Sail control lines

[letlmt]

I am still playing with this in my head and trying to work out the feasibility. Remember that I will be sailing the boat by myself the vast majority of the time. Everybody says that the boat sails like a big dinghy, so why not set it up like one?

Has anyone ever set up a bank of cam cleats in front of the primary winches to control the out haul, cunningham, vang, and potentially the barber haul/twing and genoa track adjustment line?

I envision having the out haul, cunningham and vang split over the cabin top and then adjustable from either side of the cockpit.

The genoa car adjuster and barber hauler would cross the cockpit. I am already setting up the genoa sheets to be properly set up to trim from the high side and they will be crossing the cockpit so now I would have 3 lines neatly crossing the cockpit in an X.

Am I nuts?

 

[DayDreamer41]

I once had a 22 Viking that I set up for single handing, I built a pedestal in the center of the cockpit to mount the winch for the jib/genoa, led the sheets through a block into the cockpit, I could easily tack without getting up, worked very well. The traveler was mounted at the end of the boom at the rear of the cockpit allowing for full control

 

[jmce1587]

Did this on a ‘70s Cal 25. Had all control lines led aft on the flat deck thru separate cam cleats in front of the cabin top winches.

 

[jepomer]

I effectively am single-hand sailing most of the time with my wife. She does well but her mobility has decreased the past few years after breaking her ankle. A friend of mine has been a regular crew member for racing days.

All controls lead to the cockpit or stay on the boom. I do have a roller furler for the 135% foresail. I am experimenting with a top-down furler for the asymmetrical spinnaker. In addition to a tiller clutch, I have a Simrad P10 tiller pilot for the non-racing days.

I added Spinlock rope clutches forward of the cabin top winches in place of the original clam cleats that came with the Capri 22 racing package of 1988 for the halyards. Updated and added the cam cleats for other functions.

Each season I try something different customizing the better ideas for my needs. This year I will be adding a Harken windward sheeting traveler car.

As long as you are comfortable with experimenting (and potentially filling holes in fiberglass), go for it. Test changes incrementally as much as possible. Things that look good on your mind may not translate well to the boat. But the engineer in me has to try things. That is half my enjoyment of sailing.