My halyard is SO long. Do you use it to act as the mainsheet also? The way I rigged the mainsheet with a separate line makes no sense to me.
Noob. Do you use the mainsail halyard as the main sheet?
- Thread starter Chuck_FLA
- Start date
Pictures will help explain your meaning.
Welcome to sailing. As complex an endeavor one can undertake to get back to the simple life.
-Will
Welcome to sailing. As complex an endeavor one can undertake to get back to the simple life.
-Will
Since line is priced by the foot not the piece you will still need the same number of feet for both lines, there is no price advantage.
Consider stretch characteristics. For a halyard you want as little stretch as possible. For a mainsheet a little stretch reduces shock load on the hardware.
I too thought of the more rigid line for the sheet. My question is safety related: can you safely (quickly) drop your main sail without having to undo your “sheet”? I’m guessing it would be arduous to undo it all then drop your sail in a blow.
I would have 2 lines. Maybe even by cutting down an unnecessary long halyard.
I would have 2 lines. Maybe even by cutting down an unnecessary long halyard.
This may be the case, although I've rigged something that uses the forestay instead and it works well. I think I'm going to go by West Marine and buy some more appropriately sized lines!
Just a point in sailor speak, lines are characterized as soft or stiff when talking about flexibility and hand, how the line feels in the hand. Sta-Set X is an example of a stiff line, it does not run through blocks easily because it doesn't bend well, it is hard on the hand. Regatta braid is an example, it is soft and fuzzy, very easy on the hand and runs through blocks well.
Line is also characterized by stretch, generally high stretch or low stretch, with low stretch being preferred for halyards.
These characteristics are on a scale and not absolute values, although for stretch rope makers do specify a value.
Thanks Dave
I appreciate that. Everyday I learn something new. I’m also young, I have no excuse to not remember.
I appreciate that. Everyday I learn something new. I’m also young, I have no excuse to not remember.
Yes, if I had to undo the halyard to drop the sale while I was using the same line for a traveler, I'd have to pull the line through 3 pulley blocks before I could even untie it. I recognize now that that would be very dumb.