Mainsheet rigging

[Joe Cam]

Hi,
I just joined the group as I have a Daysailer II that's been in my family for @ 31 years. I've sailed it on and off in the past, but have never had it rigged properly. I'll be restoring it this summer/ fall/ forever so I'll likely have loads of questions.

My first question is with the main sheet. I downloaded the 5 page manual and the mainsheet intructions are a bit vague to me. I have the 2 pulley block with a clamcleat at the aft end of the centerboard trunk and a single block on the boom. The instructions in the manual seem easy enough except, where do I secure the end of the sheet? I know the other end will come out of the clamcleat to make sheet adjustments, but I'm confused as to where to secure the other end????????

Thanks,

Joe

[albanysailer]

Joe,

On my DS II there is a shackle on the end of the boom where I first attach the sheet using a bowline. I then run the sheet through the port stern block, across the transom through a metal loop (to keep it below the tiller), up through the starboard stern block, up through the block at the end of the boom (next to the shackle where it all started), then through the block towards the center of the boom, down to the block and camcleat on the CB trunk.

Hope this makes sense...

-Bill

[Joe Cam]

Thanks, Bill.

I'm pretty sure my mainsheet does not run along the stern. My boat is a '74 and they have a block at the aft end of the centerboard trunk. There has never been any blocks on the stern. Of course, I've never researched how to properly rig it till now, so maybe I'm missing parts!

[albanysailer]

Joe,

If you look in the gallery on this site you will see several pictures of the boat rigged.

Looks like if you don't do it the way I do, you can run the sheet from the CB trunk to the block in the middle of the boom and back down. Probably be better if you used a 4:1 system or such.

-Bill

[K.C. Walker]

Joe,

I've got a'74 that has the same set up. The block that attaches to the bottom of the boom should have a place to attach the sheet rope below the pulley. You start there and go down to the top pulley of the centerboard block. From there you go back up to the boom and over the pulley then back down to the bottom pulley of the centerboard block and out to the cleat.

KC

[Joe Cam]

Thanks KC. That's pretty much what I figured out. But it's nice to have it reinforced.

[redtailseven]

My boat has the system with the mainsheet at the stern. I have looked at both sytems in the O'day manuals and I would like to know what the advantages of each are. I would think that the center boom sytem would use less line and have less line in the cockpit to manage.
I would like to know what the mainsheet lengths are for the two sytems, I have to replace my mainsheet this year.

[K.C. Walker]

Well, I was just thinking about this very subject and had searched it out. My Daysailer has center boom sheeting with no traveler and is 3 to 1. My other boat has an end boom set up like some other Daysailers. If we are strictly speaking about line handling I like the center boom set up. There is much less line to get in the way, especially hanging up on the motor. However, I have been rereading books and articles on sale handling and a traveler definitely gives you more sail control.

I was also contemplating the amount of sheeting effort which is noticeable with the center boom set up. Because the end boom set up has 2 of the 3 lines at the end of the boom and one from mid- boom you would have a similar mechanical advantage to a mid-boom set up at 5 to 1, I would think. Therefore, if you wanted the same mechanical advantage with mid-boom sheeting you would use, most likely, a similar amount of sheet line.

So, now my harebrained idea is to make a convertible set up. That way I could try end boom sheeting and center boom sheeting on the same day with a quick change over. What I would do is change my mid-boom single block with a beckett to a double block. I would add a block at the end of the boom and a triangle at the transom. This way I could convert from mid-boom sheeting as I have it by leaving all of the sheet attached to the boom and then when I want to end boom sheeting simply clip the end boom sheet line to the triangle. Harebrained, no doubt, but I think it will work! Also, I think it would use less line than the standard end boom sheeting.

KC