Mainsheet Rigging Configs?

[HenryP]

Last week I purchased a 1976 Widgeon. Today I joined the forum seeking your advice. The boat in it's current config and as shown in the brochures uses the triangle config of 1)mainsheet dead ended at end of boom 2)threaded down and through stern port fairlead 3) across to the starboard fairleads, then 3) back up to a turning block end of boom. Web lore indicates older boats used turning blocks instead of fairleads on the transom corners. There just seems to be a lot of friction with this setup. Is it appropriate to go back to turning blocks? Complicating the consideration is having seen the rope bridle setup where the mainsheet block is fixed in a central position on bridle rope whose ends are secured to the stern port & starboard fairleads. AND THEN there is the rope bridle that incorporates a free roaming traveller block! Is there a right way? My ultimate goal is to relieve friction so that when releasing the mainsheet in a gust, the mainsail will quickly dump the wind...not me! Thanks guys.

 

[Sunbird22358]

All the ways the you mention will work, and there is no "RIGHT" way in all truth. I had an older model of the widgeon (1969) that had the blocks instead of fairleads and it worked pretty good, I would agree that the fairleads would seem to add too much friction (but much lower production cost!). I tried using a rope traveler with a free moving block, but didn'y like it as much as the original setup, I didn't try fixing hte block in hte center of the traveler, but have used that type of rig on other small sailboats.....it does work, but..... I'd prefer the original setup (your mileage may vary....in other words, it it works for you, do it).

On a related note, my boat had blocks for the jibsheets located on hte inside of the cockpit edge and camcleats on the CB trunk for the jibsheets.

See my diagram below, contained in the WIDGEON Manual that I have made.

 

[HenryP]

Thanks, Sunbird. I'm glad to hear you tried the free moving block traveler. Though I understand the system, without incorporating a means to adjust or lock the block into a fixed position, I could never come to terms with it's use as an effective traveler.

While I've got the fairleads installed, I think I'll experiment with a fixed mainsheet bridle. Doing so would move the line friction from two fairleads over to a single block.

If I should ever convert the existing transom fairleads to turning blocks, what's under that fiberglass? What will I be putting screws into between the inner and outer shell of the boat?

Thanks.

 

[Sunbird22358]

There may be some sort of backing plates under those fairleads, but more likely jusy large fender washers and maybe not even that. Could be they were attached with sheet-metal screws through the deck into a piece of plywood.
You could cut access holes through the cockpit sides (cover with deck plates) to get at the under-deck area to change the fairleads to blocks. However ,I think that your 1976 Widgeon has the same type of hull-deck seam as my 1979 DS II, if so..... you could bolt the blocks through that area with the nuts being under the outer rails. My 1969 Widgeon had the blocks bolted through the side-decks, but I don't really recall how those bolts were backed up..... I think there were plywood backing plates. I am posting a few pics, one is of my old boat (not too detailed for themainsheet blocks... but they are semi-visible), the others are 1972 boats.