Cockpit control lines

[Joegunz]

Has anyone installed cockpit control lines for the main sail? I've got a CD33 (Miss Maggie hull #12) with all the halyards etc. at the mast and am thinking of running the main halyard, a main down-haul, and the 1st reef tack and clew lines back to the cockpit. The jib is on a roller furler that already goes back. There's a dodger that I made last year, but if necessary it can be modified to accept lines. Miss Maggie also has a stack pack and lazy jacks that were installed with the new dodger that work quite well. Most often it's my wife and I that sail and she tells me I might be getting older---in a nice way. Sometimes she's right.

[Frenchy]

Some people like halyards and reefing lines led back to the cockpit, but I don't. I hate it. The extra
friction is tremendous and to get the halyard properly tensioned required a trip to the mast anyway.
We always ended up releasing the rope clutch under the dodger, then wrapping the halyard around the
mast-mounted winch and tensioning there.
Perhaps with a ball-bearing block at the mast base things would work better. I would also like to
add that all those lines in the cockpit make a mess and lowering the main usually involves a trip to the
mast to help pull it down, then going back to the cockpit to clear the tangled halyard as it enters the
rope clutch, going back to the mast to pull a little more down, etc. All in all, not worth the expense
and effort, in my humble opinion. - Jean

[distand]

Yes my CD330 Dove Tale came with the lines leading to cockpit. I do raise the main from the cockpit but there is quite a lot of friction. I use a winch once the main is about 2/3 up. Last year was my first season with the boat so I have been experimenting with the lines. When I put her away for the winter I had sketched out the following leads to set up for the Spring:

Port side (4 leads): Topping lift, Boom vang, 1st reef clew, Main sheet

Stbd side (4 leads): 2nd reef clew, Main Halyard, Staysail Jib outhaul, staysail jib sheet

I hang the lines from the cabin aft face

Frenchy is correct that it's a bit messy but if you keep the lines coiled and hung then fairly manageable.

Anyway I have a feeling that this won't be my last iteration on the lines. Thinking it could be better to have the first (or second reef) fully setup from cockpit (i.e., tack and clew) and I recently read that a single line can be used to reef both the tack and clew (have my doubts). I would use the 1st reef more often so it would be convenient from the cockpit but when using the second reef would probably prefer to not leave cockpit. Using the reefing lines does require leaving the cockpit but I have found that the boat sails fine with just the tack and clew reefed. Once things are settled, the reefing lines can be tied (can be a challenge though).

[Jim Walsh]

Yes my CD330 Dove Tale came with the lines leading to cockpit. I do raise the main from the cockpit but there is quite a lot of friction. I use a winch once the main is about 2/3 up. Last year was my first season with the boat so I have been experimenting with the lines. When I put her away for the winter I had sketched out the following leads to set up for the Spring:

Port side (4 leads): Topping lift, Boom vang, 1st reef clew, Main sheet

Stbd side (4 leads): 2nd reef clew, Main Halyard, Staysail Jib outhaul, staysail jib sheet

I hang the lines from the cabin aft face

Frenchy is correct that it's a bit messy but if you keep the lines coiled and hung then fairly manageable.

Anyway I have a feeling that this won't be my last iteration on the lines. Thinking it could be better to have the first (or second reef) fully setup from cockpit (i.e., tack and clew) and I recently read that a single line can be used to reef both the tack and clew (have my doubts). I would use the 1st reef more often so it would be convenient from the cockpit but when using the second reef would probably prefer to not leave cockpit. Using the reefing lines does require leaving the cockpit but I have found that the boat sails fine with just the tack and clew reefed. Once things are settled, the reefing lines can be tied (can be a challenge though).

I never secure the bunt of the sail after it has been reefed....haven’t done so for many years. The wind itself tends to keep it in place and it never catches, and holds, rain or wind driven spray. The sea state and motion of the vessel see to that. It never balloons out so, although I had the sailmaker add three reef points, I have never actually added the lines.
This is a photo of Orion taken last September with one reef in the main, a full staysail, and a reefed yankee. The main looks nice and neat....if I must say so myself....

[John Stone]

Yes my CD330 Dove Tale came with the lines leading to cockpit. I do raise the main from the cockpit but there is quite a lot of friction. I use a winch once the main is about 2/3 up. Last year was my first season with the boat so I have been experimenting with the lines. When I put her away for the winter I had sketched out the following leads to set up for the Spring:

Port side (4 leads): Topping lift, Boom vang, 1st reef clew, Main sheet

Stbd side (4 leads): 2nd reef clew, Main Halyard, Staysail Jib outhaul, staysail jib sheet

I hang the lines from the cabin aft face

Frenchy is correct that it's a bit messy but if you keep the lines coiled and hung then fairly manageable.

Anyway I have a feeling that this won't be my last iteration on the lines. Thinking it could be better to have the first (or second reef) fully setup from cockpit (i.e., tack and clew) and I recently read that a single line can be used to reef both the tack and clew (have my doubts). I would use the 1st reef more often so it would be convenient from the cockpit but when using the second reef would probably prefer to not leave cockpit. Using the reefing lines does require leaving the cockpit but I have found that the boat sails fine with just the tack and clew reefed. Once things are settled, the reefing lines can be tied (can be a challenge though).

I never secure the bunt of the sail after it has been reefed....haven’t done so for many years. The wind itself tends to keep it in place and it never catches, and holds, rain or wind driven spray. The sea state and motion of the vessel see to that. It never balloons out so, although I had the sailmaker add three reef points, I have never actually added the lines.
This is a photo of Orion taken last September with one reef in the main, a full staysail, and a reefed yankee. The main looks nice and neat....if I must say so myself....

Jim, that’s a lovely photo.

I don’t tie the bunt in either. I will some times put a single sail-tie on the bunt to hold it up out of the way but only if we have no plans to shake out a reef for a long time. Otherwise, we also let it be.

Not a fan of control lines led to the cockpit. Much less friction and less clutter when halyards and reefing lines terminate at the mast rather than the cockpit. What I think has happened is sailboats these days have so much clutter over the cockpit with biminis and dodgers and arches and jerry cans lashed to the stanchions that it’s physically difficult to exit the cockpit for what should be routine sail handling. But, everyone has to figure out what works for them. For me, less clutter and less complexity equates to safer sailing.

[Joegunz]

Thanks for all the input. You've convinced me to not use cockpit control lines. What I'll do instead is improve/install jack lines and tether points. Then " tie in" more often to go forward to deal with dousing and reefing. Buy the way I also find no need to secure the bunt of the main when reefing. I've also made a new cover for my "Life sling" and made a rope ladder that I intend to install all the time. I'm also working on a four to one "handy billy" for safety retrieval even though I'm not a fan of swimming in the New England water! My objective is to stay dry. Thanks again.
Joe Gunzelmann
Rye New Hampshire

[rollo_cd26]

Interesting thread, I've been considering a similar project for my CD26D for the same reasons. Even on my smaller boat, going forward to raise and lower the main at the mast is a little dicey in rough conditions (safety first!) I'm considering Garhauer fittings for my project to raise and lower/reef the main sail from the cockpit. Question: if you have done this to your boat, what material did you mount the hardware on? Did you drill through the coach roof and use backing material to anchor the deck organizer, rope clutch,and winch? Did you mount a halyard lift block to the mast or the deck? Before I get into this it seems prudent to ask the right questions since I'm leery of drilling into and through outside of the boat.

Thanks, Rollo
Lake Ouachita, AR
42,000 acres of freshwater