Adjusting Dutchman lines

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Seems like every year at this time I re-learn how to hate the Dutchman lines and almost want to convert to a furling main. When they are properly adjusted, they work great and the main flakes well, however, I always seem to have to play with them periodically for the first few sails of the season to get them working properly.Anyone have any tricks they find which help simplify the process?

 

[walmsleyc]

I have to adjust too ...

but my toppinglift (to which the dutchman lines are attached) is not removable, and thus I have to re-feed the dutchman lines each year, and adjust.My process is to:- haul the main up on a no-wind day- do not crank it to high or too tight because you probably  want it at the low end of your average hoist. This depends on the amount of stretch you get from your particular halyard. If you do this adjustment with the main too high, then you may find the dutchman lines too tight while sailing, and they will mess with your sail shape.- Adjust your topping lift so that the boom will drop a few inches  (4" maybe?) when you drop the main.- Re-raise your main- now adjust the dutchman lines so they have a few inches of slack so that when the boom drops when the sail is dropped, the dutchman lines go tight and keep the sail on the boom.Chris

 

[Tim]

Don..........

"re-learn how to hate".... too funny. Those words could have come out of my mouth as well. Like you said, when they work they are a pleasure.I can't wait to try Chris's suggustions, it seems to make perfect sense. Thank you for the input.Tim

 

[Rich Stidger]

Me too............................

I re-thread my Dutchman each year because it is so much easier to remove the sail, fold, wash it, etc without the Dutchman. Last year I marked the control lines as they exited the pockets. I figured that this year the re-install would be a cake-walk. Wrong.My lines are too tight. Now I need to wait for a wind-less time to make the adjustments again. Now realize that when you WANT wind, it's calm and when you want CALM it blows stink.If I remember correctly, the Dutchman manual says that the lines need to be slack enough so that the pockets drop down to the top of the boom and the sail flakes on top of the boom as well. You don't want the lines so tight that the pockets "stand-up" and have the weight of the sail on top of them. I will re-read the Dutchman instructions along with Chris' guideline.However, when the system is adjusted correctly, it works pretty well. However, I always need to straighten out a few of the flakes after each drop.