Anonymous wrote:

I reckon that if the deflection is 10˚ or less, a block doesn't do anything useful. In this situation, I'd use Barton rings.

Thanks mate. Looks like a few Barton ring number 60452's is what I need for my 10mm sheet.  Cheers!

Anonymous wrote:

I might as well chime in here, as another grumpy old codger.

That sheeting system is a good one; I've seen it on such as Badger. Sounds as though it just needs a larger clutch. It might not work with hinged battens or upper and lower sheets, but with a single sheet, on a boat that's to go offshore with vane steering, it's good to have the tail of the sheet by the companionway hatch.

Boats with narrow beam and deep keels do sail on their ear, it goes with the territory. What I see in the video is Pango making very good boat speed to windward, and a well-cut shelf foot sail that's producing bags of drive.

But the star of the show, front and centre of the stage, is the hoop that's keeping the sheets off the tiller. I really must get around to doing that. One of these fine days.

Ah yes, David, the hoop thingy.  During the Pango rebuild project, I purchased a hoop of bendy plastic pipe from the plumbing department of a local hardware store envisioning I would rig it up athwartships on deck  every few feet, then drape a rain cover over it during the rebuild of Pango. 
As it turns out, I built a proper frame structure to drape a rain sheet over the boat, so the plastic pipe was superfluous and I stored the piping in a corner for three years.   
Then I had a light bulb moment before my Xmas cruise, and cut a length off and took it down the boat, and Paul helped me duct tape it to the port and starboard verticals of my stern rail.  And, it did the job splendidly and kept all the sheeting from tangling up during a tack or jibe and kept the line out of the way generally.

And, thanks for your input re the main sheeting system.  Would three or four blocks along the under-length of the boom also help with the friction?  See pic...

Anonymous wrote:

Well, Zane, first of all, apologies for the uncalled-for criticism - very bad form that, from a guest! Best of intentions, though.

Here is a very rough "back of a napkin" drawing. 

I can't remember your system exactly, but I am referring to the last part of it where it goes up to the boom and then along A, B, down to C then back to D where it is made fast at the lever clutch. There is a lot of friction in all that part of it. It would help a little bit if the sheet were replaced with a smaller diameter so it fits the clutch better - but I think a simpler arrangement and even less friction is just to undo it from the ABCD route and don't go there. Just cleat it off where it emerges at Z, at some convenient place back there.

Its not quite as nice to hold in your hand that way, arms crossed over right beside the tiller, and I have never quite figured out what to do with it. On my little boat I find it awkward holding the tiller and the sheet at the same time and even considered putting a little cleat on the tiller, but haven't quite decided. One of the experts might be able to provide you with a photo or some advice and I am thinking, as usual, I should have kept my mouth shut.

That route along the boom and back to the cockpit is often used on bermudan dinghies, used to be almost standard when I was a boy, before the idea of cutting the cockpit in half with a mainsheet traveller was invented. I see no point in it in a keel boat, it gives no extra power advantage and in your case the friction is killing your ability to ease sheets by simply opening the clutch - and that is not only inconvenient but might even get you into trouble if the sheet doesn't run out smoothly when you need it to in a hurry.

Next time you have a chance, get Marcus or Paul to have a look at it and see what they think. I think it would be an improvement just to have a simple cleat, or a swivelling cam cleat, back there somewhere around Z. 

Pretty much everything else works beautifully in my view.

(PS Gypsy Rose was a long way ahead of us at the start. I take the blame for that, remember? I told you to stay close to Fantail at the start because Linda is a "gun". What happened? Linda and Bryan made a lousy start too! But the problem is, Zane, Gypsy Rose was even further ahead at the finish! Go figure. Nothing wrong with the way you were sailing - bad choice of deck-hand, maybe - or Dave W must have have a secret weapon!)

Nothing to apologize for Graeme.  I've heard you and Marcus talk about this before with my sheeting system, but unless I see a picture of something like your sketch,  to go along with the talk, then I have no idea what you or anyone else is on about.  BUT.....now that I see your sketch and your simple explanation, I now I know what you mean. and the proverbial bulb has gone off in the brain!

There must be a point to the current sheeting system I have.  What that point is, I have no idea because, well, I have no idea.  I don't know if it is the right way or best way or not.  Just going to have to experiment.
I am going to replace the rope clutches with ones that accept larger diameter line, because frankly the friction in my whole rig right from raising the panels up, to it not fully reefing unless I pull down with force on the sail fabric and battens for the last two or three panels, is a giant pain the proverbial. The whole idea of the junk rig is supposed to be easy reefing, but here is me having to balance on the cabin top and pull down on the last two or three panels / battens, just to fully reef the sail.

(I don't know what happened to my main-sheet and halyard line, but it seems to have swelled in diameter as it wasn't like that when she was first rigged.  I swear it was 10mm line which should comfortably slide those massive rope clutches - but now doesn't).  In fact, when my boat was first rigged, I didn't notice much friction at all in anything- now the whole rig has rigor mortis. 
Paul has kindly offered to come for a look at my rig once he has finished up sorting LCB, so I am sure he will have a few positive ideas to make my rig smoother, safer, and more enjoyable to sail -- because, yes, once the sail is set, Paul's sail pulls Pango along like a train as evidenced in the Tall Ships Race.  In fact, one of the fixes is already on the cusp, because as intimated earlier, I am going to swap out the current rope clutches with ones that can take a larger diameter line.

Question Graeme:  On your sketch, could I not do away with B and C, but keep D (the rope clutch) ? I.e go straight from A -> D ?  Or is that angle to acute?  The issue with doing away with D as well means that I would have to move the the line box that stores unused sheet? Or not?  

GK said:  " The upshot of all that is so much friction that even in that nice breeze, it was necessary to get up and feed the sheet out by hand every time it needed to be eased. I could do without that kind of jewelry – are you listening Zane? Why not just take the sheet from its last block directly to a convenient place somewhere at the back and do without that span all the way to the mast and back? And sell the chrome-plated thingy and pocket a couple of hundred dollars as a bonus. Just stirring here"

Zane says:  Could you draw a sketch of what you mean and post it on this thread?  That way I will more easily understand the nuances of what you getting at.

GK said:  "Well, Zane - you didn't leave little Gypsy Rose in your wake though, heh heh :)"

Zane says: True, but they did (as did all the other junks) get a massive head start on us at the start of the race as neither me nor you had been in a "race" before, couldn't work out where the start line was, what the course was, and didn't want to get mixed up in the thick of the big boats jousting around...so we stupidly hung back like a couple dopey amateurs...which we are LOL.  Otherwise I am confident I could have smoked Marcus and David too!  

Nice work Zane, looks a fun event, especially the tent afterwards!

Contessa 26 is a great hull.  Have you experimented if less sail and less heel would help to windward?  In fresher airs the cambered sail seems to makes a lot of drag.

Nice to see Zebedee going well there.  I'll take any Badger footage I can get!

Fair winds and stay safe.