Main sheet, making holes in headliner, lines to cockpit

[SPIBob]

Dick,
Another plus for the Regatta Braid that I should have mentioned in my first thread, is that it is very easy to flush with fresh water while it is rigged in place. The water flows through the braid easily, much more so than with double braid. My line is about three years old and is still very supple and easy to handle. I used to take the old double braid off and soak it in a bucket overnight with not even near as good a result.

I think strength and elasticity issues make it less than ideal for a head sail sheet and unsuitable for halyards. Too bad. This is really nice line to work with.

[mahalocd36]

Hi Dick,
Hope things are well in Mattapoisett!

We have most of our lines led to the cockpit, the exceptions being the rarely used yankee and staysail halyards (both on furlers) and spinnaker halyard. Oh and mainsail reefing lines (though that would be nice!)

For the main, it's not so much for raising the sail up, as Rich usually still goes to the mast for that. We still have to go to the mast to reef as well, so we are still in practice there. But it's wonderful for dropping the sails, as we have a Strong track, with it's metal slides and our battened main, and the MackPack, the thing drops like a rock, into it's nice little pocket. Great for an "emergency" when you need to drop it fast, it's much faster than going up to the mast.

-Melissa

[drysuit2]

Three questions:

2. I am planning to add some deck hardware which will requires drilling some hole through the cabin top and then making a large enough hole in the headliner to get a backing piece/big washer in place. What is the best way to drill the access hole from inside the cabin through the headliner. I don't want to mess it up.

3. Lines to the cockpit or not. Only the main halyard comes back now. What is the real advantage bringing others back. I like to avoid deck clutter.

Any advice most welcome.

Dick,

I just remembered that Carter used this Halyard Organizer Plate when he fixed up his CD25.

http://www.rigrite.com/Spars/SparParts/Mast_hinges.html

You may have to cut and past the URL. I can't get it to work
I thought it was a great idea vs. drilling holes in the mast or deck.

Frank

[Jeff G]

Here are my experiences on board my 25D

1.) I replaced my traveler, main block and line about 3 years ago. I too had the kinking problem at first. After the second season, the line became more "broken in" and the hockles "kinks" disappeared. That first season was aggravating though.

2.) I have run the lines back to my cockpit using a series of turning blocks and clutches. For me, it had nothing to do with safety. It was all about single handing. I can work the tiller, throttle, and halyards all at the same time. Not sure about the safety thing, but for the shorthanded thing it works for me.

3.) I can't say whether this is a good practice or not but it works for me. I drilled the pilot holes for the hardware through both deck and headliner. Redrilled oversize holes. Then cored the balsa from the deck. I filled the space between the headliner and the bottom of the deck with epoxy thickened to peanut butter consistency. The paste did not run or drip. I let that harden, then filled the holes to deck level. I redrilled, bedded the hardware and built bronze a backing plate with tapped holes. Now the headliner and the deck are one non-compressable unit.

[Steve Laume]

Here are my experiences on board my 25D

3.) I can't say whether this is a good practice or not but it works for me. I drilled the pilot holes for the hardware through both deck and headliner. Redrilled oversize holes. Then cored the balsa from the deck. I filled the space between the headliner and the bottom of the deck with epoxy thickened to peanut butter consistency. The paste did not run or drip. I let that harden, then filled the holes to deck level. I redrilled, bedded the hardware and built bronze a backing plate with tapped holes. Now the headliner and the deck are one non-compressable unit.

I used this method for securing a pad eye on my foredeck. It also appears to be what Cape Dory did for the sheet winches on my cabin top. The original backing plates were 1/4" aluminum and I stayed with that for a bigger backing plate for a slightly larger main winch and the pad eye.

As an added bonus I used the same backing plate to mount my VHF radio. I simply drilled and tapped it from the bottom side and bolted the bracket to it. It puts the radio in a good spot and well secured as well as hiding the backing plates, Steve.

[12Sail]

I had an O'Day 25 where lines were led aft. When I bought my Cape Dory, the "first thing I was gonna do" was lead the main halyard aft for singlehanding, safety, etc. Well, I haven't done that....the simplicity is nicer, going to the mast properly and safely is a good example for crew and my kids to observe, and i now prefer being at the mast to lower the sail and ensure it comes down smartly, neatly, and smoothly. So Dick i would say try your boat as is for a while. Having had both arrangements, I am admittedly surprised at my preference for a mast-based halyard.

[rtbates]

You might want to check out Regatta Braid from New England
Ropes for your main sheet. It's a 12 strand single braid that
is advertised as kink resistant and is recommended by them for
mainsheet applications. I haven't actually used it but it sure
looked good at the boat show.

Check out Mainesail's web page on deck penetrations:
http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/sealing_the_deck

+1.

12 strand single braid works great for our 25D's mainsheet..

[rtbates]

I find going to the mast much much easier than fixing a soft cabin top. Hence, I'll resist drilling any holes in the cabin or deck balsa core.

[Troy Scott]

In boats past, I've had mostly everything led aft, including double reefing. I made it work, but it was complicated, and I had to add bags and other stuff just to keep it all straight. I've also had boats where I kept it simple. I've decided simple is better. The following may not sound simple, but it's about as simple as seems reasonable to me: When my CD36 refit is done, I'll have mainsheet and staysail sheets led aft, as they were originally. I will also have a much-improved mainsheet traveller system with two short control lines led aft. I'm CONSIDERING implementing a staysail traveller control system which would require two more lines led aft. The line from the Yankee furler is also led aft. The tack control line for the cruising spinnaker MIGHT be led aft. That brings at least five lines led to the aft end of the cabin top, and possibly three more (if I do the staysail traveller control and run the spinnaker tack control aft) for a total of eight. Bear in mind that these are in addition to the Yankee or Genoa sheets. If I decide I can afford the luxury of a stack pack or something similar, that may be a reason to be able to release the main halyard from the cockpit, so that's one more, for a possible total of nine. That's more than enough cockpit spaghetti without running the reefing system aft.

A single line reefing system done right requires a really slick single line reefing setup for each reef, and the main halyard led aft. I've done it, but I won't do it again. It's just too much stuff. If I did that, and IF it always functioned perfectly, I could end up with eleven (count-em) lines led aft. But, I would still have to go forward to contain the staysail when it's dropped. Hmmm...., I could add another stack pack, and downhauls, and etc., and etc.. But NO. Enough is enough. I suspect I'll have just the first five I wrote about. Halyards and reefing equipment will stay at the mast.

And IF anyone decides to add a bunch of deck hardware in order to run a lot of stuff aft, allow me to explain how original deck hardware is mounted in the CD36. Much of the deck hardware is through-bolted through both the deck AND the liner. In these locations the factory installed hard material in the space between the liner and the deck, and in most cases, they installed no balsa in areas of original deck hardware. So the backing plates are actually on the ceiling, visible in the cabin. The main and staysail sheet winches on the cabin top are mounted through the deck only, and there is no balsa there. There is a removable panel in the overhead liner to get to the fasteners for those two winches.

If anyone chooses to mount new deck hardware, he/she must determine if there is balsa in that location, and if there is, replace it with something impervious and hard. there are several choices for accomplishing this. Of course I like MY method the best Sturdy backing plates must also be used. I prefer fiberglass backing plates to aluminum. Done right, this is a pretty involved job. If any steps are left out, you could end up with a weak installation that might fail and seriously damage your boat. You can also end up with wet balsa core. This is not an easy afternoon job, at least not if you do it right.

You also need to consider that, should you ever decide to sell your boat, most folks would prefer a pretty original setup, or at least universally accepted setups, well installed. Odd installations, especially if not well installed, will de-value your boat.