1 line control of main traveler and jib sheet for solo sail

Peter Libre · Post by **Peter Libre** » August 10th, 2006, 11:47 pm

For two years I have had my ARC22 rigged for singlehanding. The results have been totally satisfactory for cruising: alone, with kids, or wife. One line controls both the main traveler car and jib sheet. (I got the idea from a Sailing World article about a solo skiff sailor.) I can trapeze alone and fly the spinnaker alone with this setup. And I have had as many 7 people aboard for party sailing, and under those circumstances, fewer lines mean less entangled guests.

I have a 6:1 jib sheet tackle and 2:1 main traveler tackle. Both of these lines are pulled forward from the rear beam by a single 3:1 main/jib control line. This combination of purchases seems to maintain correct alignment of main and jib for any heading. The net purchase is 18:1 for the jib sheet and 6:1 for the main traveler.

A 6:1 purchase using 1/8 inch line (it runs freely) connects the jib clew to the jib traveler car. (The 6:1 is made up of a triple block with becket shackled to the clew plate and a triple without becket shackled to the jib traveler car.) The line continues forward to the hole in the bowsprit below the tack of the jib, then aft through the bowsprit to a block on the rear beam and heads forward. (I originally attached a micro cam cleat through two holes in the clew plate to allow fine tuning of jib sheet tension by pulling the end of the sheet line (the part nearest the becket) to the cleat. I now never use it, but it would probably help for racing.)

A 2:1 purchase with 5/32 line controls the main traveler. It is tied off to an eyestrap at the middle of the rear beam, runs through the block on the main traveler car, back through the block in the middle of the rear beam and heads forward. The line should be barely long enough to go through the middle of the rear beam when the traveler car is furthest from center.

Both the 6:1 and 2:1 lines are tied to the main/jib control line. This is a 3:1 line running from the main beam aft to haul the other two lines forward simultaneously. The main/jib control line is presently 5/16, but I think 1/4 would run better. The line begins at a becket on a single block (which is tied to pull both the 6:1 and 2:1); from the becket it runs to a block on the middle of the main beam, then aft to run through the block with the becket and forward again to the main beam where it runs through a ratchet block (preferably an autoratchet), then aft 1 foot to the topside of the tramp where a turning block tied to a grommet keeps the line well wrapped 180 degrees around the ratchet (for better grip) and also away from the tramp bags.

Sail fast with less spaghetti,
Peter Libre

thommerrill · Post by **thommerrill** » August 11th, 2006, 4:58 pm

Peter - Do you have some pics??

DanBerger · Post by **DanBerger** » August 16th, 2006, 2:39 pm

Thom,

There is a great drawing in the ARC22 owners manual. I have the same set-up on my SC20 and I like it, but it seems like there is a lot of friction and the lines don't let out easily. I have a custom tramp that has a zippered bag along the entire middle that covers the tramp and jib lines. However, pulling in on the traveler is really sweet with this set up!

Peter Libre · Post by **Peter Libre** » August 16th, 2006, 8:22 pm

My boat was built in 1996. The owners manual from that time suggested separate lines for control of jib sheet and main traveler. The system I described above is different: a single line pulls on both the main traveler and the jib sheet lines, together; in this way, a single line controls the angle of attack of both sails simultaneously; so, you can change from close hauled to reach to broad reach and then back to close-hauled, and during that time only adjust one line which controls main and jib simultaneously. I will try to post pix in the next two weeks.