Garhauer Adjustable Fairlead System

[Don Guillette]

The question was asked about a nuetral position with this system. I have discussed this with Bill F the owner of Garhauer Marine a number of times. He is an engineer and I am not. I'm lost after the second sentence because I'm just a common seaman and a lot of times I don't really care about all the theory behind this stuff - I just want to know how to make it work for me.Here's what happens with the system - when you tack the boat the jib comes over and the fairlead car sets up at some position on the rail. You would assume that that position is the optimum for the point of sail your on and the wind condition but it isn't - at least on my boat and every boat I've been on with this system.How do I know that the position is incorrect? I've checked it by locking the fairlead car in the nuetral position (I'm not sure this is the correct term but anyway) and then bringing the boat up to and close to head to wind and watch the break of the jib. The way the sail breaks tells me whether the position is correct or needs adjustment. Invariably, the car needs to go a bit forward or aft.It is not possable to move the car aft using the jib sheet. The car might move but the correct way is to have a method to move the car aft by actually slidding the car on the track. I used a simple line but Alan has a better method which eliminates the extra line. He uses the end of the line that is used to pull the car forward. Hope I have not confused anyone here. If so just fire away.

 

[Bill Roosa]

Jib sheet lead car track adjuster?

Using the amazing ability of nautical terms to reduce the number of word you need to describe something(and obscure your meaning), what you are describing is moving the car that leads the jib sheet aft at the correct angle without getting out of the cockpit. Jib sheet lead car adjustment line.I was not aware of a "neutral" position that could be automagickly determined. The car is going to seek the neutral point for a given sheet tension and wind strength where the forces balance but I would be very surprised if this was the correct location. That is why the manual ones have a lock and yours has an adjusting line. BYW Grizz's picture shows a "re-circulating line". Both ends are used and the line you pull out to make the tackle smaller is used to make the other directions tackle get longer.

 

[Joe]

adjustable jib cars.....

I have the garhaurer system on my C27.In order to have backward adjustment of the car under load, the jib sheet must not be allowed to angle upwards as it exits the car. That situation creates forward pressure on the car that offsets the backward pressure created by the loaded sheet on the other side.Therefore the sheet should exit the car on the same plane as the track....then led back to another block that turns it towards the winch. With this forward pressure removed releasing the control line and letting the jib sheet pressure move the car backwards is simplified.Many sailors attach an elastic bungee to give the car a "power assist" in light air, when the backward pressure is less.

 

[RichH]

Joe has it exactly correct ......

.... If the winch is much higher that the fairlead --- the angle 'into' the fairlead car should be as low as possible or even run from a second fixed block on the track ... between the fairlead car and the winch. Yes indeed, bungee cords are a great help ... they pull the fairlead car aft and *before* the sheet gets loaded. If you dont have them, do it ... will remove 95% of the 'trouble' that you're experiencing. 

 

[Phil]

Jib adjustment hardware

Joe, could you post a few close-ups of your setup of the Garhauer hardware on the Catalina photo project forum?Regarding the 'neutral' position, I think it was a misunderstanding. I wouldn't assume anything about the cars position after a tack, much less that the position would somehow be optimal. I suppose what had been intended was that the car would find itself somewhere and almost certainly NOT in or near some optimal position. It seems the position of the car immediately following a tack has less to due with force balance and everything to do with the previous setting (or presetting) of the fairlead car on that side. The final position is always reached by adjustment combined with looking at the sail, and never as Bill says automagickly.(Don - Thanks for looking into this further. BTW, I have inboard and outboard tracks. Would you recommend two sets of Garhauer hardare? )

 

[Don Guillette]

Neutral Position

I said "I didn't think that was the correct term" but I used it because a lister brough it up on another thread and I knew he'd get my drift if I used it again. ALAN: Help me out on the aft line setup!! All we are doing is setting up the system to act like a mini traveler. I've never been a fan of bungee cords but I know many sailors are. If anyone adapts Alan's setup you'd see how simple it is to work and it eliminates the need for bungee cords or even the extra line setup I've used. It is a very sanitary setup.Phil: If I had inside and outside tracks I'd install the Garhauer system on the inboard track only. That is the track you use for closehaul and close reach. They would be nice on the outside tack but I would not spend the extra money. One of the advantages of using an adjustable system as opposed to a pin type setup is that you really get the feel of where your cars should be for every wind condition and point of sail FOR YOUR BOAT. Once you get that down the use of pin type cars becomes easy as you know where the cars should be. The only problem with pin type cars are they are a pain and sailors will do what is easy and not what is hard.

 

[Alan]

Don

The reason I set up my cars with a single return line is that many times the bungee return is just not strong enough whereas pulling the car back by hand is never a problem. Rather than have yet another line on deck I decided to use the one that was already available.The way it is set up is to use the tail of the control line that pulls the car forward and attach it to the back of the car. The line needs to be long enough so the when the car is in the most aft position there is enough line remaining to cleat in the cam and then reach forward to the back of the car. As the car is towed forward extra line is made available at a rate equal to the MA of the system.

 

[Joe]

Phil and others....

the car does not move when unloaded because the bungy and the control line keep it locked into position whether under load or not. You can tweak it to your heart's delight or set it at the begining of the day.... and forget it. The system is especially handy when reefing a roller furling headsail.I would NOT install two Garhaurer systems side by side(too much spaghetti). I'd use a twin car system instead for the lesser used track. Here you would have a short line with a shackle run through the forward block that you would clip to the clew to take the load while the rear car is adjusted. Finally, I posted some pictures of my system on the projects forum. Just study them a bit and if you have questions, e-mail me at joe@joefordhomes.com.