All fired up from an interesting and generous visit to Rick Jones's Mac 26x on the sunny but freezing Isle of Wight last weekend, I was about to purchase swivel blocks with jammers to fit to mast as a means of serving the cockpit with control lines for single- handed sailing but following a visit to my boat today wondered if this arrangement was compatible with the use of a sprayhood_ which I have but is not currently fitted.
Maybe members could advise on the options and collective best practice re. this problem?
We also discussed my idea of pulling the Mac over onto its side, (something I have often done with motorcycles) from the mast-top, using the main halyard when beached, as a means of accessing the weedy bottom for cleaning/pressure-washing and antifouling- between tides(having first removed batteries etc). How does one do this on a trailer and get to the bits behind the berths?
All thoughts/ experiences welcome
Thanks in advance
John Denman
Wed, 31/10/2012 - 6:36pm
#1
john.denman
Control lines/rigging
One option is to stack your turning blocks right on top of the forward end of the hatch runners and then you can bring the lines through the gap in the spray hood close in to the hatch runners. The placing of snap cleats or jammers is then a matter of experiment/guesswork.
Or use those flat deck organisers at the forward end, in which case you will need extra slots cut out of the spray hood and stitched. Then a set of jammers can be positioned in a nice straight line with everything else.
For cleaning the strips of the hull that are concealed by the bunks on the trailer, consider pulling the rig out whilst the boat is just 6 inches short of the V. I'm sure in this very instant you have already seen the risk in this so make sure it is just the bare minimum set back and that you secure the strap plus an additional tie down rope at the front and don't get on the deck at the back. Make sure there's plenty of stuff stowed forward in the cabin rather than aft. Pull the boat out slowly and let the ballast out slowly and don't go too far away from the water's edge whilst you do the scrub down!
Mike
Thanks for that Mike. What then happens at the mast base?-pulleys attached to mast or cockpit roof-mast is easier for fixings presumably?
And forgive me, do you then do the "bump" to get at the obstructed bits of boat?
cheers
John
There are various options at the mast base:-
Fixed block screwed to deck
Spring loaded stand up block screwed to deck
Block attached by a shackle through a hole in the mast "baseplate"
I'm sure there are others as well!
If it's an M then I believe the rotating mast could be an issue because anything not attached to the mast might cause too much load and hinder the mast rotation.
Regarding the cleaning, what I have done in the past is to get most of the job done at home then at the ramp you are just doing the strip that was hidden by the bunks. After you've done that you could lower her back into the water and recover the boat as normal fully into the V
Mike
Has anyone come up with a solution for a 26m yet? The swivel blocks which Rick Jones fitted are no longer made. Sailing on a fast flowing river doesn't give much time to get to the mast, hoist and secure the main and get back in the cockpit without a crew. (which is one reason I am thinking of moving to the Blackwater which is about an hour away, not 10 minutes as is Gallions Point.)
I am thinking of attaching pulleys/blocks with attached jammers to a shackle which will be fixed to the mast by a screwed or riveted 'eye' but am happy to defer to more experience sailors than me.
Hopefully, many thanks in advance
Simon Armitage
Sowenna (26M)
Hi Simon
There are very similar blocks to the ones I used made by Harken. They're more expensive but a lot stronger (S/S), and come in 2 sizes. The larger size would be needed for 8mm halyard, the smaller is fine for other 6mm lines.
There's another device made by Spinlock, which can be fitted in the same way. Technically it's a clutch not a cleat but the operation is effectively the same. I helped Richard Greenway fit one for his main halyard earlier this year. It cost about £30 from Force4.
Rick Jones (Treasurer), former 26X & 19 owner, Isle of Wight
Hi again, Rick.
Have had a look through the Harken website and can't find anything but then came across this:
http://www.force4.co.uk/11613/Ronstan-Swivelling-Cleat-2-8mm.html?referr...
I hope you don't mind me asking you again but what do you think of it?
Thanks
Simon
Sowenna (26M)
Hi Simon
I don't think the Ronstan one will work, you need a pulley rather than a bullseye.
These are the Harken ones:
http://www.harken.co.uk/productdetail.aspx?id=5507&taxid=425
http://www.harken.co.uk/productdetail.aspx?id=5039&taxid=424
Roly has them on his M, it's where I got the idea!
Rick Jones (Treasurer), former 26X & 19 owner, Isle of Wight
Brilliant!
Thank you, Rick. You are Star.
Good Sailing
Simon Armitage
Sowenna (26M)