Hello. I'm new to the Hunter world - I recently purchased a 1994 Hunter 29.5. Overall, I love the boat, but I find that the mainsheet system doesn't have enough mechanical advantage as the wind picks up. With the double-ended mainsheet, we can use the starboard cabin top winch to pull the main in, but I would prefer a more powerful setup back at the helm. Does anyone have a recommendation for how to upgrade to something with more purchase? I'm looking forward to a few weeks of sailing on our new boat before winter sets in here in central NY!
Hunter 29.5 Mainsheet System
- Thread starter tlowum
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I think I know what you are talking about-do you have the short (18") traveler at the helm? The one we had had good purchase but I don't remember the set-up. I will give you a little trick. If you are close hauled and need to tight-up- steer closer to the wind to the point of luffing, tighten the sheet, and then fall back off.
One end of the main sheet runs through the block and tackle system which is connected to the traveler car (like on most any boat). It is not connected or tied to the blocks in any way. If you trace the sheet back to the other end, it runs up to the boom, then inside the boom and comes out near the mast. It then runs through a fairlead back to a line clutch on the cabin top. You can pull on either end of the sheet to haul in the main. If you pull on the end at the traveler (with the block and tackle), you have to make sure the other end is clamped in the line clutch on the cabin top. I guess they set it up this way so that the main can be trimmed either at the helm or by a crew person at the front of the cockpit.
If I'm single-handing, I don't want to go up to the cabin top to winch in the main if the wind is fairly strong. The block and tackle attached to the traveler doesn't have enough mechanical advantage unless I really lean into it.
Yes, my traveler is probably about 18" long. Thanks for the tip - that's easier than putting in more hardware.
I suppose your traveller is on the arch? Any way where the mainsheet at boom end, you could put a block to turn the mainsheet back down towards the traveller, then change the traveller block to one with a brecket and terminate the mainsheet there. you then have a 2:1 or is it 3:1.
You can swap out that mainsheet for an upgraded fine/course setup which will be a great advantage for trimming in heavier air. I had Garhauer make this 10:1/5:1 system for my boat. You could choose an 8:1/4:1 or a 6:1/3:1 but they have less power.
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If you have the short traveler mounted on the pedestal and boom-end sheeting, what a lot of people have done is just ditch the double ended mainsheet and fix up a 6:1 block system from boom end to traveler. Works really well - you can trim the main while standing behind the wheel, or someone working the jib sheets at the cabin top can just turn around and pull on it. There's suffiicient purchase such that no winch is required even in strong blows. It also frees up a starboard clutch, which I used to run the boom vang back to the cockpit.
If your traveler is on the cabin top and the sheet attaches mid-boom, then never mind...
If your traveler is on the cabin top and the sheet attaches mid-boom, then never mind...
Thanks for all your suggestions. I do have the short traveler mounted on the pedestal, and think I will go with the 6:1 option and get rid of the double-ended mainsheet which seems of pretty little use anyhow.
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