Primary, Secondary Winches and Spin Sheet Rigging Upgrade

[Grizz]

A recent thread regarding fore/aft location of winches, with the larger winch installed aft, raised the question "is this right?". This spurred this thread submittal, illustrating @ 3 years of thought, trial-and-error, also involving Secondary Winches.

The key to the numbers in the pics are:

1. Antal Low Friction Ring (not visible in the starboard picture)
2. Dyneema Line
3. Harken Jib Sheet Fairlead 3280
4. Raptor Non Skid

The Harken fairlead solved an epidemic rash of always untimely jib sheet overrides, usually with us on port and a starboard boat bearing down. We finally figured out the Harken fairlead would induce a preferrable angle of entry to the Primary Winch. Problem solved! Doesn't matter if the sheets are soaking wet or bone dry, they stack on the drum as they should. Haven't had an override since.

This solution led to the next item, removal of the (now unneeded) Secondary winches. The only time we used these Secondaries was to clear the aforementioned jib sheet overrides (or 'Bulgarian CF!' in our vernacular). Removal of these 2 Lewmar 43 winches (for sale, BTW, in case anyone needs), cleats and fasteners pulled 42#'s off the boat and created a flat seating surface where none previously existed, perfectly suited when aft quarter weight is needed to offset the A-sail energy. The Raptor nonskid covers the slick/bare fiberglass and gives the jib trimmers a 'comfy' knee target to grind from.

The Antal low friction ring, spliced with Dyneema and affixed to the toerail (once we figured out where and how long/short the lead should be), cleaned up, once-and-for-all, our rigging of the spin sheets. Sheets are still led to the aft turning block (as usual), but now are led forward to the Antal ring, up to the adjacent cabintop winch, then diagonally across to the opposite shroud where the spin trimmer lives.

Gone are the days of cobweb congestion of the companionway, freeing the grinder's domain. Gone also is the question "are these spin sheets led behind or in front of the mainsheet?".

There is no discernable increased friction or drag from these added components; ease is still ease, trim is still trim. "Grind!" is still yelled loudly when the kite starts to collapse...

One complication that's been addressed: if the starboard cabintop winch is occupied with a spin sheet and a douse of the kite, using the starboard spin halyard, is necessary, we now cross sheet that starboard halyard to the port side cabintop winch. This allows us to 'stretch' the kite (using the starboard cabintop winch) and 'blow' the kite (using the port side cabintop winch). There's no real load on that winch and more importantly, that clutch, even though the lead is funky for a few minutes. It's worked fine (so far!).

On to the day. Take care.

 

[Loren Beach]

It looks like the purpose of the fairleads is to keep the sheet lead approach to the winch as low as possible. The previously added plinths under each winch did not do enough for this angle of entry? Interesting.

We put plinths (fun word...) or 'risers' under each winch to cure the override problem, but also find that it helps to still have a low profile slider block mounted on the very aft end of each genoa track for the same reason.
With our normal use of the 97% jib, that sheets to the forward track inside the shrouds, we find it helps to lead that sheet back thru the block mounted on the aft end of the aft track. Preventing "overrides" is always a priority.

Gotta admit that we have also found limited use for the secondary winch, except for holding the Runner's. I might look at this differently if we were racing this boat -- a crowded mark rounding is where we need to set up sheets for the chute as well as the headsail, heading into the scum.

 

[Grizz]

• Plinths didn't cure the overrides, but did make ergonomics of grinding a bit better.
• No runners, never had, although there's pockets for runners in the mast.
• The RF headsail (anathema to those that "gotta have ALL that sail area" and "gotta have crew douse and hoist from the foredeck") cleans up a lot, we can hold our furl a bit longer, or unfurl a bit later, knowing we've got the spin sheets and tack line procedure ready
  • Avoiding the 'scrum', protecting clean air, is always key, but sometimes you just gotta get messy
• Yep, our #3 is led through a car in the forward track, then through the adjustable fairlead on the aft track/car, and THEN through the Harken fairlead
  • Love tacking the #3, 'cept for the big wind that dictates the use of the #3!
• Your usage may be different!