Genoa Tracks - just installed
Hi Chuck, I can give my two penneth worth ( cents? ) regarding the same situation on my H240. I'm not sure if there are any major differences when it comes to the coach roof, but I too had concerns about lifting the coach roof off when sheeting in hard. At the end of the day though, I came to the conclusion that the load spread more evenly over the length of the track ( around 3ft ) would be no worse off than the single block. I also feel that the loads experienced, even with a larger genoa are nothing like those on yachts which aren't so 'mainsail powered' and rely more on the Genoa giving poering the boat - it's rarely necessary to use the winch in anger for example - and they're only small winches anyway. I gained access to the bottom of the track through the access panels for the winches and the existing block to make sure that at least some - and the most commonly used sections of the track are well supported underneath with backing plates. I guess I was more concerned at first with pulling the track off the coach roof. This gave 6 good fixing points - ( if you're agile with your fingers you can reach someway under the coach roof from each access panel - patience is also a virtue!! ) and the rest of the track is screwed down at 4inch centres using 3/16" self tappers and the whole track fixed down with a glue/sealant. I've tried pulling damn hard on the cars from all angles, and using the winch - no nasty sounds as yet and it does 'feel' very solid. The sheeting angle is tight at full sail and you're right in keeping an eye out on the inner shrouds. For this reason I went for 125% as opposed to 135%. Not as yet tried in anger yet - it's too cold over here in the UK - roll on spring!! Hope this helps - could supply a photo or two if you're interested. Regards Tim Osborne UK
