Sail downhaul solutions

[peterhull]

I have a cutter rigged trailer sailer under restoration.

I bought new hanked on sails purposely avoid having install furlers to try to keep things simple.

A simple block on the foredeck with line to the head of the sail and led aft would work I guess but is there a more simple solution to avoid to more lines over the foredeck.

Has anyone got an alternative solution?

One thought I had was a reversible halliard winch that can pull in both directions . Pull the sail up and pull it down.

Any thoughts please?

 

[B27]

Bungee around a block and back up parallel to the forestay?

 

[peterhull]

Bungee around a block and back up parallel to the forestay?

Thanks B27 sounds good have you used this system?

 

[jamie N]

"A simple block on the foredeck with line to the head of the sail and led aft would work I guess but is there a more simple solution to avoid to more lines over the foredeck."
This is precisely the method that I've used for a decade now, only ever having ever wished that I'd made it an endless halyard.
To dowse the sail completely takes 2-3 seconds.
I can't think of how much "simpler" something can be?

 

[peterhull]

Thanks Jamie.
Yes I guess this a tried and tested system. On my Privateer I have made a new mast step incorporated 3 sheaves, one for each halliard though turning blocks on the coachroof to triple line clutch.

Set ups I have seen as in figure below would involve stanchion mounted sheaves to take the downhaul aft to the side cockpit coaming probably

Not quite sure how the endless system would work in my case.

 

[jamie N]

On my Folkboat the genoa halyard runs to the cockpit, from where I haul it up and cleat it. The downhaul is pretty much the same.
To make it an endless system means simply replacing the halyard and downhaul with a single line going from the head of the sail, through the block on the mast, down the mast, through the block at the foot of the mast and back through the cleat. Now, with enough slack in the cockpit, back through the downhaul cleat, across the deck to the block by the tack of the genoa, and up the sail to the head, where it's tied to the same shackle as the halyard, even though it's the same piece of rope.
The only reason that I've not done this is cost; my halyard's in perfect nick, as is the downhaul line, and having an Aberdonian background prohibits me from the frivolity of replacing a rope that's not entirely shagged.

 

[B27]

Thanks B27 sounds good have you used this system?

Not exactly.
We did try a bungee leed around a block at the jib tack and back to some random point on deck.
This was on a racing boat, to take the jib down for light airs spinnaker runs, without clambering on the deck upsetting the boat.
The outcome was we decided taking the jib down mostly wasn't worthwhile anyway.

I intend to fit a main downhaul to my boat, so I can drop the main from the cockpit. That will probably use a 3mm line and some little plastic Ronstan 'kite blocks'.

Mention of an endless halyard reminded me of systems like early rotostays where the jib halyard came back down the luff foil.

 

[peterhull]

Not exactly.
We did try a bungee leed around a block at the jib tack and back to some random point on deck.
This was on a racing boat, to take the jib down for light airs spinnaker runs, without clambering on the deck upsetting the boat.
The outcome was we decided taking the jib down mostly wasn't worthwhile anyway.

I intend to fit a main downhaul to my boat, so I can drop the main from the cockpit. That will probably use a 3mm line and some little plastic Ronstan 'kite blocks'.

Mention of an endless halyard reminded me of systems like early rotostays where the jib halyard came back down the luff foil.

Ok thanks for this. Jamie's system seems to be good

 

[peterhull]

On my Folkboat the genoa halyard runs to the cockpit, from where I haul it up and cleat it. The downhaul is pretty much the same.
To make it an endless system means simply replacing the halyard and downhaul with a single line going from the head of the sail, through the block on the mast, down the mast, through the block at the foot of the mast and back through the cleat. Now, with enough slack in the cockpit, back through the downhaul cleat, across the deck to the block by the tack of the genoa, and up the sail to the head, where it's tied to the same shackle as the halyard, even though it's the same piece of rope.
The only reason that I've not done this is cost; my halyard's in perfect nick, as is the downhaul line, and having an Aberdonian background prohibits me from the frivolity of replacing a rope that's not entirely shagged.

I don't want to run lines across the deck from the coachroof to avoid trip hazards.

In my case there would have to be 2 downhauls, one for the jib and another for the stay sail.

I will most likely use separate lines grouped together on one side of the deck along the stanchions sheaves and cleat off aft near cockpit.

 

[dunedin]

One issue with a continuous rope would be size ? Halyard needs to be fairly strong so thicker, downhaul has little strain and benefit from being as thin as possible.
Didn't the downhaul sometimes get threaded through the metal hanks?

 

[jamie N]

..... downhaul has little strain and benefit from being as thin as possible.
Didn't the downhaul sometimes get threaded through the metal hanks?

I found that the downhaul would occasionally try to jam itself in the hanks when raising the sail.
Because of the relative ease of lowering the sail, the idea of running the downhaul(s) along the rail/stanchion seems a good solution to his foredeck concern..

 

[peterhull]

One issue with a continuous rope would be size ? Halyard needs to be fairly strong so thicker, downhaul has little strain and benefit from being as thin as possible.
Didn't the downhaul sometimes get threaded through the metal hanks?

Yes you are quite right. I found a diagram of this set up which I attached and posted earlier