Howdy Vince
@OffCourse , sorry for the delayed response. By the way, nice write up on your plans to get to a better running rigging setup... nice looking boat you have there. It appears to be decently maintained on the outside.
So my story is this, it would be very difficult to single hand my H30. The only lines running back into the cockpit are the topping lift, mainsheet and jib sheets. Halyards, main out haul, boom vang, single reef line, and cunningham are all at the mast using a single mounted winch, whenever necessary. There is no wheel lock for the helm, nor auto pilot.
Fortunately I have never single handed on the H30 since purchasing in 2014. I have several close friends living nearby and my Admiral whom all have been to the BVI‘s as working crew for the bareboat charters we’ve taken over the last 7 years. We’ve been on Cayuga Lake for the last 6 seasons and I’ve always had at least 1 crew that is comfortable and reasonably well skilled to allow me to set and trim sails.
The things I like best about the boom and sliding gooseneck, are exactly what you had stated with respect to raising the main sail and getting the luff tight. When raising the main, the gooseneck is pinned into the upper stop, cunningham, mainsheet and vang released, sail raised by hand (no need for winch). Once I get the head of the sail to the mast stop, I cleat off and drop the boom by pulling the spring pin and letting the boom settle into the slide. Usually about 2 or 3 inches lower. I then tension it up with the cunningham and boom vang...boom drops another inch or so.
Since the main is bolt roped at the foot, I don’t have a lot of options to increase a pocket or add twist on a broad reach, but if I ease the cunningham and vang, fill the sail keeping it off the spreaders, and letting the boom rise a few inches we gain a bit of speed off the wind.
The gooseneck slide has 18“ of travel and that helps as the main ages and stretches a bit. The final benefit to the slider is getting the boom higher above the cockpit, umbremini or bimini, tall people and those prone to making a glass raising toast. We simply level the boom here with the adjustable topping lift. Cheers Vince