Fouled mainsheet

[s calder]

I came to within the width of a gnat's ass of being knocked down yesterday when my main sheet got tangled under the aft portion of the tiller/rudder post fitting. I was soloing and balanced nicely with the port rails under water in 30+ knots (main double reefed, genny half-furled doing 7.5 k) when a burst of 40+ hit me. When I tried to play out some sheet to keep the shiny side up, much to my chagrin, nothing!! It was fouled under the tiller fitting. I couldn't get it freed-up with one hand so, as the boat was heeling through about 45-50 degrees I let go of the tiller and used both hands all the while spying the water for a soft place to land. As soon as I let go of the tiller the boat, thankfully, started to round-up...the problem was that I had been sailing at about a 55 degree angle to the wind, so as it rounded-up the boat went through the sweet spot (45 degrees) and that only increased the heeling for a moment. I was over so far that my cd player fell from a starboard shelf and landed on the port shelf, and the end of my boom was dragging in the water. As the bow passed below 45 degrees to the wind, she got her legs back under her. Please tell me I'm not the only one to have the main sheet get fouled like this. What have others done to prevent against this sort of thing [and sailing in calmer conditions is not an option, unfortunately, as I sail in a mountain lake in Colorado, popping the "little purple pill" for my ulcers like candy]. Thanks

[Warren Kaplan]

I had mainsheet fouling in my past too, albeit not with the dramatic consequences you had.

Mainsheets, jibsheets, furling lines.....all that spaghetti in the cockpit can lead to disaster. I now am a stickler for cockpit housekeeping. After tacking or whatever, I religiously straighten everything out. I coil sheets and lay them neatly out of harm's way. Some people use sheet bags. I don't.

When single handing, the first piece of equipment I bring into the cockpit is my tiller pilot. If the cockpit is a mess I engage the pilot and immediately proceed to straighten everything out. It has saved me much anguish since I started doing this.

[tartansailor]

It is a tribute to Cape Dory yacht design and build that a CD 25 can take that kind of stress.
In a white knuckle ride, we steer with the left hand and hold the sheet in the right without having the sheet clamped in the jaws of a cam cleat. The remainder is coiled neatly on the bench so as to not wrap one's feet in a rapid ease.
Dick

[Ron Churgin]

This is not based on any personal experience and it seems counterintuitive, but I have read in Adlard Coles book on heavy weather seamanship that when heeling to an extreme degree it is better to turn so the wind is behind you, running, than to turn into it. He says that will straighten one out faster. Of course, he made no mention of the mainsheet being stuck.

If I understand it correctly, turning into the wind increases the heel before you start luffing, where turning downwind will keep you more upright.

Again, I am not speaking from personal experience, but from your description, it seems those forces were at play.

Ron

[rtbates]

I've had my 25d's mainsheet snag exactly as you describe. I now make 100% sure it's free at all times. IF I plan to be on the same tack for any length of time I'll run the excess sheet back into it's sheet bag which is kept on the cockpit sole. Like Warren I make darn certain that all lines are arranged so that they can run out if need be after each tack. I use a sheet bag for the main sheet only. I started using a sheet bag for the main because that's how I store the sheet when not being used. It hangs from the pushpit when stored and anywhere I need when being used. I've often thought about what would happen to the sheets sitting out, even neatly in a cockpit, IF the cockpit were to get pooped. I can see where it wouldn't take much confusion to start the engine with a line in the water and get it wrapped around the prop. It's downhill from there. Before I head off I'll be sure to have sheet bags that I can attach firmly to the boat so that a cockpit full of water doesn't knock them over the side.

[The Patriot]

... I was soloing and balanced nicely with the port rails under water in 30+ knots ...

I guess we have different definitions for "balanced nicely." If you are dragging the toe rail, sheet leads, genoa track, and perhaps a stanchion of two through the water, maybe some re-balancing is in order.

[s calder]

A fouled mainsheet is trouble in 40 K no matter what your angle of heel before the gust.

[Mark Yashinsky]

How about noticing a loose loop around ones foot, or, at least on the 27 (Warren??), the lines like to loop around the throttle/shift lever. Like Warren, I am constantly neating and checking where the lines are. One never knows, even on a mild day, when the pucker factor can arise.

Ron, many factors come into play. Could he fall off, safely? Is the wind direction steady, even if the speed is not. Falling off and not being able to let the main out might have put Calder into a possible jibe situation.

Calder, what was your point of sail when this happened? Sound like a close reach, so pointing a little bit higher should have depowered the sails and a little bit more should have put you into irons. Maybe you should have held onto the tiller and kept control of the boat, rather than letting go of the tiller and having her snap into the wind. That sounds like it may have caused more problems and caused you some pucker factor. Also, 45-50 degree heel, seems somewhat high. Was it time to reduce sail some more?

[Warren Kaplan]

Mark,

Right on about lines looping around feet and engine controls.

I also have sheets looping around other sheets after tacking. I also have reefing lines and halyards coming back to the cockpit so keeping everything under control, each with a very small "footprint", is imperative on my boat lest tangles, knots and jams are to be endured!!

[s calder]

Mark...I was on a close reach, about 50-55 degrees off the wind, pointing up was definitely the "fix", and indeed that's what I did, but as I said in my post, the bow first had to pass through 45 degrees to the wind to get there, which only added to the prediciament before it got better. BTW, my boat, as with most properly balanced CDs, rounds up itself when you let go of the tiller while on a reach.

I was kinda looking, in my original post, for some sort of mechanical device or process to block off the "pinch point" aft of the tiller. Of course sheet bags are a good remedy I'll definitely look at.

[Neil Gordon]

This is not based on any personal experience and it seems counterintuitive, but I have read in Adlard Coles book on heavy weather seamanship that when heeling to an extreme degree it is better to turn so the wind is behind you, running, than to turn into it. He says that will straighten one out faster. Of course, he made no mention of the mainsheet being stuck.

Putting the wind behind you will decrease the apparent wind significantly and will also seemingly lengthen the period between waves. Overall, you recover nicely and have a more comfy ride. Problem with doing it with a stuck main sheet though is if you bear off enough to get back on your feet, you might also jibe the main!!!

The better strategy might be to tack through the wind and heave to, clean up the tangle and then resume sailing.

[Dick Barthel]

Carl,

A great post for raising awareness. I've always wondered why the main sheet is so dang long on the 25D with much excess even sailing dead down wind.

I guess constant diligence (Warren's remedy) is the only real solution to wrapping the tiller or the throttle. It seems to me I also remember a chap getting his tiller snapped off by tangled lines in a blow.

I know some would disagree but I was taught by a very experienced sailor to put the excess jib sheets down the companionway which really works well when you have self tailing winches. There is really nothing for the lines to get snagged on and even if they did I think you would just head up without much problem. I think there is a far great likelihood of the sheets getting tangled on the cockpit floor. I put my excess furling line in a bag leaving only the mainsheet to worry about.

Just my two cents.

Dick

[Ed Haley]

On the downwind leg of a fun race, with the sails in a wing & wing arrangement, the topping lift decided to hook onto the starboard spreader tip (unbeknownst to me, of course!). Upon rounding the leeward buoy and heading upwind the topping lift was stuck and the main not in the best attitude for forward progress. Nice. There goes our standings.

Sooooo, getting off the race course, we dropped the main and used the main halyard to lift the aft end of the boom until the topping lift was slack enough to slap forward with an extended boat hook.

In the time it took to accomplish all this, we were rewarded with the fleet coming at us with a nice show of spinnakers.

We went for a swim.

[Angela and Tom]

Hi Carl,

The conditions were mild the first time it happened but our CD 28 was new to us and it was unsettling. Since then, I've feared something would happen like your experience and I’ve been a pain in the a** about keeping the lines neat.

I know this smacks of blasphemy, but is this a CD design flaw??

As someone else mentioned, the throttle is also a trouble spot. I’m also on the lookout for a new mainsheet cleat. Under load, it jams and requires two hands and impossible force to uncleat it—always at the very moment you need a quick release and control of the boat.

A

[Bill Goldsmith]

Hi Carl,

I know this smacks of blasphemy, but is this a CD design flaw??

A

I don't think so. Calling the risk of a line catching on the tiller fitting a design flaw is like calling the brake pedal of a car flawed when that Coke bottle rolls behind it. Neatness counts.