Mainsheet!

[Martin Searle]

At the weekend, just after the 5 minute gun, I found out why I put a little knot in the mainsheet between the terminal point on the top block and the bottom block (the knot was right next to the top block). The rope pulled out of the terminal point as soon as a big gust hit it, bang! and zip before I knew it the knot was wedged into the first pulley on the bottom block. Unfortunately my knot was slightly too small and bang again! it pulled through the pulley and got stuck again at the top block. By this time I had set course for the beach! Bang! again the knot pulled through leaving me with just two pulleys left, forutnately the beach arrived before I lost the last pulley. Joined in the race after borrowing a new mainsheet from the club boat and was only 5 minutes late starting. This was the first race I sailed with my mainsheet this season.

Now the background to this was that duirng the winter I changed my mainsheet to a piece of 8mm rope I won in a raffle (oh dear!) but the new mainsheet didn't have a wider section at one end to feed into the terminal and I didn't create one! but I did think it looked not pinched quite enough (although there was some pinching going on) so I put the thumb knot in for added security.

Not sure what the moral is of that story but I'd thought I'd share

PPS I now have a nice new mainsheet and have just strung it, I put a bigger knot in just in case!

[Steven Tunnacliffe]

Hi Martin

Im glad the stopper thumb knot worked I use the same theory though I havnt had to test it out yet, both my own and Bens boat have 8mm mainsheets and we have sailed in some seriously strong winds. I replaced both the mainsheets on both boats within a year of purchacing the 2 boats (1343) Bens boat used to be mine before (1959) my present boat.

To solve the mainsheet pulling out of the top block you have to do a whipping on the first inch or so of the mainsheet, use a good quality soft synthetic slightly stretchy thread just less than a 1mm thick I use Fly fishing backing line But I still put the stop knot in too.
I did Bens in 2005 and mine in the winter of 2008 and no movement since then, the advantage of having an 8mm mainsheet is that in lighter winds the sail will more easily fill and set when on a new course for example going from a reach on to a run you dont get into the situation of having to almost force the mainsheet through the blocks which upsets the boats balance.

The disadvantage of having an 8mm mainsheet is that in strong winds you have to have a vice like grip which can result in hand cramps, not a good look when roaming round the boat compound trying to take off your gloves and tiedown the boat to the Island

Hope this helps and to see you again soon