| Author | Message | ||
     Mike Bergmann Unregistered guest Rating: N/A |
I have done the same as Scott. I have the Garhauer system and the blocks for the adjustment lines are about 3 ft. aft of the forward end of the tracks. I have the old cars near the shrouds for the #3, and I use the adjustable cars for all genoas. I range from an old heavy # 1, now cut down to 135% for a cruising #2 roller furler up to a new racing #1 (155%) and an old sail acquired by a previous owner for light air cruising, which sheets near the winches. I use the old turning blocks while cruising, so I get no over-rides. While racing, I only use the turning blocks if I am changing sails or if I run a separate sheet to a snatch block on the rail for reaching. This system has worked well for eight years now. I have found absolutely no need to move tracks. I also have found that I don't need a shock cord on the adjustable car - even with 4:1 tackle, the sheet load moves it aft all the time. My cleats for the adjustment lines are located high on the side of the cabin house aft of the window. If they are down near the deck, the adjustment lines are more likely to foul the jib sheets in the blocks. One more "trick": I use one set of jib sheets all the time. The high-load portion is a continuous piece of 5/16" spectra with a "brummel" splice to a J-lock in the middle. The spectra is spliced to two pieces of 1/2" Samson "Trophy" dacron double braid tails (very fuzzy line - grips extremely well) with an interlocking core splice (Layline or APS will do this, and I do it myself.) The splice is located so that it wraps on the winches when close-hauled, and the thicker part of the assembly helps grip in the Lewmar #44 self-tailing winches that were originally installed (I assume by special order.) The complete assembly is a one-piece jib sheet system with no knots, and the J-lock shackle is lighter than a knot anyway. It never jams on the shrouds during a tack. SInce the two tails are separate pieces of line, I have one red and one green for easy identification when there is a big tangle of line on the cockpit sole. I use a separate short tapered sheet (different color) for reaching - in extremely light air, we disconnect the "regular" sheet and only have the special sheet attached to the sail to reduce weight on the clew. | ||
| Jeff Roy New member Username: Jeffr Post Number: 97 Registered: 03-2001 Rating: N/A |
Thanks for all the good advice. Scott, I opted to make the adjustment of my cars span the entire track for several reasons. 1. I have a 130% roller furlable cruising sail and when I am cruising I like being able to roller reef it and just move the cars up. 2. I am using my standard genoa cars at the aft end of the track to prevent overrides and found it very effective. Before the overrides were fairly common and were most common when using the 3 beacuse the sheet comes at the winch high. I was concerned that the #2/3 genoa car would be in the way if I had to lead a #3 sheet past them to the car I have at the aft end. 3. Since I am using my original cars at the aft end, I did not want to spend the money on another set of cars. Also, I do not have any shock cord on the adjustable car. I find the sheet load is more than enough to make the car go aft. | ||
| George Darrell New member Username: George_darrell Post Number: 7 Registered: 05-2002 Rating: N/A |
Jeff, Scott's advice is sound, however I moved my track forward mostly for the added strength of backing the additional track at an end that receives enormous tension. I also wanted to be able to trim a 95% jib inside and forward of the shrouds. My track is a Harken but that should not make any difference. It's moved about 14 - 16 inches and solidly backed. | ||
| Scott Corder New member Username: Pastcommodore Post Number: 46 Registered: 02-2001 Rating: N/A |
Jeff, Before you commence a major re-work of your genoa tracks, here is some more to ponder: As has been stated below, it is very rare that anyone ever moves the no 3 car leads on the track. As such, it really isn't necessary to build adjustability into that area of the tracks. We have never moved our no 3 cars in the 10plus years we've owned our boat. Any reputable sailmaker is going to make a 3 to the same size/shape - so the clew should land in the same place for everyone. Like others, we lead our sheets between the shrouds. Anyway... I installed adjustability ONLY on the rear portions of the track where a no 2 or no 1 might wish to be led. In our case, this has proven to be a range of about 4-5 ft total move-ability on each track. There are several advantages to this: 1) It solves your space issue regarding stopper blocks at the front of the track 2) it eliminates the need for a very long bungee cord flopping the entire length of the track 3) it eliminates a long string to adjust the car so far back and forth 4) less strings on the deck mean less stuff for crew to trip over and 5) it means you simply re-lead your sheets through an additional set of roller cars if you're switching to a no 3 headsail (through leads that are always exactly where they need to be). Like others, we had one of our tracks pull out at the front and repaired it as described by others. The only comment I'll make here is that our cars seem to work best when the pin is aft of the roller (not in front of it). Personally, I'd be pretty reluctant to pull my entire tracks and start trying to re-locate them. scott | ||
| Jeff Roy New member Username: Jeffr Post Number: 95 Registered: 03-2001 Rating: N/A |
Question for John Brady: Were you able to move your track forward by 3 hole increments? Was the curve in the track constant enough that the track still fit the shelf in the coach roof/deck? The reason I ask is that I plan to remove, and rebed my genoa tracks and install backing plates this off-season. I added a Garhauer adjustable fairlead car system this season. Because the forward control block mounts on the track and the fairlead car itself is long I lost use of about the front foot or so of track. Now my #3 does not sheet correctly. I need the car to go another 6" forward or so. I also would like to get rid of some of the unneeded track at the aft edge, because it only creates a pain in the ass (literally) and snags things. I figured if I could move the entire track forward both problems could be solved (well will still have to cut some of the track off.) My biggest concern is the curve of the track no matching the curve of the deck. | ||
| George Darrell New member Username: George_darrell Post Number: 5 Registered: 05-2002 Rating: N/A |
Kevin, same thing happened to me only I caught the problem before it tore up the deck. You have to remove most of the cabinet and other stuff hiding the forward side of the chainplate. Remove, mostly with a chisel, the rotted bulkhead. Replace with a custom sized exterior plywood section. The old bulkhead is probably solid way down below thus you can make an extension of the chain plate with aluminum or stainless plate and tie it into good wood. Lots of epoxy and glass may be needed to restore the rest of it, but it becomes cosmetic as long as the chainplate is solidly attached. | ||
| Kevin Leary Unregistered guest Rating: N/A |
My starboard bulkhead/chainplate detached yesterday cracking the deck and causing extensive damage.I had noticed some weeping through the deck at this area but, I had no idea of the rot that had taken place.Not only are we going to repair this damage but we plan on repairing the port side before something serious happens.Has any one else experienced this strictural failure. | ||
| Mike Reed (Mreed112) Rating: N/A |
I believe that S2 had an update kit for the genoa track pulling out at the #3 lead car position. The kit consisted of longer thru bolts and a backing plate that was installed from the inside. I seem to remember installing the kit on my boat around 1984 or '85. Bag Lady #22 | ||
| Lance Staughton (Twospeed) Rating: N/A |
Wow,what timing. I pulled off a track yesterday morning and noticed quite a bit of gelcoat cracking radiating out from several holes. Mostly not noticable with the track on. The reason I'm doing this is to rebed and seal the aft holes that go through cored deck which has gotten wet. Water typically comes in through the winch holes also and through the aft sheet lead blocks. I was thinking of larger fender washers. What are you using for backing plates. It would be nice to not see them under the wood trim piece. Maybe a 1" wide but several holes long piece of metal ( alum.)? Lance Symbiosis #51 | ||
| John Brady Rating: N/A |
I recomend putting backing plates under the deck in the areas that you sheet your jibs. I've had tracks pull through my deck where the #3 sheets. The good news is that the track mounting "shelf" that runs along the deck where it meets the coachroof is solid glass. As a quick fix, I tried to grind smooth the front end of the track and move it forward several holes......you don't need the aftermost several feet of track near the cockpit anyhow. To my surprise, the holes in my track seem to have been drilled with a jig using three bits at a pass as the measurements center to center are not consistant. We needed to move the track forward in increments of three holes or the track didn't line up with the deck holes. I don't know what the implications of this will be when I replace the whole track with a new one....I hope that the holes are drilled consistently incorrectly. John Brady, #50 | ||
| Kevin Leary Rating: N/A |
Is the proper lead for the 3# through the shrouds?This seems rather awkward,but it seems to be the only way to trim this sail properly.Kevin Leary, new boat owner from Falmouth,Maine. | ||
| Chris Sundberg Rating: N/A |
We do set the leads on our #3 sheets between the shrouds most of the time. An exception has been really big air when a spinnaker was more than we needed going downwind so the leads are better when easing for off the wind. Having the lead further outside also helps in feathering the jib in the puffs up wind. But we do run ours between those shrouds most of the time. | ||
| glen Rating: N/A |
I also set my #3 between the shrouds especially when racing using our newer #3. For cruising, I've taken to setting snatch blocks on the rail. This works well for our delivery #3 which is rather blown out (allows us to close the top of the sail, plus I don't have to worry about the knot on the jib sheet catching and potentially kinking the rod rigging.) Has anyone had a #3 built which is shorter on the foot so you can sheet inside the lower diagonal? How does that work? On my boat ('83 Liberty Cup) the track on deck ends just short of the chain plates (and extends back past the primaries.) I've noticed other boats have the track running farther forward. Did you move your track forward or did it come from the factory this way? Was this done to get good sheet angles for #3's and #4's? |
