Starboard Winch Woes

[Frank C]

The issue is the extra 30 degree turn ... way the boat is rigged, the genoa sheet leads aft of the winch, through a flexi block at approximately the steering column (or further aft), and then forward again. The sheet approaches the winch from below, and the location of the cleat is such that the working end is significantly higher than the level of the cleats.

>> Duh ... my bad. I've been picturing the jibsheets, all along, not the Genny sheets.



Next time I sail in strong winds I plan on trying something I saw in another thread and that is to take the working sheet around the leeward winch, across the cabin opening to the windward winch and then feed it through the windward cleat. ...
This is an interesting idea and I might try it, despit the annoyance of having the line cross over the hatch.

>> Yeah, my dealer taught me this trick and I've posted the hint in past years. He called this "cross-sheeting."
There are both advantages & disadvantages, but it should eliminate your main issue ... looking forward to reading your opinion.


P.S. Cross-sheeting takes longer to reset everything after completing a tack, but one advantage ... you can sheet-in the Genny without the winch handle, by just pulling on the line that crosses the cabin. This spins the "lower winch" and hardens the sail, while the "upper winch" refuses to spin ... might even be left cleated.

[Chip Hindes]

Navy Doc, what is your boat?

I have a bone stock 26X with the genny sheets run aft to the turning blocks, then forward to the sheet winches. The cam cleats work just fine in their stock positions without risers or wedges, and crossing the "standing" end with the final wrap on the way to the cleat has never been a problem. Not that I don't do it; it's just not a problem.

David Mellon, I'd be puzzled by the way you describe your Grand Admiral having to jam the sheet down in the cam, except that's exactly what my mate does as well. She cranks with one hand, tails with the other. Then she stops cranking, and tries to jam the sheet downward into the cleat. That's improper technique. The "right" way to do it is to guide the sheet into the cam with the tailing hand while still cranking. When you're done cranking, the sheet is already in the cleat and you just drop it. Mine works fine, no risers or wedges and I've never had a sheet release prematurely.

[David Mellon]

The line rubs against itself as you pull the tailing end down on top of it. That means you have to drag the lines against each other to keep the sheet in the cam. To avoid that one must hold the tailing end higher than the working line, then drop it down over the top to the cam. It is awkward and requires strength. It's a design flaw which I will fix by raising the cam. I already knew of this flaw from a posting before I bought the boat.

[Navy DOC]

Chip,

I own a 26M (2005). David Mellon pretty much summed up the problem in the preceeding post. I don't know much about winch placement on the X models, but I do konw that the cabin is slightly higher on the M, perhaps placing the winch higher and thereby making the problem more pronounced.

I too will be raising the cleats, at least on the Starboard side, most likely on both.

-Mike

[Frank C]

The position of the turning block, fore or aft along the Genny track, alters the angle into the winch. That could explain how some have this problem, or eliminate it for others. My Genny blocks are as far forward as possible, trying to tension the leech. The crossing angles at the starboard winch are awkward.

Fortunately, the solution is a very simple mod ... but I haven't bothered to raise the cleats, just livin' widit. There's no problem at all when sheeting the jib.