Mainsheet tangles
Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: Dinghy classes
Forum Name: Technique
Forum Discription: 'How to' section for dinghy questions and answers
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=12386
Printed Date: 08 Aug 25 at 11:56am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.665y - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Mainsheet tangles
Posted By: gordon1277
Subject: Mainsheet tangles
Date Posted: 11 May 16 at 8:41am
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Hi All
In my old Phantom the main sheet tail was tied of in the boat and with my current boat its not, what do people prefer. Tied of has the advantage of not losing the tail out of the boat, but does it cause more tangles round your feet? I seem to end up with a cats cradle of main sheet, toe strap etc after a few tacks anyway so need to believe I have the best option, or how do I stop this mess? Regards Gordon (if only they would invent rope that is allergic to feet) ------------- Gordon Lossc |
Replies:
Posted By: jeffers
Date Posted: 11 May 16 at 11:12am
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I find that having the end tied off means you will only ever get a 1 ended knot (meaning you can easily undo it). With regards to tangling i find 'walking' the mainsheet out help to remove any twists between the core and the outer and helps prevent knots from happening. Just a case of keeping it kicked to the correct place then. Cheers, Paul ------------- Paul ---------------------- D-Zero GBR 74 |
Posted By: rich96
Date Posted: 11 May 16 at 11:48am
| If the end of the mainsheet is free (not tied to the boat) chuck it over the transom and trail it behind for a few minutes - any inclination to twist should be minimised |
Posted By: PeterG
Date Posted: 11 May 16 at 12:34pm
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On the Laser I have the end tied to the boat, on the Contender it was tied to the boat via a piece of shock chord, which helped keep it under control but allowed a bit of flexibility. On the Yawl it's just knotted at the end, and never causes problems. ------------- Peter Ex Cont 707 Ex Laser 189635 DY 59 |
Posted By: iGRF
Date Posted: 11 May 16 at 1:32pm
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It is the single most infuriating item next to escaping into the long grass circlips things. That bloody rope, I hate when it gets tangled round your legs, goes out the back through the trap doors, wraps itself around things that do other stuff, knots itself back around the pulley jammer, it is the very serpent sent to tempt us to extreme rage, and works every time, not much I can say to help.
I use bad and wicked words, I have suggested that not only were it's parents not married, but that it fornicated with it's mother, after it ignored my suggestions of sex and travel. If you try tying it up, it reacts even more badly, eventually you come to realise that it is female and as such needs caressing & coiling, not cursing and sometimes this works - sometimes - it depends where you are in the month cycle. Sorry, tha'ts all I know. ------------- https://www.corekite.co.uk/snow-accessories-11-c.asp" rel="nofollow - Snow Equipment Deals https://www.corekite.co.uk" rel="nofollow - New Core Kite website |
Posted By: Phil_1193
Date Posted: 11 May 16 at 2:03pm
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I don't tie the end off to anything solid With no mainsheet cleat i find throwing out the back is hard when you want to pull it back in After the tack I pull all the main sheet up from around my feet (if hiked out this does involve taking one foot at a time out from under the toe straps quite often) and flick it infront of me, do that every tack and it doesn't get tangled Rooster 'anti twist' sheets work really well I now fully expect to have a massive tangled up capsize this weekend!! |
Posted By: gordon1277
Date Posted: 11 May 16 at 2:19pm
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Hi Phil
At last years nationals Matt House said I looked really miserable at one point. It was the dreaded mainsheet strangle hold meant I was in deep poo if I had to do anything, took me to about 50 yards overstood to be able to tack. I will try the Rooster rope Grf Its not only me then you watch sum people sail and they never seem to have that fight. ------------- Gordon Lossc |
Posted By: iGRF
Date Posted: 11 May 16 at 3:11pm
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Some boats are worse than others, but I can't find any logic to explain why, other than obviously if you have too much when, like in the Solution I moved from rear sheeting to centre and didn't change it. That little Minisprint that spat me into windward, was aided and abetted by Mrs Mainsheet Bitch.
Edit I think I'll list them, maybe the therapy of having done so might help me. The Alto's favorite trick is the rope going out the back door, which then closes when you try to pull it back in. The EPS likes to wrap itself around the jammer and wrongside it as you go through the tack. The Solution likes to wrap itself around your legs knowing you have a phobia about things wrapped round your legs after a childhood near drowning incident thanks to Thames reeds wrapping themselves round our young heroes legs. The Minisprint hasn't fully developed all of it's weaponry, there is bound to be more to come, but it found jamming itself under the sliding seat then tipping me into windward f-ing hilarious. ------------- https://www.corekite.co.uk/snow-accessories-11-c.asp" rel="nofollow - Snow Equipment Deals https://www.corekite.co.uk" rel="nofollow - New Core Kite website |
Posted By: realnutter
Date Posted: 11 May 16 at 3:22pm
| Graham, is the Minisprint wholly or partly centre sheeted? My Minisail was stern sheeted, but I swapped the pulleys, and ran the sheet forwards, and now sail with it coming from the forward block on the boom... Haven't had any sheet/seat interface issues (yet). |
Posted By: JimC
Date Posted: 11 May 16 at 3:27pm
An even better one is sheet jammed in sliding seat while on end of plank. Can't release sheet without coming off plank, can't come off plank without releasing sheet. |
Posted By: iGRF
Date Posted: 11 May 16 at 3:30pm
TBH I can't remember I've switched it that many times, I'll know later, I'm firing her up tonight, wednesday night lake series, time to out bandit the bandits..  ------------- https://www.corekite.co.uk/snow-accessories-11-c.asp" rel="nofollow - Snow Equipment Deals https://www.corekite.co.uk" rel="nofollow - New Core Kite website |
Posted By: iGRF
Date Posted: 11 May 16 at 3:32pm
Ha.. I think it was a bit like that, I had to come off the plank to get it out then sat straight back to where the plank should have been but wasn't.. Splash. ------------- https://www.corekite.co.uk/snow-accessories-11-c.asp" rel="nofollow - Snow Equipment Deals https://www.corekite.co.uk" rel="nofollow - New Core Kite website |
Posted By: 423zero
Date Posted: 11 May 16 at 6:08pm
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My Aquabat is rigged centre/aft, (Laser copy), this manages to find every snag point on boat, corners, top of rudder, joint between tiller and extension, feet, legs, itself, I capsized due to one of these issues and found the rope wrapped under my armpit and round my leg, rescue wanted to "cut" , I persuaded them it would be expensive if they did. Minisprint is rigged 4to1 centre main, so far no "snag issues". I started to design a retracting mainsheet system, similar to a tape measure, the reel would need to be on its side inside hull, so not suitable for every boat.
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Posted By: realnutter
Date Posted: 11 May 16 at 6:12pm
I can't see that being nice to use.... you'd have a loop of sheet in your hand with tension on both ends... |
Posted By: Riv
Date Posted: 11 May 16 at 6:27pm
| When I had an IC, I got so fed up with huge tangle of sheet in my lap and miles of it trailing behind that I went from 4:1 to 2:1 sheeting off the boom and used a thicker mainsheet. 12mm I think! Much less rope and a success in most conditions. |
Posted By: 423zero
Date Posted: 11 May 16 at 8:12pm
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Real Nutter wrote "I can't see that being nice to use" I had thought of this, when retraction not required, their would be a camcleat, you would play slack to suit. The majority of mainsheet would be inside reel when beating and reaching.
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Posted By: Presuming Ed
Date Posted: 11 May 16 at 8:25pm
| [TUBE]http://youtu.be/0gvnoSXe7FE[/TUBE] |
Posted By: craiggo
Date Posted: 11 May 16 at 8:39pm
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In my Laser I tied my mainsheet onto the toestrap. I did use 7mm rooster polilite as well.
In the 600 I had a 1ft long piece of elastic tied between the end of the mainsheet and the base of the mainsheet swivel. In the 700 I used 9mm rooster polilite with the end of the mainsheet tied to the elastic holding the spinni pump handles up. In the Grad and the OK I haven't tied it off. ------------- OK 2129 RS200 411 |
Posted By: davidyacht
Date Posted: 12 May 16 at 8:09am
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I use 9mm Rooster Polilite which does what it says and does not tangle. I don't tie it off in my Solo or Yawl, but I am quite keen to cut it off as short as it can be, which is just so that I am holding the end, with me at the transom, and the boom against the shrouds with some kicker off. Or you could cut a little off each week and note the final length, so you know what you need when reordering. I think that if you tie it off you will end up with more rope than you need, and potentially a bit of a mess and a compromised stance in the boat when sailing downhill in a big blow. I used to elastic the tail to the base of the Harken swivel in the 14, when there was a greater need for the main sheet to be where you wanted it, and the tail could wash out of the open transom if it was not attached. The only complaint ref. Polilite is that the case can wear through quite unexpectedly on the ratchet block, I now end for end the main sheet before it gets to this point. You will be asking about continuous jib sheets next ... ------------- Happily living in the past |
Posted By: gordon1277
Date Posted: 12 May 16 at 8:18am
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Hi David
Unlikely to be asking about jib sheets as I was talking about a Phantom! But when it comes to jib sheet tangles no contest FD wins every time when you add in continuos trapeze and cleats that you open by flicking down it can turn into a nightmare at every tack. ------------- Gordon Lossc |
Posted By: davidyacht
Date Posted: 12 May 16 at 8:29am
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Fair point ------------- Happily living in the past |