Main Sheet Rigging

[SVCeviche]

Hello all! New owners of a 1985 Catalina 27 here. I wanted to share a photo of our main sheet rigging and see if it looks normal? We've had trouble quickly making adjustments ever since we got the boat. Part of the issue may be the line (pretty sure it's oversized), but I feel like it's also strange to not have the end running through a cam cleat?

Most of our experience is on Rainbow 24's - where the sheet is aft of the cockpit and runs through a very easy-to-manage cam cleat.

I've also attached a diagram I found online - similar to our setup - which seems to show the sheet running through cam cleat.

 

[Joe]

The mainsheet control line is the part going forward to the mast, then turned back to the cockpit. That's where you cleat it....near the cockpit, not on the cabin top traveler. This system allows you to stay at the tiller to cleat and uncleat the mainsheet. It also allows you to install operate it if you have a dodger.... which would otherwise be in the way.

 

[jssailem]

You have a rope clutch. It is like a cam cleat, but requires you to throw the lever rather than lifting up on the sheet to release. When the bigger sail of the 27 is under strain the clutch will be easier to release than the sheet in a cam cleat.

Your trim of the sail will be moving the traveler.

The sheet is for "Gross" changes in the mainsail trim. The traveler is for "Fine" changes in the sail's trim.

If the traveler is difficult to trim then you might want to go down a size in the line. It looks like the PO wanted a better hand feel on the traveler line and might have selected too big of line for the sheaves. You will want to clean and lube the sheaves ( with the line removed so not to lube the line) to reduce friction.

 

[sail sfbay]

............but I feel like it's also strange to not have the end running through a cam cleat?

Looks right. With the end of the line going through a cam cleat it will be easy to cleat it and release. That is what I had on my Hunter 31. On my Hunter 386 and now 46 the end goes through a clutch then wrapped on a winch and cleated.

 

[markwbird]

My Hunter 34 was rigged that way. I hated it. Too slow to haul in the main and too much friction in the system. It was intended that you use the cabin top winch to haul in the main but, again, too slow. I scrapped it and put in a single 4:1, 8:1 block and tackle that runs from the aft boom tang to the traveler car. No winch needed. I can adjust quickly with the 4:1 and I get the needed power with the 8:1.

 

[SVCeviche]

@markwbird that's interesting - I feel the same way about friction and speed of adjustment. Do you have any photos of how you rigged your system?

 

[markwbird]

@markwbird that's interesting - I feel the same way about friction and speed of adjustment. Do you have any photos of how you rigged your system?

When you pull both lines together its is 4:1. Pull just one line and it's 8:1. This is Harken and comes as a kit.

 

[jssailem]

Mark are those a pair of Aussie’s?

 

[markwbird]

Mark are those a pair of Aussie’s?

Yes. Migo and Lucy

 

[Meriachee]

Another option using the existing boom blocks is a double cam offering from Garhauer. 4:1 or 6:1, and only one block needs changed

 

[Bobalong]

That traveler line is huge. I use 5/16 on a c30. I rigged as a continuous loop that hangs below cabin way. Convenient to grab and adjust from high side.
I like the main sheet rig, looks to be 6:1. I think I'll rig mine that way.
The traveler track looks curved, normal, but difficult to move car when mainsheet hauled in hard. There are straight replacement tracks.

 

[Sailfanatic]

My Pearson 31-2 has the same mainsheet configuration although the sheet terminates at a winch on the cabin top. When I bought the boat the sheet would often no run free unless the breeze was strong. I reduced the sheet size from 1/2 to 3/8 and installed all Garhauer blocks then switched from 1/2' StaSet to 3/8' Salsa line. You can see a discussion of this line at 3:30 in

The end result is there's absolutely no noticeable friction in the mainsheet operation, it is extremely responsive. If you want to try a less expensive step first I would just switch to the Salsa line is a size under, it is so flexible it may alone be a big imporovement.

 

[Meriachee]

The traveler track looks curved, normal, but difficult to move car when mainsheet hauled in hard. There are straight replacement tracks.

The Garhauer traveler upgrade from Gino is nothing short of amazing. It moves all the bits to the top of the car and that puts all the stress effectively in a single plane, as adversed to the blocks on the side which want to twist the car. A small, but huge deal when you are trying to move the car under much of a load, and it only gets worse over time. Here's what it looks like.

 

[Joe]

Your trim of the sail will be moving the traveler.

The sheet is for "Gross" changes in the mainsail trim. The traveler is for "Fine" changes in the sail's trim.

Not familiar with that analytic. I've always considered the mainsheet as the twist adjustment... i.e. leech tension... and the traveler as the angle of attack adjustment. Both trim tools...but functionally separate. When boom is outside the range of the traveler, then the mainsheet becomes angle of attack control... and the VANG takes over as leech tension.
The reason you might want to call it gross and fine is because the traveler allows you "set and forger" the twist with the mainsheet while tweaking the angle attack for all the subtle apparent wind shift. But if "gross and fine" makes helps jog the memory... then that's a good one.

 

[ontherocks83]

My Pearson 31-2 has the same mainsheet configuration although the sheet terminates at a winch on the cabin top. When I bought the boat the sheet would often no run free unless the breeze was strong. I reduced the sheet size from 1/2 to 3/8 and installed all Garhauer blocks then switched from 1/2' StaSet to 3/8' Salsa line. You can see a discussion of this line at 3:30 in

The end result is there's absolutely no noticeable friction in the mainsheet operation, it is extremely responsive. If you want to try a less expensive step first I would just switch to the Salsa line is a size under, it is so flexible it may alone be a big imporovement.

Thanks for the info. I just ordered your exact set up with the Garhauer blocks and the salsa line for my Catalina 30. Can't wait to see how it works in the spring.