Mainsail outhaul - options???

[delmarrey]

I recently purchased a new Z Spar boom (Z480). The head and end castings both have 4 sets of sheeves for whatever. I also have a new loosefooted mainsail on order.

The "question" is; Has anyone run their outhauls down to the deck, thru oranizers and back to the cockpit???

I figure with a loosefooted main I'll want the option of easing off or hauling in at will from the cockpit.

Two of the sheeves are dedicated to the mainsail reefs which already run to the cockpit.

My old SparCraft boom has two sets of purchase blocks inside the boom for the outhauls.

It doesn't look that hard! I already have a couple blocks for the reefs under the gooseneck on deck. And there's room for adding a couple more.

In this pic the reefing system has not been completely installed yet but you can see the configuration. The reef lines now go over towards the organizers, thru base cheek blocks and back to a cam-cleat back by the halyard winches.

What say you??????

[PBzeer]

The outhaul on my former Hunter 26 was run back to the cockpit, so certainly, it's doable. It does look pretty busy in the picture, for lines coming back to the cockpit.

[Alan Wheeler]

Mine isn't yet, but will be eventually. I want to be able to control as much as I can from the "Storm Room" Pilot house so as going onto the foredeck is kept to a minimum. I have seen it on a few large cruisers where the boat is being single handed or couple teams.

[Jon D]

Yes

All my mainsail sail controls are led aft. Outhaul, vang, two reefs. We have 10 rope clutches in the cockpit total for the lines above plus, main halyard, spin halyard, spin downhaul, topping lift, and the luff downhauls for the reefs. To reduce friction all are run through Harken ball bearing blocks. Friction is the big killer here as it can add lots of effort to making all these adjustments.

[delmarrey]

Thanks guys! It sounds like a plan. Yeah! I agree all sheeve should be bearinged but unfortunely the ones in the boom are not available. But all the deck blocks are.

I'm sure I can squeese another line aft on the cabin deck.

??? Are you still using purchase blocks in the boom or are you using the winch for the out haul?
.................................................. ........_/)

[Weyalan]

If you can run your outhaul back to the cockpit, it will be a big advantage. It is best if you run at least double purchase inside the boom (i.e boom end to goseneck end, back to boom end, back to goose neck end, then down the mast and back to the cockpit.

Outhaul is something that I "tweak" quite a lot, depending on breeze strength and direction.

[SG]

The usual use of the four aft sheeves on the end of the boom:
Outhaul, Flatening Reef, and Two Reefs.

or instead of a flatening reef, a third reef.

Oh, and we have an outhaul, and two reefs on our J/160 coming back to the cockpit. (Plus the cunningham, dutchman, main halyard, and reef tacks.)

[skipperaris]

My yacht Gib'Sea 422 has a roller furling mainsail and the outhaul is very much in use both for unfurling / reefing the sail and for trim. With lighter winds you need to slacken a bit to give a good camber and with stronger winds you need to flatten the sail.

This line starts at the car on the boom, runs round a pulley at the clew of the mailsail then on to a pulley on the car, then to the aft end of the boom to the sheeve with a needle bearing, through the boom to its forward end where it goes over another sheeve and down to the deck where it goes to a pulley from which it is led to a blocker at the cockpit next to the winch used if you need to exert extra force.

I hope this description is enough but I could take a picture or two if you want me to explain better.

Anyway, I don't see why you could not do this with your rig. Just be careful when running the line through the boom not to cross it with another line in there.

[Talbot]

With a loose footed main due to behind mast reefing, I find I am tweeking both outhaul and kicker (or vang) to achieve the desired shape. make sure you have the line from the kicker led back and on the same side of the coachroof as the outhaul.

[Jeff H]

Running the outhaul and flattening reef back to the cockpit is the only way to go on a boat like Trix. Its also nice to be able to run the first and second reef aft as well. I typically try to use an internal 3:1 purchase on the outhaul (a single block inside the boom near the gooseneck and a low stretch wire or high tech line penant to a single block with a becket aft) which allow the outhaul pennant to be replaced without disassembling the entire boom.

Jeff