Position of Mainsheet in the cockpit

[GwalarnYacht]

Hi CF community,

Last year, in a moment of mental confusion, my friends and I decided to buy a 1972 ferro-cement boat (designed by Laurie Davidson) with the vision to rebuild it. Pretty much everything in the boat was scrapped, except the hull, parts of the deck and rigging.

The months past and we transitioned from being a bunch of sailing newbies to now a bunch of sailing newbies with a drinking problem!

Jokes aside...we are still going strong and just completed the cockpit design. A question we discussed is the positioning of the mainsheet control in the cockpit. We are thinking on working with large steel pad eyes on each side of the cockpit and twin mainsheet controls, rather than a traveler.

We are not sure where exactly we should position the pad eyes! I have uploaded a sketch showing the cockpit design with the steering pedestal in the center and winches on the sides. The end of the boom will reach 124cm into the cockpit with its end right above the pedestal (total length of the boom is 473cm). The sheet attachment position on the boom we can change as needed. Now the question is, would it be better to position the sheet attachment in the cockpit (pad eyes) closer to the pedestal or more forward towards the companionway?

Thanks for helping a bunch of newbies.

[StuM]

If the boom only comes back as far as the binnacle then I'd run the mainsheet to come forward of that. The further back you can run it without interfering with passage around the binnacle, the better.

[gjordan]

The farther forward it is, the more difficult it is to make a good dodger. A good dodger is more valuable than a perfect sheeting angle. Just my opinion. Grant.

[Tillsbury]

If you're rebuilding, is there any chance you could arrange the mainsheet traveller to be somewhere other than in the cockpit? Perhaps on a chunky arch which could be used for radar/solar and whatever?

Travellers in cockpits are horrible

[Suijin]

Any reason not to put it on the coach roof? Mid boom sheeting, gets it out of the way and makes for a safer cockpit.

Main sheet line in the cockpit can be a real hazard during an accidental gybe. Seen more people injured by it on racing boats than by the boom itself.

[Peregrine1983]

Originally Posted by gjordan

A good dodger is more valuable than a perfect sheeting angle. Just my opinion. Grant.

+1 on this...

Edit: Think about bimini placement too...

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Tillsbury

If you're rebuilding, is there any chance you could arrange the mainsheet traveller to be somewhere other than in the cockpit? Perhaps on a chunky arch which could be used for radar/solar and whatever?

Travellers in cockpits are horrible

I agree, I hate cockpit travelers. But OP might ask himself...: do I need a traveler? A traveler only the width of the cockpit provides little control help anyway. The same width traveler on the cabin top forward of the companionway provides a little better control, albeit higher stressed.