tightening the sail halyard on a 96 CP16

[jb]

the angle for my sail halyard exiting the cheek block at the bottom of the mast to the securing cleat is roughly a 45 degree angle. The angle makes it much more difficult to tighten the halyard than if I was able to pull the halyard directing back in line with the cheek block.

Has anyone altered this arrangement by installing another cleat, rope clutch etc.   If so what have you done.

thanks for any responses.

j 

[skip1930]

Both my halyards turn on blocks secured on the dog house roof than lead to a deck organizer also screwed through the dog house roof. From the deck organizer the halyards jam through the rope clutches.

When I first look~see'ed my CP-19 years ago I replaced both halyards and sheets with longer lines.

Now to tighten up the halyards. I usually take a few wraps around the port side winch and crank the headsail halyard up. And this also allows me to operate the sheet of the mainsail from the 'high side' of the boat by bending that sheet around the winch.

The headsail halyard is used with a Harken 0-0 furler and only is cranked tight-up once a year.

skip.

[Salty19]

I'll guess the prior owner slapped a cheek block on there, patted himself on the back for a job well done and called it day.  You want a swiveling block on the mast, not a cheek block, that will allow the block to rotate for best alignment.

Frankly I would put the cheek block on the deck, a swiveling block on the mast and keep the halyard as low to the deck as you can.  So the line will run down to the swivel block, over to the cheek (line a few inches off the deck), then run through the cheek and aft towards the cleats.  With the halyard up high it's a tripping hazard, and as you said the bad angle isn't doing you any favors.

Gotta love prior owners and their brilliant ideas.

Also don't underestimate a clean and lubed mast slot.  A dirty, dry mast slot and boltrope main creates a lot of friction.

Good luck.

[MacGyver]

"A dirty, dry mast slot and boltrope main creates a lot of friction."

A lot more than one would think!!

Mac

[jb]

like the swiveling block suggestion and probably the most practical and easiest solution...

re the pair of cheek blocks at the base of the mast...can't blame it on the elderly gentleman and original owner from whom I purchase  my boat, it was a
Hutchin's installation......

I have slugs on the mainsail and keeping the track clean and lubed is part of my spring ritual. However, thanks for emphasizing the issue and reinforcing it's importance.



j

[MHardy]

On my 1983 CP16, the main halyard simply runs from the top of the mast to the cleat at the bottom of the mast. I raise the main and cleat it off. No blocks on the cabin top. Depending on the weather, I raise the main kneeling on the cabin top or standing in the companionway. Either way, it's just pulling straight down.

[jb]

MHardy,

yep, my first C16 had the same setup and worked well.  Hutchins probably wanted to make raising the main from the cockpit doable, idea was good, location of the nice, bronze cleat could have been better. Fortunately, the brain trust of this forum came up with a easy solution.

j

[Duckie]

On my 88 CP 16, the halyard turns through a cheek block at the base of the mast in a straight pull back to the cockpit.  I am assuming that this is the stock set up for that years' boat. When I raise the main, I don't tighten it up at all with the halyard.  I raise the sail to the top of the mast with plenty of slack in everything, cleat it off and tighten the downhaul.  That is the method recommended in the owners manual.  If you have a cheek  block that turns out 45 degrees, that is pretty extreme.  On my weekender I made a cheek block for my jib halyard in order to lead it back to the cockpit which leads the halyard out at an angle, but will replace it with a rope stropped block that will turn to align with the pull. 

My main sail has slugs.  The slot in the mast is clean but not lubricated.  What do you use to lube this particular part of the rig?  Right now I can't complain about how easy it is to raise the sail, but I am a big fan of being able to raise and strike the sail in seconds without a big fuss.  If lube will help this, I am real interested.

Al

[carry-on]

The angle from the cheek block to the cleat should not cause a problem. With the main halyard in hand you can hoist the main with zero angle. When you have the tension you want, take the halyard to the cleat and secure. The picture below does not give a good idea of the angle from the cheek block. I would estimate 25 to 30 degrees. I don't think it matters.
The goose neck needs to slide freely and the slugs or bolt rope should be smooth and the down haul loose. If the hoisting goes easily until you near the masthead, you could inspect for an obstruction, mast track dent or mast head sheaves that bind as the load increases.
Hoisting the main while in irons should be easy on the 16.
A lube of the mast track, slugs and sheaves can really help. I use McLube sailkote a couple times a year. It is a little expensive, but a can lasts quite awhile.

[Duckie]

What I found on my jib halyard was that the cheek  block caused a fair amount of twisting of the line.  This is the first time I have seen this in any of the rigging that I made so it was perplexing.  On the other side of the mast I have the main sail halyards turning through a wooden double block in a similar fashion.  This block does not twist the lines so I figure that I will replace the cheek block with a rope stropped  block like the main halyards have which should solve the problem.  Maybe.  I have spent four years on the rigging of that boat and am not done yet.  I won't give up until I have absolute control of both sails from a seated position in the cockpit.

Al

[Salty19]

Very interesting...I never knew Hutchins put cheek blocks on the mast.  I had always seen either no block or swivel block clipped to the tabernacle.

Carry-On's explanation seems to make sense.  Pull straight aft, then once hoisted keep tension and move halyard to block.

The cleats on my old 16 were mounted further to beam. I think it was the Hutchins "kit" installed by an owner, but one can never be too sure of the history sometimes.

Here's the setup I ended up with and liked it. Stand up block on deck, cheek block and swivel cam cleat.  I left the old cleats to hang fenders.  I wonder who owns this boat these days?

[jb]

Carry-on, I have been using the method of hoisting the sail and using the down haul that you recommended. My cleat/s are mounted in the same location as Salty19's boat, so the angle going from the mast mounted cheek block is different than what you have on your boat.  Somehow, I'm unable to keep consistent halyard tension while trying to cleat the line.  Things may be "as good as it gets" with the my present system but, I still not satisfied with it.  I expect that the swivel block will makes the difference.

Ducky, the " McLube sailkote " used by Carry-on is a popular recommendation.

Thanks everyone for your input.

j