Main Halyard 2:1 or Single

[cvondo]

howdy! i just got back from the bahamas on my st francis 44. i presently have a single line main halyard but was curious if anyone knew if a 2 to one pulley halyard would be better for the sheaves . the stress on the halyard is intense but i can crank it up moderately easily with the winch. should i have a 2 to one for a 700 sq ft main? thanks for the help chris

[smurphny]

Your mainsail was constructed with an optimal amount of force that should be applied along the luff and the sheave system is designed to easily take that load. When luff ropes are sewn in, they are put under tension simulating halyard tension. Any more or less will distort the sail shape. The downhaul or cunningham should be used to get the luff tension just right and move the center of effort of the sail if/when needed, not the halyard. Don't know why you would need a 2:1 advantage other than to maybe make it easier for someone smaller to crank it up.

[DotDun]

My main is 721 sq.ft. and has a 2:1 purchase in the halyard.

[ggray]

Originally Posted by cvondo

howdy! i just got back from the bahamas on my st francis 44. i presently have a single line main halyard but was curious if anyone knew if a 2 to one pulley halyard would be better for the sheaves . the stress on the halyard is intense but i can crank it up moderately easily with the winch. should i have a 2 to one for a 700 sq ft main? thanks for the help chris

Two to one will reduce the compression load on the mast, and allows the use of a smaller halyard. Less load on the rope clutch securing the halyard.
One negative is that removal or replacement means a trip up the mast. Hmmm...maybe we should rig 3 to 1.

[spiritcat]

2:1 means half the weight to pull up the mast, but twice the amount of halyard needed. I have a 2:1 with a 635 sq ft main and would not like to pull it up on 1:1.
As it is, I sometimes use the anchor winch to pull the main up - getting lazy!

Peter

[sailingaway221]

Just putting 2 to 1 on my St. Francis 43..... was on a Catana 55 with it and a bigger main and it made life very easy and according to the rigging guy reduces the loads on all the fittings significantly.

[DotDun]

Originally Posted by spiritcat

....but twice the amount of halyard needed.

Only 50% more. 1:1 is 2 trips up the mast whereas 2:1 is 3 trips up the mast

[thinwater]

I had a 2:1 halyard on my last cat, converted from a wire/rope combination. I was very happy with it. The only reason I havn't changed this boat is that it hoist very smoothly by hand; I only winch the last foot.

Downside
* 2 x as much rope to haul, but easy and fast.
* 2 x as much rope to store at the base of the fast, but smaller dia.
* Climb the mast to replace. I would refresh the knot at the top every other season, cutting of a few feet, to move the chafe points. The halyard lasted for 8 years! Do NOT splice the top; use a figure-8 and plan to remove it with a knife. Also, make certain the block has no sharp spots, as it will be pulled up tight to the masthead. Check it often for burs (I started with an all-metal block and had terrible chafe troubles--I switched to a Harken mostly-plastic block and was much happier).

Upside
* Much easier, particularly those time when something snaggs (lazy jack or reef) and you have to stop-and-go.
* Reduced stretch, if the same size rope is used, though most people down size.

[Tropical Home]

Any pictures how a 2:1 is setup?

[SearenitySail]

Originally Posted by Tropical Home

Any pictures how a 2:1 is setup?

I have a 2:1 setup and my mainsail is only 422 sq ft. Main halyard leads back to the cockpit and I can pull all but the last 3 ft up without the winch.

This picture is the best I can find on the internet. Basically one end of the halyard is affixed to the top of the mast, comes down and through a block and back up to the top of the mast and down like the original sheet (though the shackle--pic attached) supposedly works real well and doesn't take up as much room as a block).

Be careful the halyard isn't twisted when attached to the sail or you won't be able to hoist the sail all the way up.

Marshall

[donradcliffe]

Make sure that your halyard block can't swivel and let the 2 parts of the halyard twist. I saw a cat struggling to drop the main with a twisted 2:1 halyard.

[spiritcat]

To Dotdun, the comment was twice the amount of halyard needed, with a 2:1, you will need to move twice the amount of halyard as a 1:1 arrangement to get the main up. It does mean more weight in rope and more to store at the base of the mast, but it makes life easier and that is important.

Peter

[DotDun]

Originally Posted by spiritcat

To Dotdun, the comment was twice the amount of halyard needed, with a 2:1, you will need to move twice the amount of halyard as a 1:1 arrangement to get teh main up. It does mean more weight in rope and more to store at the base of teh mast, but it makes life easier and that is important.

Peter

Sorry, I thought you were referring to twice the length of halyard was required for a 2:1 purchase. Yep, I have a good pile at the base of the mast to stow after pulling up the main, but I don't believe I could pull it by hand without the purchase. As it is, I crank (actually cheat with a 28v Milwaukee drill) the last 25%.

[Vasco]

Met a cruiser this year with a big Brazilian cat. He uses a great big 1/2 inch Milwaukee battery driven drill with a winch fitting on it. Works like a charm. He used to have a 2:1 halyard but it took forever to hoist.

[Agility]

Another picture.