that might be part of the issue, if you only have one ratchet you want it to be on the hulls. Early F18s only had the one turning block (a ratchet on the hull) but because the rope only turned 60-80 degrees through the ratchet and as such didn't help much. The fwd block is to make the sheet wrap right around the block and maximise the grip. If you have the ratchet on the front beam it has the same potential issue so swap them over and all your issues might be solved.