Main halyard setup

[Cevin c Taylor]

http://youtu.be/i-oQ3Ha8_ZM


I was watching this video of someone sailing a C16 on Youtube, and I noticed at the beginning that he has the mail halyard (I think that's the term - the line to raise the main) running to a cleat that is on the top of the cabin, to the left of the companionway sliding roof.  My '83 doesn't have this cleat.  The halyard attaches to a cleat on the mast.  The setup seen here would be convenient for having to lower the main quickly.  Right now I have to scramble up to the mast and uncleat it.  Any disadvantages to this?  Is it a common setup?  I also notice that his jiblines run back to the rear of the cockpit.  Mine are held by spring loaded "grabber" cleats (term?), one on each side of the cabin roof.  I think you should be able to see the video by cutting the link and pasting it.

[JBC]

Wolverine,

A quick answer to your questions pertains to the difference in your '83 and later models.  The boat in the video has a bow sprit, which makes it at least a MKII version of the ComPac16.  My '86, a MKII, had the cleats as shown in the video.  My older '80 had the halyard cleats on the mast, as in your case.  As shown in the video, those cleats do make it easier to lower the halyards quickly from the cockpit.  Also, the MKII came with adjustable cam cleats on rail tracks set up so that various size headsails could be accommodated.  If a full genoa were flown using the regular cam cleats on your boat, the jib sheet would angle straight up or forward of the clew of the jib!  The rails let you adjust the jib sheet angle for proper sail shape.

Jett

[Pacman]

Main sail halyards are commonly led to the cabin top on race boats to allow quick adjustment of luff tension to alter sail shape during races.  Other than that, they are of little use on a small boat where one person is handling the sail.

I have found that, if I slide the hatch cover forward, I can stand on the floor of the cabin facing the bow and easily reach the main sail halyard cleat on the mast.

Then, from that standing position, after you release the halyard from the cleat on the mast, you can quickly pull the main sail down without moving from that safe and secure position.

Even if your halyard is led back to the cabin top, you still have to reach the mast to pull the main sail down.

My main sail halyard cleat is are going to remain on the mast. 

However, you might consider using a jib downhaul and leading the jib halyard back to the cabin top.  That way you could quickly drop the jib without moving forward.

[Salty19]

This setup is called "Aft led Halyards" and was an option for most of the earlier years. 

It was added on my old '82 in the mid-90's.

All it is is a small block at the base of the mast and the cabintop cleat.  I replaced that setup with a mounted stand-up block, cheek block and a cam cleat.  I liked the cam cleat because I could pull the sail up and cleat it quickly to free your hands for a second to continue pulling the sail up, without it falling back down on you.  Quick and easy reefing too.

[Cevin c Taylor]

Thanks for the responses.  Looks like I'll not take the trouble to put the cleats on the cabin roof, but I will look into making a jib downhaul.