mainsheet block stand-up spring

last summer, I upgraded from a swiveling fairlead and cleat to a ratcheting carbo block for my mainsheet.  the ratcheting carbo block (a Harken 2135) was/is a nice improvement – I like how the grooved edges of the sheave in the block grip the rope to ease the tension my hands/arms see from the sail pulling on the mainsheet.  I haven’t installed a cam cleat on the cockpit lip of my new Sunfish yet, though – the plastic trim on the cockpit lip is sort of in the way, so I haven’t decided what to do there yet.

I had originally bought a stand-up spring, but as I mentioned back in October:

it was ridiculously hard to compress the spring down and then to try to slowly feed the little split ring onto the pin holding the ratchet block in place

but, a few weeks ago I followed the advice of some posters from the Sunfish Forum, and used (2) zip-ties to slowly compress the stand-up spring (a Harken 071) so that I could install the ratchet block.  I also installed a spring cup (Harken HSB2) – which sits above the spring, and just below the base of the block. it’s about $2 for both the spring and spring cup, so a cheap upgrade.

for my sail on walled lake last week, I got to test out the ratchet block with the stand-up spring, and I must say – I am a big fan.  it works just fine, and will automatically rotate with the mainsheet when I change tacks.  there are a few times with really light wind where I’ll have to reach up and twist the block to the right direction, but overall it performed adequately.  I just wish I had installed the stand-up spring earlier now, as it keeps the block from flopping around and scratching up the surface of the deck.

a new Harken model?

we’ve been out of town for a few days visiting with some of my wife’s family in Phoenix, Arizona, and today Luke, my youngest son, was changing after we had finished swimming in the pool.  he was so excited when he found “dad’s sailing shirt” (my Harken rashguard) in the suitcase that I have been sharing with him.  next thing I knew, he came down the stairs wearing it!  the bottom of it just about touches his ankles.

spring thaw at Torresen Marine

this Saturday, March 12th, Torresen Marine in Muskegon, Michigan is holding their “spring thaw” event.

the event will feature several seminars during the course of the day:

• 9:00 a.m. Fog, Lightning & Great Lake Storms – Capt. Jack Klang of Quantum Sails
• 10:30 a.m. Blister Repair & Prevention – Kevin Kyle of Interlux Yacht Finishes
• 11:30 a.m. Introduction to NOAA in Muskegon: Science, Charting, Forecasts & Operations – Dennis Donahue
• 12:30 p.m. New & Current Product Line-up – Jeff Fink of Raymarine
• 1:30 p.m. What’s Happening at GVSU Annis Water Resources Institute? – Amanda Syers
• 2:30 p.m. Successful Application & Maintenance of Performance Coatings – Bob Harris of Pettit Paint
• 3:30 p.m. Ten Sailing Skills Every Wife Should Know (Husbands welcome & encouraged) – Capt. Jack Klang of Quantum Sails

I’m probably not going to drive all the way across the state for it, but it does look interesting.  there should be several suppliers on site, including representatives from Laser Performance, Harken, and Interlux.

that weekend, they will also be offering a sale on Laser and Sunfish sailboats – $300 off a 2011 model.

10% off Harken at APS

I was browsing through some sailing supply websites this morning, and noticed that Annapolis Performance Sailing (APS) is running a promotion for all of March: 10% off all Harken hardware, and a free gift if you spend more than $100.  now would be a good time to upgrade your mainsheet block or other hardware!

for my upgrade to my Sunfish mainsheet block, I decided to use the Harken 2135 57mm carbo ratchet block with a Harken H150 cam cleat.

sunfish mainsheet block update

early this spring, I laid out my plans to upgrade to a Sunfish mainsheet block for controlling/holding the mainsheet, as my current setup on the Sunfish left a little to be desired (but was better than nothing on my Super Porpoise).  here is the picture of my old set-up, a swiveling fairlead with a cam cleat to hold the mainsheet if I wanted.  I also had the old hook on the cockpit edge (the really old method used to hook the mainsheet and relieve the tension you had to hold with).

my original plan was based on a few posts over at the Sunfish Forum that recommended trying to use a low-profile swiveling cam cleat and modify it with an eyestrap and stand-up spring, and then add your mainsheet ratchet block of choice — similar to this diagram below:

but, the more I looked at the diagram, and thought about how this system would work, I couldn’t wrap my brain around something: after I fed the mainsheet through the ratchet block, and then the through the little strap over the cam cleat, I didn’t think I would be able to really take advantage of the ratcheting action of the mainsheet block.  turns out my suspicions were correct as noted here – scroll down to comment #38 on this post over at the Sunfish Forum.

I decided I’d instead go with a simpler and slightly cheaper route: I would just remove the old swiveling cam cleat, and install an eyestrap on the deck.  the mainsheet ratchet block would then connect to the eyestrap.  then, to give myself the option to cleat the lines in light air or similar situations, I removed the old hook, and added a standard cam cleat.  for my setup, I used the Harken 2135 57mm ratcheting carbo block and the Harken 150 cam cleat.

here is a picture of what the ratchet block looks like with the mainsheet running up to the sail, and the other end of the line held in your hand (picture is simulated – I didn’t want to set up the whole rig, so my 9-yr old son was just holding both lines up in the air).

here is a picture with the mainsheet fed through the ratchet block and then cleated in the Harken cam cleat, with a stopper knot tied in the end of the mainsheet.

I had also bought a stand-up spring that would keep the ratchet block standing upright, and prevent it from bouncing around on the Sunfish deck, but honestly – it was ridiculously hard to compress the spring down and then to try to slowly feed the little split ring onto the pin holding the ratchet block in place (in fact, I never did get it fully installed).  after talking a bit with other sailors at the Sunfish Forum – some have had success using zip-ties or something of that nature to compress the spring, then install the ratchet block, and then cut off the zip-ties.  most of them leave the ratchet block on permanently, though, and I wanted to be able to easily and quickly install mine before sailing and then remove it after sailing so that I wasn’t trailering the boat with the ratchet block flopping around.  so as of right now, I will probably skip the stand-up spring, but keep it in case I figure out a way to cover/protect the ratchet block while I’m trailering the boat.

overall, I’m extremely happy with the setup I have now.  I really enjoy playing the mainsheet through the ratchet block, and enjoy how the sheave on the ratchet block grips the mainsheet, so that the amount of pull I see is reduced, helping to keep my hands and arms from tiring as quickly.  I also like that this setup will force me to focus more on the sail trim, instead of just using my old setup to set it and then forget it.  I’d highly recommend this upgrade to other Sunfish sailors.

sailing log: 2010-06-26

I was pretty frustrated that my 1st sail of the year wasn’t until late June, but I tend to be pretty good at making excuses (trying to wrap up things with the kids at school, need to finalize some repairs like the foam block reset, etc.) as to why it took me that long.  either way, we had scheduled a camping trip for Tawas Bay, Michigan (I just blogged about the camping trip), and one of my main goals on the trip was to get the Sunfish out on the water for a sail.  I said this about launching the Sunfish in the camping trip post:

since the water was so shallow so far out at the campground beach, I had to drive out of the campground, and noticed a marina right away with a public launch ($5 or so), but it was much more suited to much larger sailboats or powerboats.  I continued just a short way down the road and found a free public launch and used that.  the ramp was not really developed at all, and parking was quite limited.  it was really just a bit of sand where you could back your trailer up to (or in the case of one local I saw – just drive your big ol’ pickup truck and trailer right out in the water to drop off yer jet-ski).  …  the water was quite shallow still – I had to walk the boat out maybe a few hundred feet before I could drop the daggerboard and hop on to start sailing.

this was my first live (at the water) test of my Sunfish PVC dolly, so I was excited to see how well it would do.  (remember: it was on the drive up to Tawas Bay, though, that I almost lost the dolly wheels – and decided to update the dolly to have cotter pins to keep the wheels on.) the hard-packed sand “ramp” or access point worked really well with the PVC dolly, though – I was able to easily slide the Sunfish off the trailer onto the dolly, and then roll it down to the water and drop the Sunfish off there while I went back to get the rest of the sailing gear.

over the early spring, I had purchased a few new upgrades, and I was pretty excited to try them out for the 1st time.  I had sprung for the replica FRP daggerboard (the non-class-legal, but much cheaper version) and a new hiking strap – both from Intensity Sails, a complete new set of Sunfish rigging lines from APS (the recreational package, SF110), my new mainsheet block setup (I’m using just the Harken 2135 carbo ratchet block, with a Harken 150 cam cleat mounted on the cockpit lip if I need to cleat off – the block hooks to the eyestrap shown in the picture below), a new tiller extension with the universal joint, and some new sailing gloves.

as I was fiddling with getting my new mainsheet and halyard lines rigged correctly on the Sunfish, another gentleman was rigging up his older AMF Force 5 at the same launch, and he set off sailing just before I did.  I was (finally) ready to get going, so I pulled on my shorty wetsuit, and waded out a couple hundred feet with the Sunfish to get out of the shallow water.

as I don’t have a wind-meter, I can’t really say for sure what the wind speed was at the time – but it was fairly strong.  there was almost nothing along the shoreline for me to use as a gauge for the wind speed and direction – just 1 flag at the nearby marina, and it was flapping pretty steadily.  I set off on a beam reach to start out, sailed for a short while, and decided to make my 1st turn.

now, I can’t remember exactly what I did – but I ended up dumping the Sunfish over, and on my very 1st attempt at a tack for 2010!  not only did it dump over, but it turtled the full 180 degrees, mast pointing straight down.  luckily, the water felt great, and I was able to quickly right the boat.

with my new mainsheet setup, my goal was to use the ratchet block the entire time, trying to avoid having to use the cleat, and just constantly playing the mainsheet to adjust the sails (this was a new method for me, as my old setup was more prone to cleating off and leaving the mainsheet alone).  even with the sailing gloves, though, my hands were quickly getting sore – party due to the lack of practice, but I think I also could stand to get a slightly larger diameter mainsheet line for days like that with heavier winds.  with the new mainsheet setup, combined with the new universal joint on the tiller extension – I will admit I might have overloaded my brain.  I was having a hard time keeping the tiller straight – I think party due to just how floppy with universal joint makes that whole setup.  it was a whole new feel to steering, as before with the wooden tiller extension, it was very controlled.

I spent most of the time sailing on beam/broad/close reaches, or doing my best to sail close-hauled.  the wind was tricky to read (for me at least!), and I think I really need to put some wind indicators on my boat to better gauge the wind direction, for I found out that without more flags on the shoreline for reference, I was having trouble with some wind directions.  sailing on the close reach or close-hauled, I really had to hike out a LOT to get the boat to sail flat, and unfortunately, I had only tied a quick simple knot on my new hiking strap, and it came undone in the 1st few minutes, so I was back to hooking my toes under the cockpit lip. I ended up turtling the boat one more time that afternoon (I needed to cool off, right?!), and in general I was a tad frustrated with not reading the wind well, but when I got in the groove, the Sunfish was flying, and the hiking out was great fun.

the other sailor with the AMF Force 5 was pulling up to the boat launch right when I was, and we both put our boats away for the day and headed home.  he might have had more practice this summer – and might not have been quite as beat up as I felt, but I know for sure that my future sailing packing list will now always include some Icy-Hot.  my body was bruised and battered – my hands were quite sore from gripping the mainsheet, my arms were a bit sore from trying to use the new tiller extension and holding the mainsheet, my legs and knees were bruised from banging the edge of the cockpit while sliding around, and my body was just plain sore.  who said sailing was this much work?!  I was pretty whipped, but it had been a great time, and a great way to start my 2010 sailing season.

sunfish mainsheet block

NOTE: see my updated post with a new setup here: sunfish mainsheet block upgrade

my current set-up on my Sunfish for controlling the mainsheet is a bit out-dated (for any non-sailors, the mainsheet is the line you pull in or let out to adjust the angle of the sail).  here is a picture of my current setup on the Sunfish.  there is a swiveling fairlead and cleat, and then the original hook below it on the lip of the cockpit edge.  my older Super Porpoise has nothing to hook the mainsheet on – no cleats, no hook, no nothing! so this was a big improvement for me as I was learning to sail the Sunfish.

by passing the mainsheet thru the fairlead, I then have the option if I want, to cleat the sheet when I have the sail position set.  the 2nd picture showing the mainsheet in the fairlead – the sheet goes up to the sail, and the sheet coming towards me is what I’ll hold while sailing.

over at the Sunfish Forum, I have noticed a few threads over the past few months discussing options to upgrade the controls for the mainsheet.  in the same discussions, though, there is also the debate on whether on not cleating the mainsheet is such a good idea.  one side takes that stance that the mainsheet should never be cleated, as you should constantly be adjusting the sail trim to optimize the sail in the wind, and that cleating could also present a potentially dangerous situation if a gust of wind is too strong, and causes the boat to capsize. as a guy fairly new to sailing, I tend to agree with the other side, though, in that having the option to cleat the mainsheet certainly is nice on occasion.  it gives your arms/hands a quick break, and gives you the chance to grab a snack or drink of water.  and especially when I am sailing with a 2nd person or a child, I find it easier to set the sail position and cleat the sheet, and then fine-tune things with adjustments made to the rudder position.  I recognize that this can lead to capsizing, if a rather large gust were to hit the sail, and I wouldn’t be able to un-cleat it quickly enough to depower the sail.  I also don’t really mind the occasional capsize, though, and feel it gives me a chance to get cooled off, and practice righting the boat back up!  I only have to remember to uncleat the sheet prior to righting the boat.

anyway, going back to the debate on how to upgrade the mainsheet controls.  someone at the Sunfish Forum put together this handy diagram for an option to include a swiveling cam cleat and a mainsheet block.

it is more or less agreed upon that the harken 241 ($56) is a good option for the swiveling cam cleat base, which you then remove the fairlead, add an eyestrap and stand-up spring, and then a ratchet block.  the 2 suggested options for the mainsheet block are the harken 019 and the harken 2135.  harken has some good information on their website about their ratchet blocks: the top 6 ratchet block Q & A.

the harken 019 ($58) is often referenced on the Sunfish Forum as the standard.  the 019 is a “little hexaratchet”, with a 2.25″ diameter sheave.

the harken 2135 ($52) is the other mainsheet block occasionally, but not as frequently, thrown out as a viable option.  it is specified as a 57 mm block (which is equal to 2.25″, so the same as the 019 above).  the 019 doesn’t specify it’s holding power, but the 2135 provides a 10:1 holding power, so significantly decreasing the amount of pull required to keep the sail sheeted in.

I decided to go straight to the (a?) source, and called up Torresen Marine (also online at SunfishDirect.com), and spoke to a very helpful representative named Christopher (providing another example of great customer service).  we discussed the use as the mainsheet for a Sunfish, and the two different options from harken, 019 vs the 2135.  he mentioned to me that the 019 has been around since probably the 1960′s, and that they (Torresen) mainly keep the 019 in stock for people who are looking to upgrade their block, but match it with the look of other hardware on their sailboat. he continued on to say that the 2135 is the more current model, and as such has newer technology adapted into the design, and should be lighter as well.  he highly recommends the 2135, and as a bonus – it’s a couple dollars cheaper!

I’m not sure when I’ll get around to it, but that’ll be my plan going forward – use the harken 241 mainsheet cam cleat, but add on the harken 2135 with the eyestrap and stand-up spring.  I’ll probably use the old model off my Sunfish for the Super Porpoise, so it ends up being an upgrade in a way for both of my boats, and would cross a few things off my never-ending parts list.