Sheet diameter?

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May 21, 2009
360
Hunter 30 Smithfield, VA
I went with the recommended 3/8" sheets for my 150 Genoa from the SBO site here and I am delighted with them. They were significantly smaller than what the old stuff was, and they work great. They fit the cleats nicely and feel great to me. I've seen some concern on this site about larger lines feeling better to hand, but I'm glad I went witht the recommendation.
 
Jun 21, 2007
2,117
Hunter Cherubini 36_80-82 Sausalito / San Francisco Bay
I'll echo the observation that thinner gauge 3/8" line still has an ok feel in the hand (to me at least). I've still got 7/16" for my sheet jib sheets. But the 3/8" line I most recently bought to replace the previous 1/2" for the mainsheet halyard feels just fine when I hoist the mainsail by hand all the way to the top.

I'm sure that I'll opt for 3/8" for my next jib sheet replacement. On keel boats, one generally doesn't pull jib sheets hard by hand. Instead, when tacking, the need is to pull by hand quickly only the slack as the sheet comes off the wraps already on the winch. Once the wind catches the jib, then its the winch handle and the friction of the line on the winch drum that does the rest of the tensioning.

Also today's lines have much higher breaking strength and lower stretch than they did a three decades ago when Hunter made their rigging specification for our Cherubini models. A mid-range 3/8" line today in 2010, probably has equal or better stretch/breaking characteristics than say a mid-range 1/2" line did in 1980.
 
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