when we are changing tack either way our geneoa sheats get hung up on our front standing rigging front wires , the knot at the sail where the port and starboard sheats join is the problem , any fixes or what am i doing wrong
Sheats
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Lost Parent,
This is a common complaint, especially for those who use a pair of bowlines to attach sheets to the jib. Instead, try using a larks head. Fold the sheet in half, stuff the loop through the grommet about 3 inches. Feed the bitter ends of the sheets all the way through the loop and pull tight. The result is a lot less knot to deal with when tacking or jibing.
This is a common complaint, especially for those who use a pair of bowlines to attach sheets to the jib. Instead, try using a larks head. Fold the sheet in half, stuff the loop through the grommet about 3 inches. Feed the bitter ends of the sheets all the way through the loop and pull tight. The result is a lot less knot to deal with when tacking or jibing.
You might also want to try a roller tube cover over you stays.
There was a nice thread on making them out of wood.
http://forums.macgregor.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?p=804009
There was a nice thread on making them out of wood.
http://forums.macgregor.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?p=804009
Try Back-Winding the Genny
You might try back-winding the genoa slightly before releasing the sheet. That way, it has some force blowing it across the fore-triangle instead just of being pulled across. Also makes for a faster tack. I presume it is hanging up on the knot of the sheet you are trimming. You might also try cinching the knots closer to the clew cringle.
You might try back-winding the genoa slightly before releasing the sheet. That way, it has some force blowing it across the fore-triangle instead just of being pulled across. Also makes for a faster tack. I presume it is hanging up on the knot of the sheet you are trimming. You might also try cinching the knots closer to the clew cringle.
You're trying to pull sail through the fore triangle with the new sheet. Don't ! Let the wind do the work. When you start the tack, ease out the sheet a foot or two... but don't release it until the sail starts backwinding, pushing the bow through the turn... then let it go by pulling the sheet straight up off the winch. You can pull the slack out of the new sheet as the wind pushes the sail across the deck.... but to pull on the sail until it's on the same side as the new sheet.
If you still have trouble with the big genoa... no knot change is going to help.... on a boat your size you want two separate sheets.... not one long one doubled through the clew..... The solution is to station someone by the mast to pull the sail through...
Finally, it might help your skills to read a sailing instruction book so you'll know what to call the various parts of the boat and its rigging...
If you still have trouble with the big genoa... no knot change is going to help.... on a boat your size you want two separate sheets.... not one long one doubled through the clew..... The solution is to station someone by the mast to pull the sail through...
Finally, it might help your skills to read a sailing instruction book so you'll know what to call the various parts of the boat and its rigging...
Knot a fan of Lark's Head
I'm not a fan of using the Lark's head as a sheet knot. That's not what it was designed for. On small boats (e.g. small day-sailers) it might be OK, I suppose, and some sailing school instructors evidently like to use it, and teach it. However, it's not quick to undo if you need to take both sheets off (such as for a sail change). Also, now you cannot transfer the load to one sheet while un-fouling or repairing the other one if it needs to come off for whatever reason. On boats with fairly large sails and heavy loads, you should not use it, in my opinion. Use a bowline and learn how to tack the boat properly and efficiently.
I'm not a fan of using the Lark's head as a sheet knot. That's not what it was designed for. On small boats (e.g. small day-sailers) it might be OK, I suppose, and some sailing school instructors evidently like to use it, and teach it. However, it's not quick to undo if you need to take both sheets off (such as for a sail change). Also, now you cannot transfer the load to one sheet while un-fouling or repairing the other one if it needs to come off for whatever reason. On boats with fairly large sails and heavy loads, you should not use it, in my opinion. Use a bowline and learn how to tack the boat properly and efficiently.
i changed to larks head on my formosa as the other choices were totally inadequate-- fittings break in high winds and cause tabs to rip out, and the bowlines tore up my stanchions so larks head it is. perfectly perfect. isnt necessarily the sailing style makes befouled headsail sheeting--is also the configuration and winds. you do not want to go forward in a big sea and big wind just to unfoul the headsail.
only problem would be the disintegration of the line--one side breaks, is alll gone. but that is a problem that regular checking of the line may just cure. i USE mine regularly, so isnt a problem.
only problem would be the disintegration of the line--one side breaks, is alll gone. but that is a problem that regular checking of the line may just cure. i USE mine regularly, so isnt a problem.
Just my opinion, but any boat with sheets under 1/4" would be fine. Because the sails are small and the sheets are very light. The problem with the lark's head, single sheet method, is that the sheet never gets removed from the sail...The nature of the sailor that uses that method is that he DOESN'T want to take the sheet off the sail.... so he doesn't.... ever!
So.. what you end up is with sheets left out in the elements year round on roller furling units, or sails that are beat up from sharing the bag with the sheets. In both cases, the sheets never get rotated so concentration of wear around he knot and cleated areas shortens the life of the sheet. Not to mention the constant exposure to the elements. So.... separate sheets, longer life... save money.
It's really inconvenient to change a headsail with the sheets attached... the bigger the sail the greater the difficulty to pull the heavy sheets forward to disconnect from the old sail and reconnect to the new one.... think about it.
Read the "Kings Gambit" post for additional benefits of separate sheets.
Wear at the knot?
Joe,
How is there wear at the knot? With the larks head there is little relative movement at the clew as opposed to bowlines which move all over. I have had the same 7/16 single sheet on a roller furling 400 sq ft 135 Genoa for 7 years (although I attach it with a clove hitch not a larks head) with no damage at the knot or any wear from the self tailing winch jaws. Granted we only have an 8 month season here in southern New England.
At the end of the season I either coil each end of the sheet and drop the sail or remove it which does take about a minute and a half.
I found much less forward shroud/clew fouling on light air days with the clove hitch compared to the larks head. also if you have to go forward for furling problems in bad weather (why are there never any furling issues on sunny 10 kt days?) there aren't two big knots flailing around.
I used to use two sheets and bowlines, but never again.
As the man says "Your boat, Your choice"
Joe,
How is there wear at the knot? With the larks head there is little relative movement at the clew as opposed to bowlines which move all over. I have had the same 7/16 single sheet on a roller furling 400 sq ft 135 Genoa for 7 years (although I attach it with a clove hitch not a larks head) with no damage at the knot or any wear from the self tailing winch jaws. Granted we only have an 8 month season here in southern New England.
At the end of the season I either coil each end of the sheet and drop the sail or remove it which does take about a minute and a half.
I found much less forward shroud/clew fouling on light air days with the clove hitch compared to the larks head. also if you have to go forward for furling problems in bad weather (why are there never any furling issues on sunny 10 kt days?) there aren't two big knots flailing around.
I used to use two sheets and bowlines, but never again.
As the man says "Your boat, Your choice"
I remove my jib sheet every time I trailer, which is 35 minutes after I get to the dock, every time I sail. MY jib sheet is, gosh, must be 1/2" or 5/8". It takes about 30 seconds to double up and coax thru the clue, but I think it's a great application. There may be times when it could be detriment, broken sheet, fouled jib, I don't know. I'll have to trust those with more experience than me. But, my Lancer 25 isn't really a day sailor, and it's a little bigger than a pocket cruiser.
When there's no problem there's no problem!
As people of the Gulf coast have recently discovered, houses laid on low foundations are fine until there's a 20' storm surge; and the nice thing about them is that one does not have to climb stairs to reach the first living floor as with a house on stilts. Go to sea enough and the chances of the "big event" happening to you get better. If you need to free a jib sheet for whatever reason but especially for an urgent one, I think you might wish it was tied to the clew with a bowline that you can untie quickly and remove it, and not have to deal with a long string of spaghetti stopped off on the other side of the boat. Just keep your knife sharp, I guess!!
As people of the Gulf coast have recently discovered, houses laid on low foundations are fine until there's a 20' storm surge; and the nice thing about them is that one does not have to climb stairs to reach the first living floor as with a house on stilts. Go to sea enough and the chances of the "big event" happening to you get better. If you need to free a jib sheet for whatever reason but especially for an urgent one, I think you might wish it was tied to the clew with a bowline that you can untie quickly and remove it, and not have to deal with a long string of spaghetti stopped off on the other side of the boat. Just keep your knife sharp, I guess!!
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having just sailed from sd to mazatlan ~1500 miles, half the way with fitting for the sheets, which tore out one tab keeping jib on the roller, i find the larks head more accommodating than the bowlines i tied just to keep the lines from fouling on the lifelines as i sailed on a lee shore. i placed larks head in cedros to prevent further destruction. it is perfect. i USE my boat all the time, from liveaboard cruising to sail cruising longer passages. there is no way i will have a problem unless i forget to pay attention, at which time i should be dead.
this would be a problem for the weekend warrior or the occasional sailor who isnt constantly onboard. someone constantly onboard will be more prone to looking at the equipment he/she entrusts life and limb and home and cat to . my advantages, in a 41 ft heavy displacement cruiser--less chafing of the jib, and increased ease of handling my jib as i tack.
this would be a problem for the weekend warrior or the occasional sailor who isnt constantly onboard. someone constantly onboard will be more prone to looking at the equipment he/she entrusts life and limb and home and cat to . my advantages, in a 41 ft heavy displacement cruiser--less chafing of the jib, and increased ease of handling my jib as i tack.
Lots of good people here with good ideas, varying levels of experience and systems that work for each of them. Let's be respectful of each other.
last year while racing on our friends boat with lots of wind and load on the jib sheets, the live sheet got caught in a block and once we got it free it was cut through quite a ways and ratty and rough just where it passed through the block and around the winch. We were able to untie that sheet off the clew, turn it around and retie the bowline so we could continue in what we all agreed would be safer conditions. We could not have done that using one continuous sheet so in that instance we were very happy to have two separate lines. We also use separate lines tied with bowlines on our own boat and don't have problems, I guess " thank goodness" !
As for weekend warriors vs liveaboards, there is no broad brush to paint all. We know our boat very very well both sailing it twice a week and staying on it every weekend. The live aboards around us for the most part sail very little with a few exceptions. We all enjoy our boats and set them up the way we want, probably based on what the folks we sail with do on their boats......... or as KingGambit eludes to...... when stuff happens we learn alot about what maybe was not a well thought out idea. That's what is so interesting about sailing...we think we know so much...and then stuff happens and we are humbled again! Sail on…..
As for weekend warriors vs liveaboards, there is no broad brush to paint all. We know our boat very very well both sailing it twice a week and staying on it every weekend. The live aboards around us for the most part sail very little with a few exceptions. We all enjoy our boats and set them up the way we want, probably based on what the folks we sail with do on their boats......... or as KingGambit eludes to...... when stuff happens we learn alot about what maybe was not a well thought out idea. That's what is so interesting about sailing...we think we know so much...and then stuff happens and we are humbled again! Sail on…..
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i inspect my uniline every time i sail --before and after.
i have extra with which to change itout.
when i finish making my repairs i may be able to tie doubles again instead of the single i am using now. not every boat nor every situation demands the use of the same exact knot all the time. one must be able to think on feet, as it were, and trouble shoot each situation in an appropriate manner, using not necessarily the same answer each and every time-- the possibilities do change,and ye need to be able to adapt,and to be comfortable in your decision.
i have extra with which to change itout.
when i finish making my repairs i may be able to tie doubles again instead of the single i am using now. not every boat nor every situation demands the use of the same exact knot all the time. one must be able to think on feet, as it were, and trouble shoot each situation in an appropriate manner, using not necessarily the same answer each and every time-- the possibilities do change,and ye need to be able to adapt,and to be comfortable in your decision.
"when stuff happens we learn alot about what maybe was not a well thought out idea"
Aint that the truth!!!
Aint that the truth!!!
Hi Lost Parent,
I found that the knot has to be tight to the clew if using a bowline. More importantly if your crew is not well practiced, the sail always hangs up. Like a beginner band there is always someone that finishes early, another out of tune, etc. I've been delicately, or not, working with my wife to develop this symphony and we're getting better. I suppose that's why it's called tack.
All U Get
I found that the knot has to be tight to the clew if using a bowline. More importantly if your crew is not well practiced, the sail always hangs up. Like a beginner band there is always someone that finishes early, another out of tune, etc. I've been delicately, or not, working with my wife to develop this symphony and we're getting better. I suppose that's why it's called tack.
All U Get
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