Mainsheet/kicker.

[trebor]

I have been told I can tie end of mainsheet to end of kicker, giving easy access to kicker, anyone tried this?

[Rupert]

Interesting idea. Not come across it, but in a way it solves 2 problems, reaching the kicker and stopping the mainsheet trailing behind the boat. You would need an extra long mainsheet, though, which could well get very tangled, round legs, boat bits and anything else handy. Is this for Minisail or ent?

[JimC]

Doesn't work with a split kicker of course. Mainsheet and self tacking jib sheet as a continuous string isn't uncommon, 29ers for example.

I suspect it would only work really well for a singlehander with off the boom mainsheet with the ratchet block on the boom ahead of where the helm crosses the boat. You'd also need the kicker cleat on a rotating fitting. The other drawback would be that there would be an awful lot of string needed for the hanging off the back corner on a deep reach situation.

My guess is that on a Minisail with low purchases for main and kicker it would probably be quite neat. On something with a 24:1 kicker, a lot of beam and a significant mainsheet purchase it might be a lot of extra string to trip over.

[trebor]

This would be used on Minisprint.
I have decided to go with Centre main attached to hull with a rope strop, the kicker will attach to boom using same bracket, if attaching mainsheet to kicker end works, it will simplify deck fittings, allowing use of a Laser style kicker.

[JimC]

With a centremain you'll need to arrange the kicker so it cleats aft of the mainsheet, otherwise it will be wrapped round it on one tack. I remember one of my erstwhile Cherub collegues rigging up a centre jammer that had two cleats, one for main and one for jib. Something like that would be ideal.

[Rupert]

The (ex) Topper range use a very nice centre main block with the kicker jamming under the main. Nice bit of kit, bet it isn't cheap.

[trebor]

Rupert, do you know what it is called ?
I have searched but cannot find a picture or technical spec.

[Rupert]

Not sure. You could try asking Vantage Sailing, who make the Iso and Buzz now.

[bornagainmothie]

Do you mean something like this? £258 without the ratchet block!

[Rupert]

Blimey, I knew it would be expensive, but that is a crazy price.

[JimC]

Yeah, but look on the bright side, you could probably buy a whole Boss for that, take the fitting off, claim you've converted it to off the boom sheeting and sell it on again for most of what you paid...

[Rupert]

Now that's what I call creative thinking, Jim!

The danger, of course, being stuck with a Boss and unable to sell it on.

[Pat]

Sandy took a liking to one of those mainsheet jammers at the Dinghy Show, but I wasn't willing to take out another mortgage!
Decent kit is so pricey now. I also wanted the horribly expensive Allen sideways cleating jib cars - as with that mainsheet block if you are hiking back hard, you're pulling the sheet into the cleats and it's difficult to release but sideways set blocks would mean just pulling or kicking the sheet backwards.

[JimC]

Now that's what I call creative thinking, Jim!

The danger, of course, being stuck with a Boss and unable to sell it on.

Ah well, what you do is strip it of everything usable, (the mast would be a good launching trolley foundation) and dump it on a roundabout at midnight filled with a couple of sackfuls of compost and a few cheap daffodil bulbs...

For the vertical jib cleats Pat you just need a derelict wooden Enterprise, and at least you can burn that...

[trebor]

"Topper Boss", probably a contender for naffest name for a boat, when replying to "what boat have you got now"?

I will be using a length of heavy duty underground blue water pipe for strop,( approx 30mm diameter ) it will be longer than width of boat, when rope is pulled tight the pipe will bend, this will have advantage of a strop and a hoop, the kicker could pass under this eliminating kicker being trapped either side of mainsheet block.