Single block with cam for Genoa sheet

[patbratton]

I have a hunter 240 that I picked up last July. It has been wonderful. We have it in a slip on Lake Lanier NE of Atlanta. A friend with a Catalina 25 gave me his old Jib. It is not really old; he replaced it with a roller furling jib. He thought that mine was a little small in light air. I sailed with it this week and it is great in 4 mph wind and very nice when running. The factory jib has about 70% of the area of the Catalina so I ran the sheets back to the spinnaker blocks which the previous owner had mounted on the sides of the stern railing. I had to run the sheets back to the stern mooring cleats to secure them. I don't know what the previous owner did with the spinnaker sheets.
I wanted to replace the sheet blocks with a single block with a cam cleat. I am looking at a Harken 2645. I would appreciate any comments or suggestions.
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[kloudie1]

Looks like a pretty good solution. Make sure that the sheet can be easily and quickly released and that the tail doesn't get in a place where it can be inadvertently released ..

 

[jssailem]

Pat.
Thinking about your Hobbie cat sailing, the location and design of blocks were based on sail control and ease of use/access. Your “New to you” Hunter is no different.
Nice to get a bigger sail, as long as it fits and improves your boat performance.

Looking at sail controls (sheets on a jib) you want the sheet to stretch down to the hull at an angle that trims the sail leach/foot to optimize your performance. This generally means you need the first block along the hull rail forward of the cockpit. From there you turn sheet into the cockpit where it is most convenient to work the sail. For some boats that means a turning block (in your example you used the spinnaker block on the stern pulpit. The cleat serves to hold the sail while you attend to other boat needs. I agree with you. Not a convenient ease to use tool, even though it secures the sheet.

The proposed solution I suggest will have a similar flaw. Sure the cam cleat will secure the sheet, but the block will be nearly useless. It is too close to the cleat for the turning function you seek.

Additionally located behind the tiller is not good. You really need to see the sail as you adjust the trim.

I’d encourage a solution that puts a cam cleat forward of the tiller on the cockpit coaming. Turn the sheet to the location with a deck block. Assure the sheet has a fairleads from the block to the coaming. No friction is desired.

Check out other boats for ideas to your solution. They need not be Hunter 240’s. The goal of easy sheet control is universal among all sail boats. Good luck with this adventure.