Hello, I have an American Fiberglass 16 that I'm getting ready for the season. I was going over the running rigging and think I need a piece of hardware that attaches to the boom for the mainsheet control. There is a bracket attached to the middle bottom side of the boom and has two holes in it. I'll see if I can attach a pic. I think I run the line from a pulley on the end of the boom, to a pulley attached to a wire that spans the transom, back up to the end of the boom, to the missing piece and down to a swiveling cam type of device. I'm hoping to learn all these terms. Thank you for any help!
Not sure what I need
- Thread starter Hgproks
- Start date
I agree there's more than one way. If you need to attach a mainsheet to the boom and you don't have the original hardware, it is a simple matter to attach a bail to the boom and put your mainsheet system on that.
Of the three suggestions above I like the last because it puts the sailor in the middle cockpit but is really end of boom sheeting. Look for some hardware in the middle of the boat on the centerline to see if maybe that was the original rigging.
I don't see a rudder on the boat but to be in the mid-cockpit area you may need a tiller extension. They are good to have anyway so you can attend to matters forward without having to let go of the tiller.
Of the three suggestions above I like the last because it puts the sailor in the middle cockpit but is really end of boom sheeting. Look for some hardware in the middle of the boat on the centerline to see if maybe that was the original rigging.
I don't see a rudder on the boat but to be in the mid-cockpit area you may need a tiller extension. They are good to have anyway so you can attend to matters forward without having to let go of the tiller.
Thanks for the replies. I'll take some better pictures when I get home. It looks like I have a combo of the 1st and 3rd drawing.
If you are going to all of the trouble to design your own system, I'd get a used piece of T-track and build a true traveler across the transom.
Something like this
Run the sheet back to the boom and then to mid-boom so you can control the sail from mid-cockpit.
Something like this
Run the sheet back to the boom and then to mid-boom so you can control the sail from mid-cockpit.
Thanks again for the help. I took some more pics. I think I need something like the Genoa car that was posted. I'll also Google mainsheet system and see what I find.
Attachments
In pic 16595 that seems to me to be the mainsheet cleat on a swivel. That's where I would expect it to be. So that suggests the diagram #3 from rgranger. In pic 16593 that situation cries out for simplification. That is there to add purchase. So the sheet could go from the becket, around the block riding on the transom wire, back up thru a block and forward along the boom. You need a single block, (Maybe attached to the T Track on the boom - not sure about the need for that), or to a bail or pad eye and down to the cam cleat.
I can't see the hardware above the becket block, or how that block attaches to the boom. It seems like that could be downsized a bit. This is pretty much like the Flying Scots I sail at USS Center Martin County. They are 21' and your boat is 17'. I think you can lighten the rigging.
As for the transom wire or line, I've posted before that I don't really understand. It isn't a traveler. What would be different if the blocks were attached to a fixed point such as a pad eye. I guess you would need more main sheet to free the sail but it can't be that much. Meanwhile you are limited to how close you can sheet the main in. That might be good or not. I don't know. Seems to me that it is a throw back to classically rigged boats of the gaff sail era - when mainsails weren't trimmed to the centerline.
I can't see the hardware above the becket block, or how that block attaches to the boom. It seems like that could be downsized a bit. This is pretty much like the Flying Scots I sail at USS Center Martin County. They are 21' and your boat is 17'. I think you can lighten the rigging.
As for the transom wire or line, I've posted before that I don't really understand. It isn't a traveler. What would be different if the blocks were attached to a fixed point such as a pad eye. I guess you would need more main sheet to free the sail but it can't be that much. Meanwhile you are limited to how close you can sheet the main in. That might be good or not. I don't know. Seems to me that it is a throw back to classically rigged boats of the gaff sail era - when mainsails weren't trimmed to the centerline.
Here are some more pics. This is how I got the boat. I'm finally getting some time to go over it and purchase what I need to get it going.
Attachments
I quess the idea of the transom wire is to clear the tiller. Interesting. Thanks for all your time and feedback. I'm just getting into sailing and my kids are excited to learn too. We have always had motor boats but I enjoy all the pieces and putting it all together that sailing offers. I think I will give the guy from American Sail a call and see if he has any manuals or info. I think the simplest items to get are a block that swivels attached to track slide with an eye or a combo of both. Thanks again. Many more questions to come : )
I think if you use a track on the transom, your tiller will be in the way of the main sheet when you come about.
The wire will work but you won't be able to bring the boom to mid-ship on a reach or pointing... Sometimes it is desirable to add a little twist to the main sail and bring the mainsheet to windward side and then letting the sheet out until the main is mid-ship (or slightly leeward) allows the wind to spill off of the top of the sail, reduces heeling and makes you go faster. That is what travelers can do for you. You coud do something similar using the wire over the tiller and then a separate line and block at the corners of your transom to pull the main-line tack point to windward along the wire.
The wire will work but you won't be able to bring the boom to mid-ship on a reach or pointing... Sometimes it is desirable to add a little twist to the main sail and bring the mainsheet to windward side and then letting the sheet out until the main is mid-ship (or slightly leeward) allows the wind to spill off of the top of the sail, reduces heeling and makes you go faster. That is what travelers can do for you. You coud do something similar using the wire over the tiller and then a separate line and block at the corners of your transom to pull the main-line tack point to windward along the wire.