Double Ended Sheeting

[bhstech]

Looks like I've gone and purchased an 86 Cat 27. It's winter here so I've only looked at it with the stick down. From the pictures it seems it is a very traditional Mid 80's rigging. There is a triple block in the traveler. On the center bail is a single block with a becket. The sheet is tied to becket and led down and then back up to the middle, down to the triple then up to the rear single block, back to triple on the traveler and then up to the forward single block and then to a turning block on the mast to a organizer on the cabin top and then back to a rope clutch at the rear of the coach roof.
I like a mid boom mainsheet. it's out of the way of the cockpit etc. However, I have some problem with the fact that the sheet is 1) on a clutch, which doesn't release as fast as a cam cleat and is 2) on the roof of the cabin and not fast to get to from the wheel. I could, of course, change the clutch to a cam but I want to do a double ended sheet.
I have sailed on another boat with this arrangement. So, how does this sound? Replace the single with a becket with a double. Instead of ending of at the becket I would lead it back to a block such as a Harken 140 which is a exit block with a cam cleat. It is rated a 200 lbs. Does this arrangement sound OK?
I want to do this because at the end of the boom (or near it) I can let out the sheet in an emergency from the wheel. I don't see I can do this without changing at least the one block. I'm also not sure if the Harken is big enough but I cannot find one larger.
Any alternative arrangements or insights are welcome.

[flopresti]

I wouldn't have a boat with main (or jib) sheets not very near by. I have a double ended main sheet ... just wonderful for jibing . Frank,,,,_/),,,,,

[bhstech]

My thoughts as well. I know I've seem other mid boom sheeting mains'l with double ended sheeting. I'm looking for suggestions on how to do this. I have found a Harken product that seems to be right but it has a working load of 300#. Will this be enough? I don't know where the week point is. If it is the attachment points at the boom I can reinforce that.

[jeremiason]

There were over 6600 Catalina 27s made... Don't reinvent the wheel... Take look at the other C-27s and see what the other owners have done.

The older C-27s were made with a continious sheeting system with Clam Cleats on both sides of the compnionway. My 1977 C-27 had been set up that way. My guess is one of the previous owners thought the Rope Clutch was a good idea and swapped out the Clam Cleat.