I like the safety of the cockpit On Saturday, October 12, 2013, Chuck S wrote:
> Funny, I just did it Tuesday. I installed a Harken camcleat to my mast > for the main halyard so I can control it there for raising and flaking and > reefing. > Positioned it so a tug from the cockpit pulls the line free from the > camcleat. I am thinking of adding another for the spin halyard and maybe > the jib halyard. > > You just need the Harken parts, the right length #10 flat head screws, the > right sized drill bit and tap, some lanacote. I like the pocket sized tap > and drill sets from Harbor Freight that have 6 common sizes w bits in a > little plastic case. > > Harken camcleat 150 > Harken mast adapter plate 438 or > Harken spacer 295 (can be used instead of plate if you shape base to fit > mast curve) > > It was something I wanted to do for years. Bought the parts last March > during the Defender Sale and just got around to it in Oct. It has rained > here eversince so I haven't tried it out sailing, but it worked well at the > dock. > > Chuck > Resolute > 1990 C&C 34R > Atlantic City, NJ > ------------------------------ > *From: *"Dennis C." <capt...@yahoo.com> > *To: *cnc-list@cnc-list.com > *Sent: *Saturday, October 12, 2013 5:09:56 AM > *Subject: *Re: Stus-List singlehanding bigger boats > > Antoine, > > I agree with much of your comment. There is a way to have halyards run > back to the cockpit but also operate them at the mast. Simply install a > camcleat and horn cleat on the mast a bit offset from the path of the > halyard from its exit to the turning block at the base of the mast. > > When in "mast" mode, you can hoist or lower the sail, temporarily stop it > with the camcleat or more permanently stop it with the horn cleat. > > When in "cockpit" mode the halyard will exit the mast, run to the turning > block and back to the cockpit. Or, one can hoist the sail, stop it with > the camcleat, return to the cockpit and pull the slack out and stop the > halyard with a cabintop rope clutch. With a little configuration > tweaking, If done correctly, the camcleat can be position such that the > line pops out of it when the slack is taken out. The line is then free to > allow the sail to be dropped from the cockpit. > > I've sailed on boats with this arrangement for spinnaker halyards and it > seems to work well. > > Dennis C. > Touche' 35-1 #83 > Mandeville, LA > > > > On Friday, October 11, 2013 10:52 PM, Antoine Rose < > antoine.r...@videotron.ca> wrote: > > It seems that many recommend bringing back the lines to the cockpit for > single handling. > Well, allow me to trow a little rock in the pound and challenge a bit that > idea. > I too have single handed a lot and personally, I prefer to have my lines > at the mast. I know, it goes against common wisdom and what many (most) > think. > > Well, I think it is simpler and easier this way. > - Hoisting: when was the last time it was easy for you to hoist the main, > without a winch? When the halyard is on the mast, you have a straight pull. > One block at the top of the mast and that's it. Pulling the rope down is > efficient, it goes with your weight. Bringing the line back to the cockpit > mean adding a block at the base of the mast, another deviation block > somewhere on the roof, then the line goes through a rope clutch and then > around a winch. Did you ever figured out how much friction all that is? The > result is mainsails that required to be hoisted with the help of the winch > almost half of the way. I raise mine to the top by hand and the winch is > used only for what it was meant for, adding proper tension. > - My lines are neatly tidied up at the mast and I have minimal ropes in > the cockpit, only the two genoa sheets and the main, that's it. > - Reefing, unless you have a single line systems that works very well (go > back to my comment on multiple friction induce by too many turns in the > line), you have to go the mast to pull down the main and insert the eye in > the hook and lay down properly the main on the boom before pulling and > tensioning the reef line. > - The fundamental idea is to make it the easiest it can possibly be, so > that, if your brain says "it maybe a good idea to reef", you go without any > hesitation. The easiest it is, the more frequent you'll adjust your sail to > match the weather. On my boat, everything is done at the mast. When I want > to reef, I ease the main sheet and then go to the base of the mast where I > do everything without moving: the halyard loosening, pulling down the main > to the hook, tensioning again the halyard, adjusting the downhaul, pulling > and tensioning the reef line, replace a bit the sail and go back to the > cockpit to readjust the sheet. Usually, when I'm in hurry in a race, I > don't loose more than a minute for the reefing. When I drop the main (I've > installed home made lazy jacks), I again go to the mast to let go the > halyard and I'm right there where the action is, to lay down properly the > main. > - I've seen many boats where the halyards goes back to the cockpit. Yes, > but when singlehanded, you have to go to the mast to pull down the main > down to the hook, go back to the cockpit to tension again the halyard, go > back to the mast to pull the reef line and then back to the cockpit again. > We often say it's safer to get the lines back to the cockpit, well, it is > not safe if you have to do two back and forth to the mast for a simple > reefing. > > In the end, before choosing your religion ( to the mast or to the > cockpit), take some time to really think it through, do some si > >
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