Genoa car adjusters
- Thread starter wflowe2
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1) They work really well !
2) Best bang for your buck ( in my opinion ):
http://garhauermarine.com/index.cfm
2) Best bang for your buck ( in my opinion ):
http://garhauermarine.com/index.cfm
All of us who have the Garhauer EZ glide system will give it a huge thumbs up.... the price is especially attractive when compared to competitor system. Like more than half!!!!
The system will allow you to pull the car forward while the headsail sheet is under load..... a huge advantage... and, theoretically, the upward pressure from the loaded sheet, with a little help from an elastic cord, will push the car back when the control line is uncleated. In truth, though, this does not happen unless the sheet exits the lead block straight back, without angling up to a winch.... as is the case on my boat.
The solution was to lead the sheet back to a turning block before turning upwards to the winch. That eliminates any upward pressure from the sheet preventing the car from moving backward. In pic 2, note the path of the red genoa sheet....
The elastic return line is doubled through a small block clipped to a stanchion base few feet behind the system and anchored to the car and another stanchion base. The doubling allows a longer range of travel.
Finally, to prolong their life.... it is recommended to remove the control lines and elastic cord when the boat isn't being sailed for any length of time. I've had this system for well over ten years and the rigging is still in excellent condition. It only takes a few minutes to set it up.
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Hey,
IMHO, unless you race and or use different headsails on a regular basis, this isn't really worth it. The boat I race on has them, and we use them every race. I don't have them on my boat and I don't miss them. I have two headsails, one that I use in the spring and fall when it's windy, and the other that I use in the summer. I rarely change the sheet car location otherwise.
If I had the budget for it I might add the lines and blocks to adjust the car, but I have lots of other things to spend my $ on first.
Barry
IMHO, unless you race and or use different headsails on a regular basis, this isn't really worth it. The boat I race on has them, and we use them every race. I don't have them on my boat and I don't miss them. I have two headsails, one that I use in the spring and fall when it's windy, and the other that I use in the summer. I rarely change the sheet car location otherwise.
If I had the budget for it I might add the lines and blocks to adjust the car, but I have lots of other things to spend my $ on first.
Barry
Some people like to tweak more than others. When I fall off the wind and ease the genoa sheet, it's nice to move the lead car forward to stop the upper part of the sail from luffing. Also, if I roll up the genny a couple of turns (not often, but sometimes) I can move the car forward to get a better lead. And, on my boat, when I furl the sail completely it rolls up more neatly with the lead forward.
Now, my boat came with the adjusters on it already. If I had to spend the $$ to put them on, it would have been on the list but not necessarily at the top. I would certainly use Garhauer - their stuff is great, and you can't beat their prices.
Now, my boat came with the adjusters on it already. If I had to spend the $$ to put them on, it would have been on the list but not necessarily at the top. I would certainly use Garhauer - their stuff is great, and you can't beat their prices.
My thought was to make it easier when I furl/unfurl my headsail. In order to keep the sail shape as optimal (as possible) the cars should be moved to accommodate the unlimited sail sizes that can be achieved. That is why I'm planning on installing such a system.
Do You Guys Recommend The Optional Swivel Cam?
Garhauer sells the swivel cam as an option. Does anyone have it? Any opinions if it's worth the extra money?
Thanks.
Garhauer sells the swivel cam as an option. Does anyone have it? Any opinions if it's worth the extra money?
Thanks.
I bought them....... a good deal for $50. However, I don't use them the way they are depicted in the catalogue.... because that would place the control line outside the coaming on my boat and directly in the path of the headsail sheet and the elastic return cord. I'll include a picture so you can see that I have them mounted on an inside track with the control line easily at hand and out of the way.
Unless you absolutely knew they would work for you, I wouldn't purchase them... you can always order them later.... that's what I did when I figured I could use the short inside track and avoid drilling more holes.
If you read my previous post in this thread you'll understand why you don't want the cleat on the same track directly behind the car.
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I put them on our H356 with the rest of the adjustable car set-they work great, make it easy to adjust from inside the cockpit. look at your lead geometry to see if you have any issues like Joe
I have the swivel cams on my cabin-top jib tracks - one for the vang, one for the cunningham.
They're rugged as hell - first year one fell off on the way to the lake. Found it on the side of the road the next day, with just a scuff to show for the abuse. I check the lock pin before we hit the road now.
They're rugged as hell - first year one fell off on the way to the lake. Found it on the side of the road the next day, with just a scuff to show for the abuse. I check the lock pin before we hit the road now.
I'm going to hold up on the swivel and see how they work without them. No sense spending the extra money until I check them out. Thanks for the responses.
Joe Mullee
Joe Mullee
You'll wind up buying them eventually ...
Just sayin'
One more thing. When you get line for it go an RCH smaller than the max. Those things work so slick that they are easy to adjust and a slightly thinner line will run smoother through the blocks. I think I used 3/8 and it is almost too big.
I had the same thought and was using cleats to control them; after a month they were on my wish list.
Just sayin'One more thing. When you get line for it go an RCH smaller than the max. Those things work so slick that they are easy to adjust and a slightly thinner line will run smoother through the blocks. I think I used 3/8 and it is almost too big.
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