I found something odd on my mainsail - curious what it might be for

Apr 25, 2017
195
pearson 26 holland mi
Hello!

I know i've been gone a bit but the boat project is coming along smashingly. sadly i don't think i'm going to get paint done above the water line before putting it in this year but enoughs enough, time to go sailing

I was inspecting my sails to make sure everyything was on the up and up and found something odd on the leech of the sail, near the reefing points. There's a pair of cleats...

https://www.westmarine.com/buy/sea-...1R2Ir7WShu7OCYbdrLPxC8u7dajFQtaBoCHDQQAvD_BwE

like those.

i'm scratching my head over it a bit and with the cheek blocks on the boom maybe its for easy cleating of the reefing you put in? it is above the reef points so maybe?

I also found a small block on the outhaul and i'm scratching my head over how that might be rigged properly too. almost like the line should run from the boom's end point to that block, down to the booms cheek, then forward to the cleat there? again, not sure :p

I really wish the boom and rigging was on this boat when i bought it now so i'd have a clue.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,989
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
It can seem a bit odd to discover small plastic cheek cleats on the sail cloth. I assure you they are not from another universe.
They are for trimming your leach. Your Leech will flutter (whip back and forth) in certain conditions. You can pull on the line that is running buried in the leach and tighten the leach reducing the flutter improving the air flow.
If your sails are old you may find the "leach lines" have retreated up into the sail or are totally GONE....
A local sail loft will be glad to reinstall these sail trimming tools.
 
Jan 11, 2014
11,319
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
Is this on the mainsail? Leach lines on jibs are pretty common, I can't recall seeing them on a mainsail.
 
Jan 11, 2014
11,319
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
May 25, 2012
4,333
john alden caravelle 42 sturgeon bay, wis
dave, i have 4 mains for the alden from over the years, the all have leach cords. just saying.

1 doyle, 2 UK, 1 hood
 
Last edited:

Joe

.
Jun 1, 2004
7,999
Catalina 27 Mission Bay, San Diego
Leech cords are not something you adjust on a regular basis or as part of your sail trim procedure. Their purpose is to discourage the leech from flapping as the sail ages and stretches.... I've never seen a leech cord redirected along the boom to another cleat... I'm not saying someone couldn't do that.. just that I've never seen it.. nor heard anyone discuss it for that matter. It is not mentioned in the owner' manual either, for that matter.
Cheek blocks on the boom are for "jiffy" reefing, the lines would normally run to a cleat near the gooseneck so all the reefing action can take place standing at the mast. The manual mentions two eyelets on the boom end, one for the outhaul and the other for the topping lift(boom support)... without a picture it is difficult to visualize. Submitting a few pictures would be a big help.
 
May 25, 2012
4,333
john alden caravelle 42 sturgeon bay, wis
on my vessels we adjust the leach cords on every sail. jibs and mains and mizzen. first we adjust your halyard tension then then we set the sheets then we set the leach cords. of course, when the wind speed changes we reset all. every sail. all leach cords are run forward along the boom and are tied near the gooseneck. this way the crew can make an easy adjustment while underway. never seen it not this way.
halyard tension, leach tension. should not be overtightened.one tension for the strongest winds of the season is bad, dont do this. will hard on sails. SLOW.
lots of boats have adjustable rigs that are changed with each tack. or wind speed. of course that will mean an adjustment to the leach cord too. After the halyard adjustment.
it's how i was trained. plus. i hate sailing slow. you can feel slow in the helm. way less fun to drive then.

i enjoy the attention to the details when sailing these wind toys.
 
Apr 25, 2017
195
pearson 26 holland mi
1. i'm glad to see so much dialog about this, and people learning something new :p
2. i'm frustrated that i can't find diddly on how to actually utilize them. i think i'm at a point with it where i might just ignore them until someone waddles over and asks why the hell am i doing something like "that" while pointing at em. :p

I have a HUGE number of updates to share with the community. I've been insanely busy. launch day is friday. i MIGHT actually be able to sail it this weekend. maybe. next weekend for sure.
 
May 20, 2016
3,014
Catalina 36 MK1 94 Everett, WA
@tipsyravensailing several folks here suggested when to adjust them

If your trimmed perfect but getting flutter on the leach tighten them up till it stops. Release them when done with that tack. If always tighten them leave as loose as possible. As your sails get more blown out you will need it more and more.

I haven’t used mine in 3 years.

Les
 
Jan 11, 2014
11,319
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
Reading back over the original post, Tipsy mentions the cleat but not the line. There should be a ~⅛" dacron line sewn into the leach of the sail. This is the line that we have all been talking about. Perhaps that line is no longer there, which is leading to some confusion. On an older sail, it might have pulled out or been cut by the PO.
 

weinie

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Sep 6, 2010
1,297
Jeanneau 349 port washington, ny
right - when - but not "how" - thats the part that i'm scratching my head over :) thanks for helping with that part :D
Use it when close hauled in a bit of breeze.
Make sure you're sheeted in properly and all other control lines and halyards are adjusted properly.
Ease the leech lines all the way.
If the leach on either sail starts flutter (usually near the top) pull the leech lines in until the fluttering stops.
If the wind drops off and you notice too much of a curve, ease the tension on the line and repeat.
 
Jun 25, 2004
1,108
Corsair F24 Mk1 003 San Francisco Bay, CA
I was inspecting my sails to make sure everyything was on the up and up and found something odd on the leech of the sail, near the reefing points. There's a pair of cleats..
On a high quality sail, there is one leech line cleat above each reef patch. That enables you to adjust the leech line when even reefed.

As others have stated already, the leech line should be as loose as possible most of the time, except if the leech starts to flutter rapidly, and making a sound like flipping cards in a deck being shuffled. Rapid fluttering will break the thread or laminate parallel to the leech of the sail.

Whenever possible, the leech should be as flat as possible. Leech lines aren’t intended to be used to hook the leech on purpose.

Judy
Sailmaker
 
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Apr 25, 2017
195
pearson 26 holland mi
indeed - it seems there's a cord of some sort inside the sail along the leech - but there's no loose line anywhere on this thing. having no line is like having no car and being asked to demonstrate parralel parking. :p

There's a large metal plate at the top corner (yes i know thats not the right name for it, i know the clew name at least!) with a number of holes in it which i PRESUME is where such a line goes but maybe not? I mean, one of them has to be for the halyard itself ... logically. :p

If its luffing wouldn'y you eliminate the looseness of the leech by pulling a bit of tension on the main sheet... maybe a little in the vang? and if that doesn't work, adjusting the traveler so the main is pulling down more on the boom, instead of holding it in? If you pull a line on the leech thighter i would think that would introduce more slop to the tension of that edge of the sail. :p
 
May 20, 2016
3,014
Catalina 36 MK1 94 Everett, WA
Nope the lines we are talking about run inside the leach - back edge of the sail and have nothing to do with the head or head board. The are about 1/16” in diameter. Google leach lines and you’ll see examples