DaySailer.org Forum

Bought a DS II recently. Have trouble cleating/uncleating mainsail sheet when we're under sail. What's the secret to uncleating quickly when there's pressure on the sail?

There are two cleat designs. One needs the sheet pulled up (steeper angle to the deck) to release, the other needs the sheet pulled down to release.

I personally prefer the former (strongly), as I find it easier to free a sheet by pulling it up.

Suggestion: check whether geometry is a contributing issue, and if necessary, change to a different style cleat.

If geometry works fine for you, then check whether you have too much load on your sheet. What purchase does your system have? Are you using ratchet blocks? (See older posts in the forum about those).

+1 for what Greenlake said.

I upgraded to a Ronstan swivel base with cleat and love it over the original. It's a bit pricey but I really hated the original set up and found it hard to release, especially in panic situations. I also upgraded to a ratchet block. When it's really windy I don't even lock it into the cleat but handhold it so I can release it instantly. Again, it's kind of pricey but I really like that set up. For me, it's capsize prevention and well worth it.

+1 for what K.C. wrote.

Look into some of the older threads here for discussions of ratchet blocks and mainsheet configurations. There's a lot to discover.

Thanks so much for your reply. I'm brand new to the forum & I can see how invaluable it is. I owned ODay Daysailer 1 many years ago, and then upgraded to a Keel boat. I'm in a new location which doesn't allow for a Keel, so I purchased ODay Daysailer II this year.

Green Lake. I don't know what you mean by what "purchase" my system has.
KC Walker: Where did you buy the Ronstan swivel cleat. How expensive is it?

I'm new to the Forum & I'm having trouble finding the old threads about ratchet blocks. Any suggestions?

Thanks for your patience with a newbie!

I got the swivel cleat off eBay years ago. Also, I got all my ratchet blocks off eBay. I must admit it did take a while to find the right stuff as new old stock. A good wintertime activity.…

Read the threads in the Info section of the forum, there's lots of "how to" in there. Should be something about how to search as well.

Purchase: when you have a block and tackle the ratio (e.g. 4:1) is the "purchase".