Reefing lines led aft: organizer, blocks, or low friction rings?

[agprice22]

I am preparing to remove the rats-nest of lines at the base of my mast and reduce the stress on my wife by leading my reefing, and maybe outhaul, lines aft to clutches at the cockpit. I will turn the lines at the base of the mast to the side of the mast to turn them aft. My thinking is I would normally use an organizer to turn them aft, but this would require me to make a mount to angle the organizer to lead the lines fair into the organizer. That sounds like a lot of work, so I am considering some options: a couple of pivoting, turning blocks bolted to the deck, a triple block shackled to the deck, or some low friction rings on line that get shackled to the deck. With any of these, I get the angle and the turn I need in one package. However, do you see an advantage or disadvantage to rings or blocks for this purpose?

Thanks!
Andrew

 

[wing15601]

Any block secured to the deck can move around and a block with multiple sheaves and lines can tangle, necessitating a trip forward. I would rather use a stacked deck organizer and not have to send the wife forward in hazardous conditions.

 

[Justin_NSA]

Any block secured to the deck can move around and a block with multiple sheaves and lines can tangle, necessitating a trip forward. I would rather use a stacked deck organizer and not have to send the wife forward in hazardous conditions.

I agree. Deck organizers was the path I took on my old Mac. Routed around the poptop to clutches. The Hunter runs from the mast to organizers under the hood.

 

[David in Sandusky]

Our lines ran outside the mast to winches on the mast. I kept that system for the foresail (seldom changed) and spinnaker (have to go forward in any case) halyards.

This is the mod I did to run the mainsheet halyard and outhaul back to the cockpit.

https://hunter.sailboatowners.com/mods.php?task=article&mid=16&aid=7355&mn=27_75-84

I went with cheek blocks on the side of the mast, and an organizer to run the lines aft outside the companionway to a clutch, winch, and cleat.

We have been very happy with this setup over the past 17 summers.

 

[agprice22]

Oy! I was hoping for some ideas to avoid an organizer due to the angle of my deck. I have installed and used organizers before. However, in this case, I would have to build an angled riser for it. Still thinking...

 

[Justin_NSA]

Sounds like you might use a beveled wedge under the organizer to get the right in and out angle (?)
There are some synthetics that could work. I use leftover cutoffs from my home composite deck project in several places.

 

[agprice22]

Sounds like you might use a beveled wedge under the organizer to get the right in and out angle (?)
There are some synthetics that could work. I use leftover cutoffs from my home composite deck project in several places.

Yeah. That is my thought. I actually have some white PlastTeak in the 2x2 form. I could make a wedge of that. However, I would love to avoid it.

 

[thinwater]

A contrarian view.

Install jacklines and use a tether. Falling off a tri is actually quite difficult. I prefer working at the mast because the friction is less.

There is no need to draw your wife into this. You should be able to singlehand the boat, and your wife should understand the safety of tethers on a trimaran. You need the jacklines anyway, because something can always tangle.

 

[Justin_NSA]

Yeah. That is my thought. I actually have some white PlastTeak in the 2x2 form. I could make a wedge of that. However, I would love to avoid it.

It's not unusual. I've seen wedges under winches.

 

[sesmith]

Why not use mast base blocks at the rear of the mast, right under the boom, and send them straight back at whatever angle works. If you feel you have to pull forward on them just run them through a fairlead attached to the mast before they run down to the block. Doubt you'll need one, though.

 

[sesmith]

A I would rather use a stacked deck organizer and not have to send the wife forward in hazardous conditions.

My wife pilots the boat. She docks it too (better than I do). No reason to send her anywhere! Just sayin'

Sorry, couldn't resist. I'd love to see more women out there driving boats and their husbands pulling the anchor up!

 

[agprice22]

A contrarian view.

Install jacklines and use a tether. Falling off a tri is actually quite difficult. I prefer working at the mast because the friction is less.

There is no need to draw your wife into this.

My wife is involved because she is at the mast, handling the main halyard, as well as the reefing line. I have lengthened the existing reefing lines to let her hand them to me at the tiller, so she does not have to ease the halyard and haul the reefing line at the same time. There is no danger of her falling over! I like to help her feel confident. Sailing is adventurous enough. I like to keep her within her zone.
I love the idea of falling off a tri from the mast! You would have to travel 9 ft to reach the nearest gunwale!

 

[agprice22]

Why not use mast base blocks at the rear of the mast, right under the boom, and send them straight back at whatever angle works. If you feel you have to pull forward on them just run them through a fairlead attached to the mast before they run down to the block. Doubt you'll need one, though.

That is possible. I had thought of this. The lines would interfere with a midships hatch on our boat, but we never open it during sailing, so I could cross directly from the mast to the clutch.

 

[agprice22]

My wife pilots the boat. She docks it too (better than I do). No reason to send her anywhere! Just sayin'

Sorry, couldn't resist. I'd love to see more women out there driving boats and their husbands pulling the anchor up!

Hijacker!