Advice, please, on running rigging

[Frank Langer]

Hi,
I want to replace sheets for the 125% headsail on my 1984 E30+ sailboat.
Ericson manual specs suggest 3/8 inch rope, but I've used 1/2 inch for the past 16 years. The 3/8 would be lighter and not weigh the sail down in very light air as much, and is less expensive. But I've heard that 1/2 is easier on the hands if not using a winch handle. I would appreciate any thoughts on what you prefer or recommend.
The chandler is recommending Yacht Braid double in polyester, as nylon apparently stretches too much in this use. Again, any thoughts are much appreciated!
Frank

 

[dcoyle]

I have 7/16 on my E33, down from 1/2 and is ok on hands. We like to race so we also have 1/4 light air sheets that work well and have actually won a few races with, lighter weight helps jib keep shape.
Yacht Braid will be fine unless you race a lot.

 

[bigd14]

Frank- we run 1/2 inch StaSet for jib sheets. I like that size on the hands and wouldn’t want it any smaller since it’s so frequently in use and we rarely use the winch handles. Now if I could just upsize my traveler lines…

 

[Frank Langer]

Thanks guys for the helpful information!
Frank

 

[N.A.]

I went down from something larger (1/2? 9/16?) jib sheets to 7/16 on an E34. Line is NER Sta-Set.

Observations:
1. now when I flog the jib tacking (singlehanded, so that happens) the lighter sheets tangle a lot more readily, even though the new lines are much more "slippery". They just fling around more it seems, and tangle, and then I have to go forward to untangle. I am getting better at avoiding this with practice, but it was noticeably less of a problem with the fuzzier, thicker, heavier older sheets.

2. I need more wraps on the winch with the slipperier smaller diameter line (often sailing in 20+ kts).

3. Since I need more warps, I like to tack with two wraps on the soon-to-be working sheet. The problem is that when I pull that in quickly as I tack, the smaller diamater line tends to override, which is obviously not desirable. The thicker line was grippy enough with one turn to tack with that and then add wraps.

4. My primary winch self-tailers do not like the smaller line, and it tends to come out of them, and then suddenly the line runs off at high speed from the winch. This never happened with the old, bigger/fuzzier line. I have had the winches looked at, and the boatyard says the self-tailers are fine, but you might check yours with smaller line to see if this happens before committing to lots of line. PS: I know there is a school of thought that says "never leave the line in the self tailer". Sure... but mine comes out even whilst grinding -- have to watch it -- and anyway I sometimes have to tack a lot, singlehanded, and I am not cleating that sheet off every time I short-tack (whereas I certainly would if leaving it for an hour or more). If you're of the "always cleat" school this concern will not matter for you.

All that said, I am not sorry I got the lighter sheets.

 

[Frank Langer]

I went down from something larger (1/2? 9/16?) jib sheets to 7/16 on an E34. Line is NER Sta-Set.

Observations:
1. now when I flog the jib tacking (singlehanded, so that happens) the lighter sheets tangle a lot more readily, even though the new lines are much more "slippery". They just fling around more it seems, and tangle, and then I have to go forward to untangle. I am getting better at avoiding this with practice, but it was noticeably less of a problem with the fuzzier, thicker, heavier older sheets.

2. I need more wraps on the winch with the slipperier smaller diameter line (often sailing in 20+ kts).

3. Since I need more warps, I like to tack with two wraps on the soon-to-be working sheet. The problem is that when I pull that in quickly as I tack, the smaller diamater line tends to override, which is obviously not desirable. The thicker line was grippy enough with one turn to tack with that and then add wraps.

4. My primary winch self-tailers do not like the smaller line, and it tends to come out of them, and then suddenly the line runs off at high speed from the winch. This never happened with the old, bigger/fuzzier line. I have had the winches looked at, and the boatyard says the self-tailers are fine, but you might check yours with smaller line to see if this happens before committing to lots of line. PS: I know there is a school of thought that says "never leave the line in the self tailer". Sure... but mine comes out even whilst grinding -- have to watch it -- and anyway I sometimes have to tack a lot, singlehanded, and I am not cleating that sheet off every time I short-tack (whereas I certainly would if leaving it for an hour or more). If you're of the "always cleat" school this concern will not matter for you.

All that said, I am not sorry I got the lighter sheets.

Thanks for that very detailed post!
Frank