Main Halyard Run to Cockpit

jvoelxen · **Joined:** 21 Oct 2006 15:36 **Posts:** 268

I would like to run my main halyard to the cockpit. Could someone send me pictures of their layout and a parts list.

Thanks.

Jim
T37C #191 Osterville, MA

Velera · **Joined:** 29 Dec 2006 09:38 **Posts:** 656

Sure you want to do this? My experience is that tensioning and relaxing the luff for sail shape is best done with an aft-led cunningham. For reefing, my offshore experience isthat the complication of aft leading the main halyard is not worth it. You have to go out there to tie the reefed sail down in any meaningful winds and to not ruin your sail's luff by getting it caught in the lines anyway. So you need to go out there anyway. But others may differ. I had aft led halyard and re-led it forward. Still have leech reefing line aft led so crew can help with reefing process and a hook on my gooseneck to simplify setting the reef cringle. Has worked great in offshore situations. I am aware others may feel differently.

Ray[img]

Ardea · **Joined:** 19 Mar 2007 16:40 **Posts:** 195

I am an other that differs. I have an aft lead main halyard. I love it! I can literally reef in 30 seconds with my setup and that's why I have it in the cockpit. Heed Ray's advice on luff tension and run a cunningham back to the cockpit also. As far as hardware you need a turning block at the base of the mast, a deck organizer of your choice. Harken makes some nice, pricey ball bearing models. Mine are Scheaffer I believe. I would go for the ball bearings. Then run the line to a clutch in the cockpit situated in front of a winch. My clutches (12 total) are Spinlock STX. Here is picture of them when I was replacing the Garhauer clutches.

I love Garhauer products but I think their line clutches are dangerous. I don't have a decent picture of the deck lay but could take one next weekend.

Attachment:

line clutch.JPG [ 95.5 KB | Viewed 0 times ]

jvoelxen · **Joined:** 21 Oct 2006 15:36 **Posts:** 268

Ardea-

Thanks for the response. I'd love to see pictures of your layout if you could provide them.

Thanks again.

Jim

Ardea · **Joined:** 19 Mar 2007 16:40 **Posts:** 195

We're going out Sat. so I'll take a few shots then.

Ardea · **Joined:** 19 Mar 2007 16:40 **Posts:** 195

Well I haven't been able to get any pics like I promised but here is an old picture showing the turning blocks at the partners and the two deck organizers. From there they go back under the dodger and to the line clutches in the picture above. BTW that's the Queen Mary II going under the Golden Gate Bridge for the first time in the back ground. Big boat!

Attachment:

QM2.jpg [ 1.1 MB | Viewed 0 times ]

jvoelxen · **Joined:** 21 Oct 2006 15:36 **Posts:** 268

Thanks to all for the pictures, and advice. They clear up a lot, but I still have some specific questions that perhaps I can get some help on.

My intention to run the main halyard to the cockpit is not to make reefing easier. I still intend to do that (at least for now) the conventional way mostly at the mast. I simply would like to raise/lower the mast from the cockpit. My mooring is in a well protected area that I love, but I have a very long, and tortuous path to open water including a very narrow draw bridge, very shallow water, and very little maneuvering room. The prevailing winds are also generally in the direction I need to power (isn't it always). Given these conditions, I'm rarely able to hoist my main on my mooring. On my mooring, I would like to remove the sail cover, remove the sail ties and attach the main halyard. I do have lazy jacks. Then, once I'm in open water, which is normally quite choppy, I can point the boat into the wind and raise the main from the comfort and safety of my cockpit. BTW, I do single handed sailing a lot. Right now I'm looking to run only the main halyard aft, and, based on input from above, a cunningham as well.

Now my specific questions:

1. Main halyard, Port or Starboard side? My main halyard currently exits the starboard of the mast. Given that, it would seem logical to run the halyard to the stdb side also. But, as I look at it, there's not a lot room on that side due to the centerboard pennant, its turning block, tag line, etc. Also, I think the winch on that side is only single speed, so I would probably need to replace it. So, I'm considering changing the halyard to exit the port side of the mast, and run it aft on the port side. There's less congestion, and I could use the existing 2 speed winch. The downside would be that I would no longer have a winch on the mast to set the main from the mast if I needed to for some reason. Any comments or suggestions?
2. Cunningham run: I'm not sure how to rig the cunningham line, fittings, turning blocks, etc. in the vicinity of the mast and boom. Any pictures/decriptions around this would be appreciated. I think I need to place a turning block close to the mast, close to the centerline directly below the goose neck, and a pad eye adjacent to it. Just a guess.
3. Installing line organizers: It looks like the line organizers are located at roughly the same location as the existing main sheet and/or centerboard pennant turning blocks. When they were removed, were there any problems with discoloration of the underlying deck that needed to be taken care of. I do know how to epoxy fill the unused holes. I'm thinking more about the cosmetics.

Thanks in advance for you help.

Jim
Oddyssey #191

Ardea · **Joined:** 19 Mar 2007 16:40 **Posts:** 195

1. Moving the main halyard to the port side flies in the face of convention but functionally it wouldn't make any difference. Might looks strange criss crossing the deck. Or not. Confused

Sounds like you may have the 2:1 purchase on your C/B pendant and that's what's getting in the way of your halyard on the stb. side. If the issue is just the 2 speed winch you could move that from port to stb side.

2. For a cunningham you just need to run a line through the cunningham cringle on your main and fix one end (to the boom or mast with a pad eye) and run the other end through a turning block at the partners and then back to the cockpit. I can't tell you about mine because I don't have one. If I ever get a decent mainsail I will probably install one. Some one else could probably provide harware specifics. At the base of the mast I have a dozen pad eyes with backing plates and each has a block attached. You could do the same with two blocks to handle the main sheet and cunningham.

3. The setup I have was on the boat when I bought it so I didn't have to move anything for the deck organizers. I would expect some difference in gel coat color under any existing hardware that is removed. I would also expect the sun to even things out before too long also. Might be more difficult to disguise the old holes in the non-skid.

Tartan37.com

Main Halyard Run to Cockpit

Who is online