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Continuous downhaul

Posted By: wildtsail

Continuous downhaul - 11/03/10 03:57 AM

How is your downhaul setup?

Looking for ideas on continuous set ups... what's in your beam?

Diagrams appreciated.
Posted By: C2 Mike

Re: Continuous downhaul - 11/03/10 08:55 AM

I run the downhaul and jib sheet as a continuous system all in 1. The advantage is the crew have both controls always in hand. The disadvantage is the jib sheet is a tad lighter than optimal however my crew is as strong as an ox so it doesn't matter in the end.

Tiger Mike
Posted By: Brett Goodall

Re: Continuous downhaul - 11/03/10 11:30 AM

check the C2 owner manual... you'll see all the diagrams towards the end... should explain all you need.

www.ahpc.com.au

I also like to have it attached to the crews trapeze for easy access
Posted By: maritimesailor

Re: Continuous downhaul - 11/03/10 02:02 PM

See the manual above, or send Chris an email about it, he set ours up. Basically:

in from port side over through fixed block on stb side
back to port side, through a moving block, then out the stb side
the moving block is attached to a bungie, the bungie runs through port side fixed block and dead ends on stb (I think, might run back... can't remember).

We also ran ours out to the crew's trap set, ensured I can reach it, as well as skipper when needed.

Nice thing about continuos, if the crew forgets to cleat the leeward side, the can actually pull all the slack out of the beam and cleat it.

If that makes no sense, I can try and draw a picture.
Posted By: wildtsail

Re: Continuous downhaul - 11/03/10 04:00 PM

Can't get on the AHPC site at the moment... i'll try again later.

We tried running ours to our crews trap but had problems when double trap reaching way back during Tybee.

Pat... how does yours attach one end of the jib sheet to the other? That's my biggest dilemma. It sounds like your running a system similar to what Mike and Tripp are.... Tripp sent me this diagram last nite...


Attached picture continuous downhaul-1.jpg
Posted By: Dlennard

Re: Continuous downhaul - 11/03/10 04:44 PM

Ours is like the drawing but we have a separate line running through the downhaul blocks. The line running through the blocks is a little smaller than the line running through the beam and we tie each end together with a sister clip or small plate with 2 holes (pull line through hole and tie knot). If you forget to cleat one side you can just pull until the plate and knot stop at the cleat and it is also easy to unrig by leaving the line in the beam and the other line on the mast. You will have to recenter the line after doing some buoy racing.
Posted By: ksurfer2

Re: Continuous downhaul - 11/03/10 04:59 PM

Dave's system is great. I have his old infusion and the system is easy to rig and de-rig and works great. The only problem comes when you want to replace the bungee in the beam, and one end slips out of your hand into the beam. The next 6 hours are then spent trying to figure out just how the *&$%^ it all went together! Dave is an evil genious!
Posted By: wildtsail

Re: Continuous downhaul - 11/03/10 05:07 PM

Dave... the sister clip never gets to the point that it interferes with the block on your trapeze? Is there enough range in the 4' from the mast to the end of the beam to get all the downhaul you want on?
Posted By: ksurfer2

Re: Continuous downhaul - 11/03/10 08:00 PM

It has not been a problem for us. Check it out when your down here next month.
Posted By: ksurfer2

Re: Continuous downhaul - 11/03/10 08:06 PM

Todd - Check your g-mail account. I sent you a pic.
Posted By: wildtsail

Re: Continuous downhaul - 11/04/10 04:13 AM

Thanks guys.... man I wish we had a neat downhaul like the AHPC boats... Tripp thought about it but gave up when he realized there wasn't enough room on the backside of our beam to do it.
Karl... i've seen Mike & Dave's too... thanks for the pictures... they helped convince me its the way to go..... i'll probably have it sorted out before I get down there smile
Posted By: Dan_Delave

Re: Continuous downhaul - 11/04/10 03:48 PM

Dave:

I am trying to picture how you keep the lines on the boat and the mast for derigging. I have to take my downhaul line out of the beam to take the mast down and would like to avoid that if I could. Right now I have to remember to run a tracer line for the next time. Maybe you could show an illustration of your setup?

Dan
Posted By: wildtsail

Re: Continuous downhaul - 11/04/10 03:57 PM

Dave... any chance you know the length of the part in the beam?
Posted By: maritimesailor

Re: Continuous downhaul - 11/04/10 05:05 PM

Todd, we did some fancy splicing (okay Chris did in Racine, okay, JC did it, okay, some rum helped it as well).

basically the splicing was:
- exposed the core on both ends, tucked the cover into them appropriately, aprox 8 inches on each end of exposed core).
- splice into the core a smaller dynema (like) line on each end by simply sliding it up the center of the exposed core of the actual downhaul on each end (chinees finger trap, aprox 4 inches each end). Did a bunch (read: twooooo many) locking stitches on each side. Easy to undo if needed (just cut the lock stitches on one side). You end up with about 4 inches of the smaller stuff exposed in the middle (12 inches total).

very very obvious there are other / better ways to do it, see first sentence for reasoning behing this particular scheme.... one word R A C I N E

Will show you at tradewinds if you don't have it by then. A lot of the C2s have it this way (Tony has our old boat, I know Robbie's is similar, JC's is the same).

(as I clearly don't have the boat in front of me, take all of the above with a huge grain of salt)

I should also note that on the Cap / C2 you don't have to undo the downhaul to take the mast down, it simply unshackles from the base of the mast, this may not be the case on other boats.
Posted By: Dlennard

Re: Continuous downhaul - 11/05/10 12:22 PM

Todd, Dan

I use the same system as the drawing above except I use 2 lines and run mine out to the trap by using little rings tied to the trap lines. The beam line is 20'-6" and the smaller line running through the blocks is 15'-7" (you may need to trim some). I tie them together using a plate with 2 holes or 1 piece of a sister clip just put each line through one of the holes and tie a knot( 1 on each side of the mast). I have never had this come lose and it is pretty clean looking. You will have to recenter the system after buoy racing. The system is 16:1 and we use spin locks on the mast. My wife likes it and it is easy to use with one hand while trimming the main with the other. I don't have any photos but will take some next time the boat is set up.
Posted By: wildtsail

Re: Continuous downhaul - 11/05/10 08:27 PM

Pat.... like I said... the Cap downhaul is sweet.... but can't work on an infusion.

Thanks Dave.... I have seen your system both on yours and Karls boat... very slick... I am going to do something just like it, or similar. The lengths help A LOT though.

I wanted to go to spin locks but the cost of them is really what kept me from doing it.
We went to 4mm FSE Dinghy Control... Tripp laughed at us, said it was too thin, then when we showed him how smooth it ran and how easily it uncleated he decided to try it. Neither of us have ever had a problem uncleating it no matter how much downhaul is on, given it's not as easy as a spinlock, but it's pretty easy and very reliable. I've sworn off spinlocks since having them give on us on spinnaker applications.
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