that it paid totally smoothly. An absolutely brilliant piece of kit. Holt, Selden and Harken all seem to make something that sounds similar. I think ratchet blocks are pretty standard for dinghy mainsheets these days aren't they?

If you do have a jammer of any kind then I'd use cam cleats facing upwards. You can usually shove the sheet in the jammer using a foot to force the rope down and it comes out of the cams as soon as you pull on the rope from pretty much any direction. I don't remember using a jammer on any dinghies that I've sailed, from Cadets to Ospreys though.

 

[Easticks28]

+1. Absolutely the reason. Often also used on gennaker and spinnaker sheets for the same reason - takes some of the load but releases instantly if necessary

+2 Mainsheet jammers are the Devil's work. Fine until you need to 'dump' the main in a hurry, and in a dingy you will .......... often.

 

[ianat182]

I have one of these ratchet blocks from either Main Marine or Gibbs; the ratchet and rope tension is adjustable by a thumbscrew at the top of the block; to be properly effective you have to use the correct diameter sheet; too small it won't work ,too large it won't grip the grooves.
I used mine on my Wayfarer and before that on my Merlin Rocket, but changed to centre-main sheeting on both, with jammers on a Seasure ballbearing block.


ianat182

 

[lw395]

Most modern dinghies will have a mainsheet jammer. I mostly use the jammer to enable me to adjust other controls. Most will also have ratchet blocks on the main and kite sheets. Some don't need it but most people will appreciate it in a breeze.
Very few dinghies will have the jammer 'up to cleat' it's generally found better to have it 'up to uncleat', but have the cleat set low enough that you can uncleat while leaning out. I will sometimes use my foot to cleat the main, when I want to adjust kicker etc.

 

[prv]

The ratchet takes the load off when you have one hand on the tiller, the mainsheet in your teeth and your reaching for another metre of main.

This is why I never got on with the centre mainsheets that seem to be the thing in modern dinghies. With a proper mainsheet coming in over the stern, I can clamp it in my tiller hand while grabbing the next armful with the other. How are you supposed to do that with the tiller and sheet on opposite sides of you?

(OK, I'm sure there's a good reason for it and a technique that works, or they wouldn't be like that. But it never suited me.)

Pete

 

[maxi77]

This is why I never got on with the centre mainsheets that seem to be the thing in modern dinghies. With a proper mainsheet coming in over the stern, I can clamp it in my tiller hand while grabbing the next armful with the other. How are you supposed to do that with the tiller and sheet on opposite sides of you?

(OK, I'm sure there's a good reason for it and a technique that works, or they wouldn't be like that. But it never suited me.)

Pete

Transom sheeting for the main made some things easier but over all central sheeting as became commom on most of the newer classes was better, I used jammming blocks of various types over the years, but for transom sheeting the spring loaded types that engaged the ratchet as the sheet tension increasded were best where as with centre sheeted systems simple switchable ratchets were better. In general cleating off sheets is quite valid in dinghies but as others have suggested you do need to be able to release them at a m,oments notice or face an interesting swiming opportunity.

 

[fireball]

This is why I never got on with the centre mainsheets that seem to be the thing in modern dinghies. With a proper mainsheet coming in over the stern, I can clamp it in my tiller hand while grabbing the next armful with the other. How are you supposed to do that with the tiller and sheet on opposite sides of you?

(OK, I'm sure there's a good reason for it and a technique that works, or they wouldn't be like that. But it never suited me.)

Pete

The tiller extension should be in front of you.

 

[fireball]

Transom sheeting for the main made some things easier but over all central sheeting as became commom on most of the newer classes was better, I used jammming blocks of various types over the years, but for transom sheeting the spring loaded types that engaged the ratchet as the sheet tension increasded were best where as with centre sheeted systems simple switchable ratchets were better. In general cleating off sheets is quite valid in dinghies but as others have suggested you do need to be able to release them at a m,oments notice or face an interesting swiming opportunity.

+1

I use my center main sheet cleat every time I go out. I sailed one leg without uncleating it at all.
But the ratchet is handy for when it is gusting

 

[William_H]

Mainsheet cleat

All has been said already. There is a case for having a cleat for mainsheet but use it very carefully so only in gentle conditions. You might find that a cam cleat mounted somewhere near the main sheet will do the jon or even 2 cam cleats on thwart or gunwhale. You just need to be able to uncleat quickly when necessary. olewill