G'day I was out again in around 20knotts and find it really hard to get the main in all the way thus affecting my pointing. It was suggested to me to quickly point up take the pressure off then pull main on. I noticed quite a few A's at the worlds had quad blocks, would that be a better option? Im currently running 7mm sheet, 40mm tripples with beckett and 50mm ratchet block. I had my outhaul out, about 20 degree rotation and enough downhaul to keep me down except for gusts. Any tips would be appreciated.
regards

spinnach lots of it !!!!!!
7 to 1 does it for me with 16m2 now and 18.5m2 in past , if your a chicken wimp and can't get last bit in , bend legs wrap sheet around hand with arm at full extension ,then straighten legs /back and that should get you the all important last few inches , if that don't do it you hadn't got enough in in the first stage , if you can't manage that its off to the gym for you !

when you eventually find your full in ideal sheet position , mark it so you can repeat it , you would also be suprised in the difference you pull with each arm.

good luck , it makes all the difference ,

when you get strong they used to say you can't oversheet a cat main , i can a mark is important here too !

10:1 with a tapered mainsheet, solves all your problems

I wonder if more mast rotation may allow the mast to bend with less effort when sheeting the main. Isn't that where the bulk of the resistance is?

GARY

decent tapered sheet and a quad block might help

Thanks for your input guys the trouble with extra rotation is that its making the sail even fuller making it harder to pull on.
Codblow as an 100kg ex front row rugby union forward who still plays squash up to 4 times a week, with a really physically demanding job, pushing up to 5000 ewes a day in and out of a box then scanning them all with my right arm I think theres something wrong with my technique. I have no trouble pulling the traveller accross its getting the main in.
I reckon it might have to be quads for heavy days
regards

make sure that you are really low on the trapeze so that you are pulling 'through' the boat and not lifting yourself into it.

Paul

Yup big muscles built up from pushing aint going to be much ewes <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> for pulling in the mainsheet

or perhaps yur muscle bound ,

Practice pulling and I don't mean Sheilas <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

reckon it must be a technique thing as with your horse power you should be able to pull the sail to bits !!!!

what are you doing - using - sailing ?

I'm using harken 7 to 1 on 16m2 was origionall 6 to 1 with a tappered sheet , but went to 7 to 1 when i put 7mm swiftcord on - dogs bollocks , but needed extra purchase as it goes through blocks so easy .

I'm not small as you may have guessed ,115kgs and as fit as a hairdressers assistant <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

A few tips-

- Make sure your main sheet is reeved properly so that it runs through the blocks smoothly. If it crosses it will cause significant friction and will be difficult to pull in all the way.

- Add more purchase to the system.

- Make sure the rachet is turned on.

- Have the cleat set up so that it is easy to cleat while pulling in. That way when you go for another handfull, all the work you did on the previous pull isn't wasted by the line running out.

- Increased downhaul tension makes it easier to pull in the main sheet (and vice versa).

sm

GIVE IT TO THE FRONT MONKEY!

Works for me.



Oh, hang on, I don't have one of those !




I would advise against cleating the mainsheet up wind.

Thanks guys believe it or not I'm having this problem on my A class. Which I only take out in weather too heavy for my daughter to crew my Stingray, which has heaps more sail than the A.
I'm using Harken 7 to one, with 7mm rigged properly no friction , ratchet on, cleat between pulls, pull with both my legs and arms but the traveller would rather come to me than the main come in that last 3 inches. I use minimum downhaul as I cant get my head around depowering the rig to get the main in more. Would it be faster to use more downhaul to get the main in ?
regards

i see your problem .

Your traveller is out ! , I would too have same prob if I had traveller out , it is like water and electrical flow , energy will work on easiest option , so your energy pulls the traveller up (i assume you have an efficient ball bearing harken or similar ) rather than sheet in when you get to a certain stage . pull traveller up into centre , where it should be going up wind, use your downhaul first to depower before travellin out , you will be able to pull main in as hard as you like with traveller centered . if you need to travel out a bit do it after you get the sheet in ,

didn't think a big lad like you would be having probs with a pull .

you could also fill the traveller with treacle and sand which would tend to stop it moving ! before sheet comes in <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Thanks Codblow I didn't explain myself very well, I havn't got a split tail on the traveller so its out a fraction and that fraction comes towards me but the main doesn't come in. The weather forcast for this Saturday is another 20knot day so I'm going to try the temporary point up to sheet in also more downhaul if neither of them are any good I'll go quads.
regards