Mainsheet multipart purchase

[Donkeyrider]

Hi everyone,

I searched the archive but didn’t find what I was looking for. I was curious if anyone has added purchase to the mainsheet and run it off of the back of the boom so you can hold it in line with the tiller. Would it add too much length to the sheet? Too much friction to quickly de-power the main? In light air you could unreave one turn and still run to the midboom turn and be able to cleat it off at the thwart. I’m thinking in stronger winds of the fatigue of holding that sheet for hours at a time. Thoughts? Observations? Thank you!

Rusty
(Still un-renamed GH SCAMP)

[Rob Hazard]

Hi Rusty,
I have a couple thoughts:
You could add a ratchet block to the sheet at the mid boom position. That would relieve the constant load on your hand.

Or, what I did was to install a down facing thumb cleat on the forward face of the footwell a couple inches below the cockpit sole. I simply loop the sheet under the cleat and then hold it against the sole with the weight of one foot. My foot holds the sheet securely and lifting my foot lets it run free. You definitely do want it to run free when released!

The tiller already has the 2 lines that control the rudder blade, so adding yet another seems to me to be inviting trouble.

[Donkeyrider]

I wasn’t thinking of adding cleats to the tiller, only if running the line forward from the end of the boom rather than mid boom. Similar to this image-

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/imag ... e40VTLdd&s

[scamp14]

Scamp 14 is rigged this way, so you can hold the tiller and main sheet in one hand. The other hand can then hold the tea cup. ( see photo on Scamp14 first sail topic ).
A block at the aft end of the boom and a block on a horse across the stern. the final lead from the block on the horse. Use single, double, or triple blocks with swivels, to give you the purchase you want.
Paul

[Donkeyrider]

That’s great, thanks Paul. John said the same, but recommended staying with a 3:1 purchase for the mainsheet.