Main Sheet Alteration

[Richard Martin]

OC41.1 with German sail control. I miss the traditional traveler, being unable to control the boom position, backing, and ending up with all the sheet on wide side or the other. Any suggestions for changing this out?
Thanks.

[Mark J Wilme]

IDK what German sail control is.  Educate me (us) please

On Sat, Oct 26, 2024, 5:10 PM Richard Martin <svspy...@gmail.com> wrote:

OC41.1 with German sail control. I miss the traditional traveler, being unable to control the boom position, backing, and ending up with all the sheet on wide side or the other. Any suggestions for changing this out?
Thanks.

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[Richard Martin]

plagiarism here as I’ve just copied another members entry but it explains the German system far better than I can. The problem for me is exacerbated by the fact that the main sheet runs through a single swivel pulley on the arch of the OC41 to the boom. It’s more than likely I’m not doing something correctly but I find it very difficult to get the boom out. 

Anyway the “German style sheeting" means that there is typically a single block at the deck level (usually mounted on the traveler, but not always, sometimes mounted on the deck) which results in a 2:1 ratio. The lines from both sides of that block run to a double block at the aft end of the boom and then forward under the boom, where they again pass through single blocks which direct each of the lines to opposite sides of the boat. In most cases, the lines then run to a block near the shrouds or the side of the cabin (but sometimes onto the cabin top) and then run aft. In most cases each line is then run to a winch on each side of the boat near the traveler where the mainsail trimmer can easily make adjustments to both the sheet and traveler from the weather side of the boat. That said, sometimes only a single line runs aft along the house and so the halyard winches are used for mainsheet adjustments, a worst of all worlds situation. 

It is often used on cruising boats to move the mainsheet into reach for the helmsman. 

Sometimes the mainsheet has two tails, which is a bit of a PIA since you need to pay attention and to try to keep enough line on both sides of the boat to be able to fully ease the mainsail from either side. Often the mainsheet is one continuous line which means that you always have enough line to ease the sail. 

Advantages: 
Low friction, less weight on the boom, crew at the mast or on the rail can 'jump the sheet', placing control of the sheet where the crew needs to be for weight distribution and to be able to see the sail while trimming, often better body ergonomics, physically less line to handle for any adjustment, two crew can be on opposite sides of the boat and both can cranking at the same time bringing in the mainsail more quickly on a mark rounding or starting sequence, . 

Negatives:
Very high line loads and so heavily dependent on the winches, a lot of turning blocks providing a place for something to jamb or fail, lines running across the deck and between the boom and the deck which can be a tripping hazard or promote "butt-cleating" (and the frequent cry of a German style mainsheet trimmer, "Who's on my sheet?") , problems associated with continuous line (twists which are nearly impossible to get out) or else having to pay attention to the amount of line on each side of the boat, complications with permanently attached sail covers (stack-pack) and vangs below the boom, additional winches and stoppers, requires enormous winches when used with mid-boom sheeting and so is often under-winched making adjustments a test of strength that few folks pass and so adjustments are either poorly made or ignored.

On Oct 26, 2024, at 5:47 PM, Mark J Wilme <mark....@gmail.com> wrote:



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