Main sheet

DAEDALUSCAN · **Joined:** 09 Dec 2007 21:03 **Posts:** 114

I have just bought a Tartan 37, and brought it from Port Townsend to Victoria yesterday. It sails really well. I am delighted.

The main sheet is rather convoluted, and I doubt if it is original. It runs from the traveller forward to the mast and then aft to the port sheet winch. Too many blocks, too much drag, too complicated and not very pretty. Could someone tell me how it should run. or better yet post a photo?

Thanks, Charlie

Tortuga's Lie · **Joined:** 27 Oct 2006 10:32 **Posts:** 827

Welcome!!! You have a great sailing venue Very Happy

I have visited Port Townsend and Victoria on a couple of occasions and loved it!!
The mainsheet does go thru a few blocks: There is a fiddle block on the traveler, three to four blocks on the boom (depending if your fiddle block has a beckett where the bitter end of the sheet is tied or tied under the boom to an eye), and a swivel block at the base of the mast then it runs thru a fairlead then to a rope clutch(if you have one) or a cleat/winch combo at the companionway. I'll agree that it takes a bit of effort to pull the main in under load, I don't have too much difficulty but my wife does........so I am currently upgrading all of the blocks and traveler to the Garhauer lite stainless steel units. Cheers

...I'll post a picture when finished.
Happy Holidays
Tom

Anastasis · **Posted:** 20 Dec 2007 06:55

I feel your pain. I have a Lewmar ball-bearing traveler to reduce friction there, and have plans to replace as many of the blocks as possible as I go. Also, I just replaced the cabintop winch with a heftier Barient 42 self tailer. Convenient for other uses, but great for the mainsheet too. Will be trial running it next week and will post feedback.

Down2TheC · **Posted:** 20 Dec 2007 10:19

Yup... that's OEM setup alright. I can't even remember what our stock traveler was like. It was such a pain to move that it was pretty much locked in place. We put a Harken traveler on there. Best money spent ever. 4:1 mech. advantage... I can haul that thing upwind in 30 kts with a full sail.

But I never saw the circuitous sheet routing as a problem since the winch is there. A self tailer would be nice but other than that it's never bugged me. But with the loose foot it might be a different load from the rest of you.

alpinista · **Posted:** 20 Dec 2007 20:16

Hey Charlie -- Welcome and congrats on your new boat. I bought Betty Lou a couple years ago in Seattle. Just curious, which boat did you buy, and is she a fin keel? Seems like most fin keels have gravitated out here to the NW.

My main sheet is set up the same way, but with added drag from running across the rigid vang on its way to the mast. Let me know if you find a better solution.

Fair winds --

Jay

Down2TheC · **Posted:** 21 Dec 2007 08:28

That path doesn't add any advantage so with the right design, you could start at the car and end at the car then take it to something at the cabin top from the center of the traveler maybe? But the sheet would change if you moved the car. Just brainstormin' here. Getting a strong point up to the traveler height might be a challenge though.

Tartan37.com

Main sheet

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