Main Sheet Setup?

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Apr 29, 2012
233
Macgregor Venture 25 Council Bluffs, IA
I am trying to figure out how to setup my main sheet. I know I have read in the forum some good ideas, but now that I need them I can not find them.

Any pointers?

I will take a picture of what I have on my boat and see if someone can give me guidance. I read the manual and it was pretty useless for main sheet setup.
 
Mar 20, 2012
3,983
Cal 34-III, MacGregor 25 Salem, Oregon
for a basic set up you will need a single becket block mounted to the port quarter of the cockpit, a single turning block mounted in the same location but on the starboard quarter..... and either a double block or a fiddle block hanging from the rear of the boom.....
the sheet will tie off at the becket on the port quarter..... then pull it thru the block on the boom.... then around the turning block on the starboard quarter.... then back up thru the other sheeve on the boom block..... then to and around the sheeve at the becket block on the port side and to the cockpit.... and to a cam cleat the sheet needs to be 35-38 ft long for full boom swing....

macgregor used a swivel cam lead block on the port quarter, which you probably have installed already
a variation... on the port quarter, you can use a standard turning block at the port quarter if you dont have a becket block handy, but you must then have a pad eye to anchor the sheet to that is aft of the turning block so the lines wont foul one another....

once you use it for awhile you may decide to upgrade to another method of sheeting, or a better lay out for the lead into the cockpit for this end boom sheeting....
 
Apr 29, 2012
233
Macgregor Venture 25 Council Bluffs, IA
OK here is what I have now. Willing to change anything.









 
Apr 29, 2012
233
Macgregor Venture 25 Council Bluffs, IA
Thanks Centerline. I have a double block that I could put on the boom. So I could setup as you describe, only opposite. If I understand correctly. That would get me started, but I assume that the PO had used the 4-1 somehow, or maybe not.

My buddy that was going to teach me has retired and moved onto his boat. An Island Packet 38. On the coast now waiting for hurricane season, then back to Bahamas. Been gone for 1 year now. Lucky Dog!
 
Mar 20, 2012
3,983
Cal 34-III, MacGregor 25 Salem, Oregon
Thanks Centerline. I have a double block that I could put on the boom. So I could setup as you describe, only opposite. If I understand correctly. That would get me started, but I assume that the PO had used the 4-1 somehow, or maybe not.

My buddy that was going to teach me has retired and moved onto his boat. An Island Packet 38. On the coast now waiting for hurricane season, then back to Bahamas. Been gone for 1 year now. Lucky Dog!
from your pics, you have everything you need.... that is a boom vang you have shown hanging from the boom....
if you unreeve it and set the fiddle block with the cam aside, you can run the sheet like i posted earlier thru what you have mounted already....

anchor the shhet to the strap eye just rearward of the swivel cam, then the first run thru the fiddle block on the boom will be around the large upper sheeve.....

once you get it all figured out, you will probably want to get a block for the boom and put the vang back together, as it is almost a necessary thing with endboom sheeting...
 
Apr 29, 2012
233
Macgregor Venture 25 Council Bluffs, IA
Cool. I also have a smaller 4-1 setup that I figured was the boom vang.
 
Mar 20, 2012
3,983
Cal 34-III, MacGregor 25 Salem, Oregon
Cool. I also have a smaller 4-1 setup that I figured was the boom vang.
the vang needs more strength than the end boom sheeting.... but some PO may have used the smaller vang on the boom.
the one shown is about right for the boom vang, and for using with a gin pole for the mast raising system.
 

Erik V

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Mar 14, 2012
104
Macgregor 25 Stony Point NY
Spend the $$$$ and purchase a traveler, mount it as far forward in the cockpit as possible you won't regret it. Use mid boom sheeting its much more user friendly and allows superior control of the main. I found mine on eBay for $250 worth every dollar.

Erik
 
Sep 26, 2010
808
Macgregor 1993 26S Houston
Not to mention, mid boom sheeting leaves more room for things like bimini tops!
All that rigging cuts off use of the rear of the cockpit, and that's where important things go on like fishing and grilling.
 
Dec 26, 2012
359
MacGregor 25 San Diego
I'd go ahead and try the stock setup first. For me it works really well. Since I dont fish or grill on my boat, and the back of the cockpit is pretty well taken up by the tiller swing anyways I actually like the stern sheeting setup. Having a traveler right across my companionway would drive me insane. I usually dont put my boat in the water unless I'm gonna spend the weekend on board, which means I go in and out a lot. Having the main sheet at the front of the cockpit would make me wanna throw things. I do definitely want a boom vang though, and I've been contemplating ways of rigging a stern traveler over the tiller like I've seen on some of the new Benneteaus.
 
Apr 29, 2012
233
Macgregor Venture 25 Council Bluffs, IA
Thanks guys for all the help with this.

Jess, thanks for the pictures. I knew I had seen them somewhere on the forum, but could not find them when needed. I have terrible luck with the search.

I set mine up off the advice and pictures and it looks just like bmxdad. I'll give that a try and look for a traveler. I can see both sides of the traveler issue, so we'll see how that ends up. I do like the split rearstay, that might be a soon to do mod.

Sorry it took me a while to respond. Took a couple days to take my youngest off to college. Hard to believe she has grown so fast.
 
Dec 7, 2012
515
Kittiwake 23, Irwin 43 .. Indianapolis / indianatown, fl
hello

I installed a traveler in the cockpit next to the entrance to the cabin... the combination of the traveler and boom vang works great for sail trim... I didn't care for the end of boom set up.... kept getting in the way... I like to stand at the rear pulpit sometimes when I am sailing.. with the end of boom, I cannot stand up...

ron you are welcome for the pictures...

sincerely
Jess
 

Erik V

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Mar 14, 2012
104
Macgregor 25 Stony Point NY
With the traveler pulled all the way to one side the main sheet is well to the port or starboard. That puts it well out of the way and gets the boom to one side or the other.
 
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