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Re: Drifter headsail for DSII

PostPosted: Wed Mar 16, 2016 10:07 am
by tmittner
I was wondering if he has had success with ratchet blocks and if so, what size, since his UPS is about the same size as my drifter. I should have perused his posts before asking. :(

Re: Drifter headsail for DSII

PostPosted: Wed Mar 16, 2016 12:56 pm
by GreenLake
Ah, so it was to get his input specific to the question of the ratchet blocks.

My suggestion would be to make sure you don't overthink this.

I ended up with oversized ones for my jib (55mm) because they were on sale at my favorite shop. I happen to have an oversized jib sheet, which, I know, is ridiculous, but I didn't feel like changing it, and the 55mm could accommodate it. Something like 40mm would just look more appropriate, size wise.

I bought Ronstan (sale), and later found out about the fact that they are "grippier" so that their holding power is better size for size.

For my (standard) spinnaker, I use very thin sheets, and consequently very small turning blocks (which I tied to the stern cleats with lashings as a temporary setup to try out the spinnaker and haven't replaced by anything permanent yet). For a genoa you may or may not have to go as far back. You wrote that one of the POs put tracks on the coamings that go pretty far back.Those may in fact give you the correct sheeting position for your sail (assuming whoever put the tracks on knew what they were doing). So I would at least sail once with that setup and see how the sail sets.

That's why I jury-rigged my spinnaker at first and have only slowly added more permanent fixtures.

At the moment, I have neither cleats nor ratchet blocks for it. If I want to cleat the foreguy, I'll "borrow" one of the cleats for the barber haulers, which aren't used for downwind. And I never cleat the sheet. If the wind builds, the sail comes down, and when I single-hand, that moment comes a lot sooner, well before I need to worry about having to pull too hard.

Re: Drifter headsail for DSII

PostPosted: Wed Mar 16, 2016 4:03 pm
by tmittner
Thank goodness spring is nearly here! The problem with winter and a new (used) sailboat you haven't been able to sail, is there is way too much reading, thinking, and buying and no sailing and experience. You have hit the nail on the head GL, and I am guilty. I intend to sail comfortably and pleasurably, not on the edge as racers and performance cruisers. I want to beach cruise and gunkhole around all different lakes in Michigan camping at campgrounds, but generally exploring with destinations in mind. I am interested in efficient sailing on all points of sail in a broad range of wind conditions, rather than speed or thrills. With that in mind, your point about reefing or bringing down a sail rather than hanging on is well taken. I may not need what I think I need and will not know the answers until I do my own personal kind of sailing with my own Day Sailer. Steady On! Thanks

Re: Drifter headsail for DSII

PostPosted: Wed Mar 16, 2016 5:29 pm
by GreenLake
Tom, we've all been there. The anticipation, the plans, the designs. It's half the fun!

I was lucky in that I bought my boat at the beginning of the season, or just a bit before, actually, and took it sailing right away. My first upgrades came in response to breaking stuff on the maiden voyage. And at the end of the first season, I had enough urgent issues, like a trailer re-build, to see me fully occupied. That was long before I discovered this forum...

Good luck with the upcoming season. Hope we'll hear from you on how it went, what you were really able to do with your boat, and how it works out for you.

Re: Drifter headsail for DSII

PostPosted: Fri Mar 18, 2016 6:02 am
by ChrisB
My sheet turning blocks for the UPS are well aft....about a foot fwd of the transom, mounted on the coaming. I single hand a lot so I lead them across the cockpit (behind the mid-boom mainsheet) to a cleat on the opposite coaming. That way I can easily trim both without moving inboard to reach the sheet.

Re: Drifter headsail for DSII

PostPosted: Fri Mar 18, 2016 10:10 pm
by tmittner
OK, no ratchet blocks then. Thanks Chris!

Re: Drifter headsail for DSII

PostPosted: Sat Mar 19, 2016 6:47 am
by ChrisB
Ratchet blocks would be a nice addition especially considering I'm using lightweight line for the UPS sheets (1/4") so as not to drag down the clew in light air