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