I spent a day on a tall ship last year (tourist deal, a steel-hulled repro, not a real oldie - see photos at
http://www.photobox.co.uk/album/27532948).
After lending a hand with heaving the rigging, it became clear why there's so much clutter - there are just so many ropes needed to move and handle the large number of separate sails. I've now idea how the pro. crew remember where they all go - all hemp rope too, no colour coding.
Modern triangular-sail rigs are pure simplicity by comparison, so of course need very few ropes. I think minimum clutter is always best, but depending on the functionality you want.
E.g a spartan setup with no lines led aft, a hank-on jib, no topping lift, no vang, straight slab reefing (i.e. a Mac out-of-the-box), there's nothing to create clutter in the first place. Two halyards, three sheets, and a CB line, that's it!
Really sleek un-cluttered look, just a PITA to sail.
OTOH if you add all the functionality for ease of use and improved sail trim (we all know the list is pretty long) you get a pasta-bowl of lines and blocks - hardly uncluttered.
I don't think anyone adds a line unless they really want to use the feature it provides; and if they find they don't use it they probably take it off again. Clutter is difficult to manage, and is the downside of extra features.
My vote is for minimum clutter in keeping with the functionality I need to use. If you don't mind jumping up to the mast to raise/lower and reef the main, then you don't need lines led aft. I have to do this at the moment, and I'd really rather not, so I shall bring halyard, vang & reefing lines to the cockpit. I'll put up with the extra clutter because of what it will gives me.
I followed the thread on boom brakes with interest. Nice idea, but apart from the cost I'm not sure the extra clutter is worth dealing with. It's all a trade off in my book.
Just my €.02 anyway - of course if you like it real simple you can always sail a dinghy.
Cheers, Rick
