Out There Revival (E35-3)

[Nick J]

We ended up with a 4:1 mainsheet setup run through a cabin top double clutch that's shared with the main halyard. It's worked well for us both on heavier air days and (far mor common to us in the Puget Sound) light air days. The biggest factor we found was the friction in the blocks. Replacing old warn out blocks, including the deck organizer, with new ball bearing blocks made a much more noticeable difference than 5:1 vs 4:1. I posted about it here:

Block Comparison

We're replacing a lot of the running rigging this year. I'm not sure if the blocks I'm replacing are original, but they look old enough to be a possibility. Either way, they are old. All of them have small cracks in the sheaves, there's corrosion on the aluminum cheeks where the steel pins...

ericsonyachts.org

I later purchased blocks to bring it back to the original 5:1, but after using this set up for a few years, I'm going to stick with the 4:1

 

[bsangs]

It's a good question. Generally I have found that less is more regarding mainsheet purchase.

For one thing, there's a winch, if a hard set is required. And in light air, the less friction the better.

When the wind comes up, we reef, and with a reef in, purchase necessity is reduced. With two reefs in I can trim hand over hand even in high winds.

A mainsheet clutch comes in handy when reefing, if the mainsheet winch does reefing duty. But that's the only time it does. So I'm against them. I use a cheap clam cleat when the mainsheet is free during reefing, if that. Usually i just let the mainsheet lie there, since the sail is luffing anyhow.

But to each his own, of course. Cruising gear should be simple, I think. We are not racing in a gale.

I'll definitely look into it. We have a dodger. Main sheet runs to the mast, through a mast-base block, the deck organizer, back through a clutch and onto cabin top winch. (Yes, there's a lot of main sheet line.) Sorry to hijack your thread @Out There.

 

[Out There]

Sorry to hijack your thread @Out There.

No prob, may lend to legitimacy.

 

[Out There]

@bsangs here is a pic of my main sheet setup. I have never noticed a problem with not having enough leverage or with having too much friction in light air