My Prindle 19 stock mainsheet is a 7/16 dia, however I replaced it for a 3/8 and gloves and everything was fine over the summer while we had light winds. The last two times I've been out in 10 to 15 knts it is very tiring and I am considering returning to the old line. However, after doing some research in this forum the carbo ratchamatic block appears to be a solution. Will they help if I continue to use the 3/8 dia line?. Any help is really appreciated.....Going to the gym and attaching a line to the rowing machine is not a solution.

I don't normally feel a big difference bewteen 3/8 and 7/16 line. Also I don't understand about tired and line size, the difference for me is my hands get sore.

I went to a ratchamatic block last year so I will comment on it. The big difference over older blocks is reduced friction. With the right size line, it feels lighter and more direct. When you screw up and twist the line or something it's just as bad as any other.

As a first step check your system. Your enemy is friction. Does the line go the right way through the rachet? Wash the mainsheet and the blocks in freshwater and dish washing liquid. Squirt some dish washing liquid on the bearings. Now look at the mainsheet and try to eleimenate as much friction as you can. When you sheet in hard is the mainsheet touching it's self and rubbing where it goes through the blocks? If it is try to reroute it.

Did this help?

7/16" is really huge for a P19. Most of the people I know (including myself) are using 5/16" line with a fairly smooth cover (read: Dyneema Racing 2). In the last race I sailed in though, I used 7mm Robline Racing Sheet (similar to Maffioli, but much better) with 3/16" Spectra spliced to it where it runs through the blocks. It worked perfectly, and I was very satisfied with how the friction was reduced. The smaller line didn't hurt because it was a very "grippy" line. Check out Robline Racing Sheet.

Thanks Carl, yes they do get tired and sore. I have checked the friction because like you mentioned, if the lines not threaded right it tends to rub against the blocks. This is not the case and I do all the PM items you mentioned such as the soaking of the blocks/line in warm soapy water and others such as liberal use of McLube spray.

Does the ratchamatic give you better holding power or is it just that the line runs faster through them?.

Thanks Trey. I am using 3/8 Yalelight which has a 'fuzzy' cover and believe me it doesnt seem huge. I also sail with another P19 rigged with the standard 7/16 line and that one is easily handled without gloves. Maybe I am using too much mainsheet when I should be playing the downhaul, but these peeves only happen when sailing solo. If I can use both hands and feet I dont really notice it.

Better holding power than no ratchet at all. Plus, I read that you can adjust the release presure point. I like mine a lot.

Sam

I prefer a rachet that can be turned on and off to the conditions.
I use a cam cleat as I don't have a habit of sleeping while skipping and I have a set of sheet at home tied to a hook in wall and I exercise off that to create a little callous. It is often office hands and not rope that needs to be changed.

The Ratchamatic has the same holding power as a switchable ratchet, it's advantage is less friction on the release (because the ratchet turns off as soon as the tension is released). If you feel the pull is too hard when the boat's fully powered up, consider adding purchase. The price you pay for the greater ease of holding the mainsheet (beyond the dollars), is that more line needs to be hauled in to sheet in the main. And more line to run thru more blks on the release. This is where the smaller diameter lines (and particularly the splice to even smaller diameters for the part that just runs in the blks) becomes beneficial. These smaller diameters run very easily thru multiple blks, which is important for fast releases.
And although I'm sure that personal preferences and skill levels dictate whether a skipper chooses to cleat the main or not, if I feel that it's blowing hard enough to flip the boat, I'm uncleated. And having enough purchase to hold the mainsheet comfortably is very important. I have 5/16", tapered to 3/16" on both the SC20 and Flight Risk.

Dave

Interesting discussion, especially for someone with large hands such as myself. I'll be curious to see if I end up needing some kind of glove to sail these things comfortably.

I also sail a P-19 with the stock pinhead sails and the first thing I did was to replace the 7/16 mainsheet when I got it. I am running 5/16 dacron spun braid on a classic harken 7:1 switchable mainsheet system(original equipment). I normally only go out when its blowing over 15mph and always keep the rachet on and the cleat positioned so I can release the sheet easily. You may have to put a spacer under the cleat to get it right. My 7/16 sheet is now connected to my universal gymn and is part of my workout. Someday I'll upgrade to an 8:1 carbo system.

I have not found any extra holding power in the standard ratchamatic, just less friction. I have found a way to double the holding power but I don't know if you can use it.

The Marstrom A-Class has an additional mainsheet block on the end of the boom attached to the outhaul. I am using ratchamatic single for that block. It makes a difference.

For your boat- one of the problems with having the ratchet just behind the cleat is the wrap angle is not that good. If you put the ratchamatic on the boom (part of your triple or quad) you would have 180 degree of wrap and better holding. If you keep your old base, you could turn the rachet off and on as needed. You can ask Harken or test it. I would test it using 2 bases for blocks and turn the clickers off and on the see what the effect is. AND I would rig this on shore because the potential for screw-ups is huge.

FYI I use an 8 or 9:1 and gloves on a A-Class

gloves are interesting. Everyone else I know uses them but I cannot. My hands are used to working the rope and when I wear gloves my hands tire out in five minutes. Don't know why, don't care, money saved and one more thing not to forget.

Consider using the ronstan series 60 ratchet block. These used to be frederiksen blocks. They deffinitely have higher holding power, but chew up the line more.
They are not autoratchets though. I switched my iceboat to these and love them.

Eric Anderson

Thanks for all the help. I was thinking of just using the lower part of the carbo block, it has the added benefit of having a low profile over the existing setup with a triple block over the ratchet. But the location of the ratchet just behind the cleat does decrease the holding power. Has anyone noticed any difference in using the ratchamatic in either position?

I've been sailing my P19 for 11 years with the standard 7/16" line. I've replaced it once. When the line is new it really flies out when released. I'm not sure if many other sailors do this but I keep one wrap of the mainsheet around my hand and keep my arm close to my body. This way I can release one arm length quickly. I've rarely had to dump the sheet completely because I have the squaretop main that twists off and my crew cranks on the downhaul in gusts. My main problem with the setup of the P19 is the traveller. It doesn't haul in or out easily. I've sailed other cats with Harken travellers that worked great. My traveller has 5/16" line. Does anyone have an idea that would make it easier for me to handle the traveller from the wire? When it's blowing 18 or more I usually come in off the wire on a reach so I have more control to dump the traveller to stay upright. Thanks, Greg

Greg, I assume you have the latest traveller for the P19 with the steel rollers. This made a big difference for me. I also cleaned up my track with crocus cloth and re-riveted the pivot cleat base which was loose on my boat. I try to use my legs when tightening both the mainsheet and the traveller sheet when trapping. Jack

The traveler car with steel wheels is no longer manufatured and the available one has black fixed plastic wheels. I just spent $70 on one hoping to solve the issue addressed by Greg. Theres no way that car can be moved by the skipper from the wire. In addition it doesnt clear the inside bolt. Just thinking about it gave me the courage to complain to the Sailing Pro Shop tomorrow.

Are there any pictures of the P19 traveller around? Might this be the same traveller used on old (70-80s) Tornados, named X-car at the time?

Here's a photo of the traveller. I think the main problem is that the line doesn't go thru a sheave that has ball bearings. The line runs thru two stainless steel cylinders that turn around stainless steel posts. This provides a lot more friction than ball bearings. In addition, the track on the rear beam that the car rides on is prone to get small nicks that further impede movement.

Thanks for the photo Greg.

This looks identical to the system used on those old Tornados with IYE beams. A smaller line and some larger "wheels" (if you can fit them) would probably help. Our Marstrøm Tornado dont have ball bearings where the traveller line passes trough either, and we never missed them. However, the car itself is a poor design. We had a traveller like that on our first Tornado, and it was a pain in the a.. A good kick to get it started when we wanted to travel out was often needed if it was loaded up.
Even if you could replace the 'wheels' running on the track with needle bearings, I dont think it would work well.

If anybody have tips on how to make it work better, I would also be interested. I have a beam and car lying in storage which I could put to use and save some money.