Mainsheet Lock

[ffacts]

I am concerned about the mainsheet lock on my hunter 260. In gusty conditions going to wind I have to step in front of the wheel to unlock the mainsheet. Because of this, gusts often knock the boat down, the rudder loses bite, the boat rounds up and my wake looks like a snake. I can't see any adjustment on the block. Is there any replacement or solution. It would be nice to be able to slip the main.

 

[JungleJetJock]

H260

The standard setup on the H260 does make it easy to pull in the main sheet and hard to release. I solved the problem by attaching a short line from the normal pad eye mount to the bottom block of the main sheet. Adjust it to a height that is comfortable to you. Mine is about 1.5 feet long or so. It makes release much easier from behind the wheel. The only downside is if sheeting in tight it can be a little harder with this setup because the whole block wants to move instead of the sheet running through the block. To counter this hard sheeting issue I pull down on the line right after the first pulley and take up the slack on the other side of the cam cleat. I haven't had a problem with doing that, even in strong winds. I thought about a traveler but there is no convenient location on this boat to place one. I might give the rudder post option a try.

 

[John]

mainsheet

My previous boat (C22) had been set up for racing. The mainsheet was reversed so the lock was under the boom and not at the traveler. Sounds like an easy solution to your problem.

 

[JungleJetJock]

John

With cam cleat at the boom it would make it hard to control the main sheet with the boom let out (Can't lock it)

 

[Pete17858]

Sheet cleat on boom

Or, you can't unlock it, depending on how it's set up and where the boom is. You have to leave a large loop on the line and flick it to get it off the cleat. Usually it just locks right back up.And, if you lose a grip on the sheet, the boom will swing out and drag the sheet over the side. You'll have to tack to get it back, unless you've spent to much time reaching for it, and lost steerageway. Then it's a mess.

 

[John]

Boom

JunglejetJock: You're right... I found it difficult to get the cams to lock, with the it on the boom. But it could be done. several of the boats in the fleet had made this modification and they all liked this arrangement, although I wasn't very fond of it. Just an option to consider - some like it, some dont.