Larry Brand
Providence, Rhode Island
Boat Name: Prost!
Model/Year: C22/1987
Hull No.
Hailing Port: Providence |
 06/10/2004 6:12 PM Pacific Time
Hi.
How can I keep the main sheet from twisting between the boom and the traveler? I usually get 3 half twists as before it stops. |
Michael Smalter
Webster, NY
Boat Name: Marrakesh
Model/Year: 1986
Hull No. 13645
Hailing Port: Rochester, NY |
06/10/2004 7:59 PM Pacific Time
The top of the pulley attached to the boom should have a swivel. If you keep tension on the sheet, the most you should get is 1/2 twist. |
Larry Brand
Providence, Rhode Island
Boat Name: Prost!
Model/Year: C22/1987
Hull No.
Hailing Port: Providence |
06/11/2004 6:29 PM Pacific Time
That is what I expected but I seem to get the 3 half twists frequently -- this past weekend constantly. |
Al Gearing
Burleson, Texas
Boat Name: Torch of Freedom
Model/Year: C-22 '76
Hull No. 6448
Hailing Port: Arlington YC |
06/12/2004 6:40 AM Pacific Time
You might try un-reeving the rope from the blocks and laying it out on grass or pulling it up the mast from the middle, or best behind a boat moving in the water to let any twist in the rope relieve itself. Twist can get into a rope if it has been pulled out of coil without untwisting it as it was taken out. Then carefully re-reeve the blocks wthout recoiling it. The other thing that can cause twist is over stretching, and causeing it to yield, you find this in the coiled telephone cords that have been pulled out too far. Braided rope doesn't do that, only laid rope.
Al Ge |
Lowell Richardson, Owner, Catalina Direct
Sacramento CA
Boat Name: Steamboat Willie
Model/Year: 1984
Hull No.
Hailing Port: Folsom Lake |
06/14/2004 10:56 PM Pacific Time
If your mainsheet is new, the problem might indeed be due to the way it was removed from the spool. New line must be reeled off of the spool as the spool rotates. If the line is taken off of the end of a reel that is sitting on the floor for example, each wrap removed is one twist in the line.
A more likely cause is the habit many have of stowing line by wrapping it around ones arm from hand to elbow and back again to create a tidy ”hank” of line. Once again, each wrap around your arm is one twist in the line. Stow the line the same way each time you go sailing and soon the line has many twists in it.
Better to let the first coil of line dangle from your hand, then lay loop after loop into your grip as the coil grows. After a couple of loops you will notice the line begins to hang in a “figure 8”. This is the line twisting 1/2 turn, then untwisting a 1/2 turn within each loop. When you are finished, you can shake out the coils without any twists having been added to the line.
To remove the extra twists in your line that are causing your entire mainsheet assembly to twist, use an old racing trick. On a downwind leg, when preparing to douse the spinnaker on approaching the leeward mark, racers throw the tail of the spinnaker halyard in the water. The flow of the water applies a gentle tug without preventing the ling from rotating. The line will rotate until it reaches a neutral state without twists.
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Larry Brand
Providence, Rhode Island
Boat Name: Prost!
Model/Year: C22/1987
Hull No.
Hailing Port: Providence |
08/07/2004 5:18 PM Pacific Time
Sorry to take so long to get back to everone with results -- tossing the tail end of the main sheet into the water to allow it to untwist to the trick!
Thanks for the input. |
