I am planning to replace my genoa sheeting system with a track and and car that can be adjusted from the cockpit.
I have some Ronstan T track and a pin adjustable car left over from a previous project but I really want the convenience and safety of being able to adjust the sheeting position from the cockpit.
The Harken system is way out of my price range. Ronstan doesn't show a rope adjustable system in its catalogue.
Does anyone know of a system out there that is reasonably priced
Hi Andy , why do do you want that ?
I am am satisfied with realising I have made an error with the block position ....... Can not do any changes in heavy weather on the leeward side , so just fix the windward block ...... One at a time ,after a tack ....?
If if lite , a crew can adjust the leeward block .
I know now nothing really ,but I would be very surprised if there was anything capable of adjusting a loaded Genoa block on the market . Especially mast head big sails !!!!
Hi S and S
When I furl the genoa to reduce sail area I never get it to exactly the same position.If singlehanded on one tack for a long time and the temptation is ease the genoa go forward and stand on the sheet to adjust. Which is what I do and I know its too risky single handed. Your right, I could just tack and make the adjustment but I am a fiddler so i might not get it right the first time which means tacking again, etc.
Maybe I am being too fussy but I have used them with 8 to 1 purchase and it works well.
There is a 7 page article "On-the-fly Genoa Lead Controls" in the sep 2013 Practical Sailor.
If you subscribed you could look at it online.
Best choices were Harken G274B, Harken G2747B, Schaefer 17-68.
Budget buy was Garhauer EZ-G3B.
The Ronstan RC 12231, Antal 4654 and Selden 30 CR B/B were recommended.
These are all for the 35 to 40 foot sailboat range.
So I do a google search for the Ronstan RC12231, no idea what this price
is like:http://www.arnoldsboatshop.com.au/sailing-hardware-track-track-cars-series-22-ball-bearing-genoa-car-single-control-sheave-rc12231/dp/28781
I'm not sure if that would work with your Ronstan T track or not.
was looking at this exact thing a couple of hours ago.
I don't know if this helps or is safer than putting your foot on the sheet but basically.
take the lazy jib sheet bring it around to the leeward side and cleat it off tight on a cleat next to the jib car ( I have a cleat here on my boat) .
then loosen the active jib sheet and the other jib sheet will take the weight.
adjust the car as desired
tighten the active jib sheet again
untie the cleated jib sheet and pull it back around.
obviously this cannot be done while in the cockpit.
was looking at this exact thing a couple of hours ago.
I don't know if this helps or is safer than putting your foot on the sheet but basically.
take the lazy jib sheet bring it around to the leeward side and cleat it off tight on a cleat next to the jib car ( I have a cleat here on my boat) .
then loosen the active jib sheet and the other jib sheet will take the weight.
adjust the car as desired
tighten the active jib sheet again
untie the cleated jib sheet and pull it back around.
obviously this cannot be done while in the cockpit.
Now why didnt I think of that
Hi Andy, what you need is a barber hauler.
yeah thats another option, much cheaper and simpler.
HI Andy,
Don't know if this is any help mate, but this is my barber hauler setup.
This gets used for the staysail on the inner forestay , as well as the headsail on the forestay, and the gennaker on the sprit, and seems to work really well.
The red sheet is the headsail, the black sheet was the gennaker sheet. Surprisingly to me, when the headsail is furled, they don't bother removing the sheets from the rings, and the gennaker sheets don't seem to get fouled or rub, which I didn't expect.
And the winch end! Two small jam cleats before the haulers get to the winch. The inhauler (purply one) has a high load and needs a couple of wraps on the winch before releasing the jam cleat, or it will take your hand into the cleat in a heartbeat.
Hi Andy,
my 2 cents - check out a Garhauer system. That's what I've got on a 34 footer - works great single handed.
Good price too.
regards,
allan
I am just looking at doing this too. It's always seems too risky to head on deck when I want to move the car a slot or two on the track and I really want cockpit control. Mine is a Bavaria with a Selden system and I think I can convert the pin-stop cars to line adjusted cars (Selden do both) and still use the same track. Not cheap mind. I made the mistake of trying to adjust a car in too strong wind conditions once and underestimated the forces. The sheet ripped out from under my shoe (and we had luff'd up a bit) whilst I had the car sliding (unpinned) on the track and the car flew right off the end, tearing the off the rubber end stop and launching itself around the deck on the sheet. Never again on an active sheet with a pin stop - lazy sheet or furled sail only.
Thats a sweet setup Shaggy but I'm not brave enough to try it on the old S and S 34.
Datawiz, Thanks for the info on the Garhauer system which Someday mentioned as well.
Here's the cost comparisons on the 2 best deals: (hope this helps you ripster)
Garhauer EZ-G3B $1,484
Harken G273B $1,793
Harken G274B $1,871
The advavantage of the Harken is the ball bearing traveller system.
Amazingly Ronstan is more expensive than Harken at $2,103.64.
My head says Garhauer and save $300 but my ego says I want at least one thing on my boat to have a Harken sticker
Oh yeah and there is a Garhauer EZ-G2B which would be $1,260
Bugger buying new stuff.
I have made an adjustable setup out of ronstan T-Track with pinstops. Simply drill out the pinstops, make (or get someone to make) two (per side) dyneema loops our of 3-4mm, cow hitch them onto the loop of the car then attach the pulleys to the front loop and the shock cord to the back one.
For the pulleys use a double at the front of the car and a double with becket cheek block at the front end of the track. Alternately just use a single at the front of the track and then have your purchase on the way back to the cockpit.
I know the cars you have aren't supposed to move under load but they worked just fine on a S97 #1 in 18knots, here is the boat
Nice work Rumblefish. Looks like you have nailed an awesome solution. I would still have to buy the Ronstan T track (the ones I have are only 1.5m, too short for the S and s 34) and one jib car, because I have lost the other one. (dont ask me how).
The local chandlery gave me an awesome price on the Harken set up so I bit the bullet.
If anyone wants to 2 T tracks at 1.5 and one jib car PM me