I would have thought it would let you tack without handing the sheet backwards and fwds between the crew and skipper.
Yes it does. However I trim the main 75% of the time with the crew only taking it when the dh is maxed out. For me, the main running from the rear beam works fine and I see no advantage to change
I have found the problem with rear sheeting on a one sail, one man boat that when you are sheeting hard while on the wind the effort pulls your weight back on the boat. Exactly what you do not want. Now, if you have a cleat this might be lessened but CA seems to prefer no cleat so maybe he just wants his weight balanced when pumping the sheet. woosy booms used for rear sheeting must be strengthened for mid sheeting or it's goodnight nurse.
I don't think you can use a block with cleat on the tramp. The cleating angle changes as the traveller is eased making it difficult to cleat and release. I tried a swivel cleat with alum disc under the tramp for my spanner and it was a big fizzer for that reason.
My crew handles in the mainsheet as soon as we have one on the wire. But we still hand the sheet over when tacking. I think this to be the better method no matter how the sheet is run. During the tack the crew often does some smaller trimming/tuning or tries to get to the trapeze quickly. Either way he or she is not helped in those activities by having to also handle the mainsheet. On my boat I find I need to improve my tacking by careful sheeting. This will require to much close coordination if the crew was doing that for the skipper. So personally, I fully expect to keep handing over the sheet before and after tacks not matter what sheet setup.
Wouter
Wouter Hijink Formula 16 NED 243 (one-off; homebuild) The Netherlands
That is typical of the A-cats. They have only have one sail to trim and sheet and so can get away with a cleatless mainsheet. It actually forces them to not fall away in a set and forget attitude which is slow on an A-cat. Especially on downwinds.
Other designs however have a strong need for a mainsheet cleat especially the single handed spinnaker boats.
Personally I lean forward a little against the pull of the rear sheeted mainsheet and that feels alright to me. When doublehanding I'm using higher sheet loads and really in that setup I can't hold the sheet for long periods unless I use both hands or the cleat. I'm not sure about the next statement but could it be that doublehanded sheet loads are significantly higher ? It sure feels that way to me.
Wouter
Wouter Hijink Formula 16 NED 243 (one-off; homebuild) The Netherlands
I don't think you can use a block with cleat on the tramp. The cleating angle changes as the traveller is eased making it difficult to cleat and release. I tried a swivel cleat with alum disc under the tramp for my spanner and it was a big fizzer for that reason.
I've seen it done successfully mounted on the tramp with a cut-in-half tennis ball with the cleat attached through the middle. Ball pads the cleat and holds it upright as it swivels back and forth.
Eric Poulsen A-class USA 203 Ultimate 20 Central California
Personally I find a cleat invaliable for careful trim of other controls with a limited use attitude.... but I am not winning a lot of regattas. : ) When I am in heavy weather and pumpng the main (I do not like to use the traveller up wind) I can only pull in as hard as I can..doesn't matter what the loads are.
One of my favourite boom sheeting arrangements is on the Windrush 14. The mains blocks exit up to a rachet on the boom only 18 inches from the rear attachment point. The business end of the main is always hanging waiting if you have lost it and it is easy to get around and sheet never dogknots. I believe Ronstan now make a swivelling cleat for exactly this style.
Having said these things I am very clear that different trim set ups work for different people and that less fidgeting makes for more speed.
The only time I have cleated the Main and played the traveller was on a long windy wavevy reach. So windy that the traveller stayed alot closer to the leeward hull than centre of the beam and only about 15% of the Main was in use. I was struggling and scared but managed to keep infront of an Inter 20 for the 2km duration. However, on the next bear away at the Windward mark the bows went down the mine and I was soon doing my impression of Superman flying past the hounds, by the time I surfaced the boat had drifted away from me so I ended up swimming back to the Windward mark. In the meantime the rescue boat was frantically carrying out a search for me 200m or so down the run.(Funny how you remember certain races)
MP*MULTIHULLS
Re: Mid boom sheeting, interesting photo
[Re: Mark P]
#81967 08/11/0602:40 AM08/11/0602:40 AM
I remember a time ocean sailing on a delivery when we had problems with the rudder which seemed to have lost much of it's ability to steer and I used the traveller to assist with steering. We had a reef in with plenty of breeze and it worked well for a few hours till we put into a port. Turned out we had lost part of the rudder blade after hitting something.(Funny how you remember certain voyages).
I typically use the maintraveller under spinnaker sailing. I simultaniously sheet out when I try to bear down and visa versa. On my boat this really helps the boat down quickly under spinnaker without much heeling or loss of speed. Typically I do this is gusty and shifty winds of some strength.
Wouter
Wouter Hijink Formula 16 NED 243 (one-off; homebuild) The Netherlands
Skipper, or set it and concentrate on driving the boat.
AHA!! This is starting to make sense. Newbies to the H20, we're being told to use the downhaul in puffs. I can't break my "habit" of driving a boat through the puffs. I also don't feel comfortable with leaving it entirely up to the crew to bring the hull back down, via downhaul, consequently we'll have moments of simealtaneous adjustments (tiller & downhaul) resulting in tea bagging. I think I can easily incorporate working the downhaul and driving.
My apologies (we're aspiring F16 sailors), sorry for offering nothing to the mid-boom conversation and thanks again.
And here is the Mozzie centre sheeting in action at the Brass Monkey Regatta (you can wonder why the regatta has this name - it is winter but...). The best thing about sheeting this way is you never have to look for the sheet on the tramp. It's always hanging in front of you.