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Tin Bin: Outboards vs. Mizzen sheets


styge

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Miraculously, Tin Bin is almost ready to get wet under sail after four years of the odd dip with the outboard.  Havig mounted the sheet blocks on the transom, I've noticed the sheets look like they will be fouled by the outboard.  I can't really set it up to put on a take off easily as its a little on the heavy side.  It's a 4hp Suzuki.  Has anyone dealt with this issue?  Does anyone have any ideas on the subject.

Thanks.

(at some point I'll be posting some fun pics of Tin Bin encased in ice this Winter!)

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Probably not much help but I put my outboard on one of those bracket mounts that bolts to the transom and adjusts up and down. With the mount about half way up and the outboard tilted forward it is clear of the sheets. I have the aft deck configuration so hanging the outboard directly off the transom wasn't an option. If I remember right you have yours hung on the transom, and probably don't want to go to the expense and trouble of adding the bracket type mount.

Maybe a traveler that would pass over the hight of the outboard?

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I have entertained the idea of an outboard bracket, but it wouldn't really help me as the height of the outboard cowl is almost 18" of the transom.  Same with mounting on the rudder, wouldn't help.  I'm thinking I will need to add a boom gallows of sorts and add a traveller to that it I want a completely unhindered sheet.  The only other idea I had was a motor well, and don't really want to go there!

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My mizzen sheet runs through a yoke to keet it off the aft deck, and then along the boom to a cleat at the mast base.

Well that's an interesting approach I hadn't thought of.  I like it.  You mention booms though, not sprits.  I wonder if the same approach could be applied to sprits without it too complicated.

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I doubt it- that would really complicate the sprit. Best to have the sheet come off the end at the clew.

Graham says that's the one drawback to a cat ketch the mizzen sheet hanging on things. Maybe a yoke across the tiller like the old style boats had, would be the answer.

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My mistake, I wrote boom, should have wrote sprit. 

The mizzen sheet bitter end is tied at the end of the sprit, runs down through a block on the yoke and back to the block at the end of the sprit, then along the sprit to another block near the mast, turns down to a cleat on the mast near the thwart. 

What I like about this is the missen sheet is always right there at the thwart,  I can find it without looking for it. No reaching back behind meself to find it.

Oh, and with the yoke keeping the sheet off the deck there has been no trouble with hangups back there.

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Brent,

I for one would be interested in a photo essay of your mizzen sheet system.  Maybe even a drawing of your rigging.  My new Yamaha kicker tends to catch the mizzen sheets more than my old outboard did.  I assume that you also ended up with a 2:1 purchase as a result of your handywork.  Does the sheet rub on the mizzen sail where it comes off the sprit?

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The rig is actually simple. 

The yoke at the stern keeps the mizzen sheet up off the deck and give better sheeting angles than running to blocks on the deck. (avoid lots of downward sheet pressure on these cat sprit rigs - destroys sail shape.)

A pair of blocks are suspended from the sprit for the sheet to run forward just under the sprit.  The aft block is at the aft end of the sprit, and has a becket for attaching the bitter end of the sheet.  There is a two to one purchase provided here.  The forward block is just aft of where the mizzen sprit crosses the mizzen mast, and turns the sheet down to a cleat.

The cleat is located at the mizzen mast just above the thwart.

The mizzen sheet is the white/red line running down the center of the mizzen mast in the "new years reach" picture

The yoke and block can be seen in the other picture

post-75-129497659544_thumb.jpg

post-75-129497659549_thumb.jpg

post-75-129497659553_thumb.jpg

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Move the purchase for the bridle far enough forward that the sheet will clear the engine. This may be as little as a few inches or a foot. The loading on the end of a sprit boom is very light, so the slightly disadvantaged purchase (less then desirable angle) isn't going to make a noticeable difference.

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