As we are all aware our boats have a very large main sail and i personally think the stock main sheet arrangement is less than ideal. Who has upgraded their main sheet blocks and line?
On Hippō the main sheet is Dyneema 11mm Marlow D2 Race with up sized blocks.
Upgrade? I might like to go to a lighter line but my hands like the nice thick old sheet. I have a dock line snubber on the sheet to take up shock that works well, so low stretch isnt required. Also i have never used a winch handle in the mainsheet winch, just luff a bit and pull. I need to renew the standup block because after 40 years it’s worn out. Now i woul love to have a snapshackle standup block so i can get it out of the way but that doesn’t exist.
For the Spring, I bought some Sail Right 7/16 double braid for the main sheet (it feels good in my hands) and also a pair of fiddle blocks to replace the single blocks on my 26. They are probably oversized but should make handling the main easy. My only concern is that they will likely be more subject to twisting - I’ll look for a way to prevent that.
Personally I never have wanted more advantage on the main sheet as previous post mentioned. I usually can pull the sheet in by hand when tacking or gybing but it’s not unusual to have to grind it in when under load.
Also, I’ve never felt the need to soften Hippō by adding shock absorption in any way. Just mind the sheet while the boat comes around and if there is a bit of a bang I’d much prefer knowing I won’t break something because it’s undersized.
One change that appears on many of the boats is to install an eye on the deck with a large backing plate, run the sheet from there to the block on the boom end, and from there down to the mainsheet block on the deck or coaming. This eliminates the need for a fiddle block, and spreads the load across two points on the deck/coaming rather than putting all the mainsheet loads in one place.
The first Nonsuch 26 I owned had the fiddle block arrangement. My current N26 has the two-point arrangement, as does my friend Phil’s N36. I haven’t noticed a significant difference on my size boat, but I suspect the case for doing it gets stronger as the size of the boat goes up.
– Bob
There is a 36’ listed in Ontario with a beefed up Mainsheet block… with a beefed up mainsheet block. Doesn’t look original ( but I’ve never been on a 36’) and I don’t see any snubbers on the mainsheet. If I wanted to upgrade Soave, this is where I’d start. For now the subbers will need to suffice.
She’s incorrectly listed as a Nighthawk.
I really like that arrangement! It gets the black higher, Hippō’s main sheet often is pulling down on the push pit rail and rubbing on the cockpit combing when running down wind.
Getting the block higher would solve that!!
Thank you,
Colle
Rob,
That reinforced post you saw in an ad for a N36 definitely is nice!
FWIW, my friend Phil’s N36 is hull #3, and does NOT have anything like that. His has a two-part set up with the mainsheet starting on deck eye behind the coaming, running up to the boom, and back to a block on the coaming – similar to my current N26, but much heavier duty.
– Bob
Me Gusta
Nonsuch e26U #233
