The KALEIGH B and her transformation

[GreenLake]

Nice!

[Thomasjbrothersjr]

I had planned to use the Harken 240 swivel cam and fairlead. After the installation mock up I just didn't like the way the jib sheets interfered with each other. I ended up installing Harken aluminum cams and fairleads mounted on angled bases. What do you think about the colors? Which one would you have go to what?

TBone

[GreenLake]

I don't know whether I like the cleats overhead , but the colors look fine

[TIM WEBB]

Port red green starboard?

[GreenLake]

I've sailed on boats that had cleats with the little straps that hold the sheet captive, but on my boat I don't have them. I have mixed feelings. When I single hand, I tie the ends of the sheets together, so I can grab any part of either sheet and just pull in the required direction. Once I have the trim I want, I bring the sheet down from the top to cleat it in. Can't do that when the straps are in place, and I find I miss that ability. (With ends apart, the windward sheet can wander off and get "lost" in the boat with my setup, but with crew to look after the jib. that's usually not an issue).

I was thinking of putting a fairlead (eye) on the thwarts (I sail a DS1 not a DS2) so the pull would be angled up for easier cleating when hiked out, but after noticing how I actually trim, I'm not so sure I wouldn't find that frustrating (it means you can't reach for the jib sheet between track and fairlead for a quick trim from within the boat, for example, when sitting at the helm and helping a crew member get sorted - you would always have to then pull the slack out from the far end).

Having to pull down to cleat the jib remains an issue. It's an awkward direction to get a good pull - I've resorted to using my foot to kick the sheet down into the cleat when hiking, but I don't find that ideal...

[K.C. Walker]

+1 for Tim's recommendation on colors.

Green Lake, I thought about putting a block on the thwart to get the angle better for cleating the jib. I find that I sit on the thwart when ghosting sometimes, so that made me unsure of whether I wanted to. After putting ratchet blocks on the jib sheets, cleating becomes much less of a problem because the tension is so much less, so I forgot that I even wanted to do it. I still use my toe to cleat when I'm hiked out. Though not ideal, at least to release the cleat is really quick.

[TIM WEBB]

TBone, are you aware that most of your pics post upsidedown? It's pretty easy to rotate them in any simple pic editor like Windows Paint ...

[Thomasjbrothersjr]

These are the other part of he jib control upgrade. These blocks are mounted on the jib track, they swivel and move very free. They are Harken 40 mm Carbo AirBlocks.

[Thomasjbrothersjr]

We splashed her last weekend and sailed mainsail only. The Kaleigh B will be heading north to Winnipesauke Thursday. Winds are predicted to be light and I expect to use the jib. What I did notice with my new to me boat is that handling of the main sheet takes a bit of getting used to. My Hobie 16 has a 6:1 set up, and almost double the sail area. It is vastly easier trimming the main on the catamaran. I have read about the ratcheting blocks and different ratio set ups but I chose to go with what Rudy was selling down at D&R. I am going to give it some time and try getting used to it, but do some homework on improvements.

[Thomasjbrothersjr]

Is everyone seeing these UPSIDE DOWN? They are properly orientated when I upload them, look ok in the preview. I just went through the whole post and they all seem to be right side up.

Let me know guys...

TBone

[K.C. Walker]

Tbone, my comment a while back about topsy-turvy was because your photos are rarely right side up when I view them. The picture with the cam cleats is 180 rotation, the last photos with the blocks are 90° off. It's very odd that you can upload these and preview them having them look correct and the rest of us are seeing them oddly rotated. I have no clue why that would be.

Enjoy Winnipesaukee, but watch out for the thunderstorms!

[seandwyer]

TBone--Yes, they are all upside down, or 90 off for me, too.

I'm interested in hearing about that main sheet block you have. I have been looking at the same one on D&R, but it doesn't state that it is a ratchet. I take it that it isn't based on your comment. It sure looks complicated though--lots going on compared to my 45 year old single swivel block and cleat. From the picture, if I understand how the sheet is routed, it looks like you would have to pull down to get it out of the cleat--which seems more difficult and less emergency ready than pulling up to uncleat. Do you have an opinion yet? If I can, I'd rather give my money to Rudy, but for this application, he just doesn't seem to sell the ratcheted block set up I wanted. I'd also like to replace the jib sheet blocks with ratchets, too. I'm also trying to use barber haulers--or what I have been told are actually known as nancy haulers. So far, I just have a piece of line with a bowline on each end, through which, the jib sheets run. Once I figure it out a bit more I will mount some cleats on top of the cuddy. Those color coded ones you pictured looked like just the thing.

By the way, if you haven't tried it yet, this boat sails 100% better and is more responsive--even safer in heavy winds with the jib up rather than main alone. At least that's my experience.

As for the stem head discussion (happened a while back) I think the two hole is normal for the DS2 and three hole is what was placed on the DS1. It seems that the 2 hole is the one Rudy sells now. If I had to replace mine I would look around for the three hole because one--it just seems a little stronger, and two--I'd have extra holes and nothing to do with them

[seandwyer]

By the way--I haven't mentioned it, but I really appreciate this post. Lots of detail, pictures, background and information on Rudy. I know we all love this kind of thing. Thanks!

[GreenLake]

On the images. Some images contain information from the camera indicating which direction is "up". Some software, for example Photoshop, can use that to show the image "right side up". Other software, and that includes any browser I'm familiar with, needs to have the image rotated so "up" is along the vertical direction of the image. Photoshop has a "Save for Web and Devices" command that allows you resize the image to something that fits most screens and to increase the JPG compression (to make the file size smaller at the loss of some fine detail) but will also create a correctly rotated image, matching what you see in the program. This command also strips the "meta data" from your images - a prudent step before posting images on the web.

[GreenLake]

On the mainsheet block.

The one shown is a fiddle block, so it would be set up for center boom sheeting. Many boats, mine included, are set up for a bridle above the transom. I adjusted my setup until it now matches what Phill Root describes in the Rigging guide and see no reason to change it. Some others here have come to similar conclusions. However, if your boat is set up that way and you don't race, then you might not see a reason to change from mid-boom sheeting. In that case, you'd need something like a fiddle block.

Now, for a ratchet, this can, in principle be put anywhere in your system. In my setup, it was easiest to change the mid-point block on the boom for a ratchet block. It only has a 90 degree turn, which can be marginal, but it works. Others have replaced two blocks even.

As for the cleat. The configuration shown is my least favorite. It tends to cleat the mainsheet on any adjustment you do (any time you pull) and it may need a kick down to uncleat. For situations where you really want to be able to not cleat the main, this is very stressful, because the cleat will grab the main often when you don't want it to. It would therefore also defeat the purpose of a ratchet block.

I prefer systems where the main can be uncleated by a yank up. The times when conditions are settled enough to cleat the main, having to hold the main low to cleat it (or pushing it down) doing so is no problem, because you are in settled conditions. One boat I sailed on did not even have a strap across the cleat, so the normal operation was just to run the mainsheet from your hand, using the ratchet. If you wanted to cleat the main, sometimes you had to rotate the arm with the cleat to align it first. Still, that proved less stressful than dealing with the setup that cleats the main by default.