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Line Storage?


Arnie Eaton

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So what are the ways that you have developed for line storage while under way? I mean all the line for the halyards after the jib and main are raised. With all lines coming back to the cockpit, it could be a real mess. I myself will use some belaying pins in brackets mounted on each side of the aft face of the main bulkhead. There will be 3 pins in each bracket with 6 in all. I will have 4 halyards, 1 for jib, 2 for main, and 1 for a topsail. I can also store a couple of bumpers on the pins. These pins will not hold a lot of force, that will be taken up by the use of cleats on the cabin top. Anyways, lets hear some of your ideas for line storage.

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I have my jib and main halyard lead back to cam cleats on the starboard side of the cabin top. I have "halyard bags" attached to the companionway bulkhead, and coil and stash the halyards into the bag. I'm actually using a canvas bag with two pockets I bought at WalMart in the housewares department ... it's really a clothespin holder.

I have two jib sheets, each led back to the deck beside the cockpit. Each is just coiled loosely and laid on the seats, then pushed back so they are out of the way.

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I didn't bring my jib halyard or throat halyard to the cockpit to avoid the extra lines in the cockpit. I just coil them up and hang them on the cleats at the bottom of the mast. I can reach them by stepping inside the cabin. How often do you really need to drop the jib or throat while sailing anyway?

I built some little stowage compartments in the seat backs. They are great for odds and ends (sunscreen etc.) to clear the cockpit. I stow the peak in the starboard and jib sheet (when club footing) in the port. When I use the lapper I have two jib sheets and the starboard side gets two lines - this doesn't always work so well. I don't have much of a trained crew so things usually get real messy when I use the lapper.

You can see how this works in this photo. I really like these little compartments. They work really nice for junk and lines that aren't being adjusted a lot.

log0249.jpg

You can also observe my poor seamanship in this photo. I admit that I often don't remove the fenders. When I'm single handing or with untrained crew (which is most of the time) I really don't have time to remove the relatively hard to get to fenders and then retie them the right length when I need them latter. It's not a matter of lazy as much as efficency. I'm busy sailing which takes 2 hands - 1 for the wheel, 1 for the main sheet, 1 for the jib sheets, 1 to keep the passengers happy, 1 to apply sunscreen etc. Seamanship, Scheesmanship! Where am I going to find another hand for the fenders and where the heck are they when it pipes up and it's time to return to the dock? :roll: I'm not about to heave-to to remove the fenders so that someone thinks I'm a seaman. (Hardly noone in Utah knows what they are anyway.) - Sorry about my little tissy fit.

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Like Phil, my halyards all belay to the base of the mast and I coil line and hang it there as well. In this area I also have two reefing lines and a cam cleat.

The only lines in my cockpit are the two jib sheets and the main sheet. My main is run through a swivel cam cleat and helps keep the main cordage in the fwd part of the cockpit.

MainSheetControls.jpg

I have my compass and beer holder on the sbrd cabin end (backrest) and leave the port side bare for folks to lean up against.

I too have holes in the seat backs for storage of smaller items.

I like to keep the cockpit as uncluttered as possible. I have never had a problem moving forward to tend halyards. It might be a plan to have the peak halyard closer at hand....but I run up for adjustments as needed. Gives me something to do...and it is fun to balance the boat so it sails itself when I am up there.....if I have no helmsman that is. :D

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:oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops:

One oops for every line in the cockpit that justs seems to hang out around at my feet. I haven't tried running the main, peak or jib halyards to the cock pit yet, maybe next season.

I have always liked the belaying pins and the bag idea, my trouble is I don't have the time or hands to get rid of the extra lines when single handing. So each gets its own little area of the cockpit for now. The bags or pins would give crew something to do.

One thing I did was exact use of line, no extra length. And I always lay the line out so it doesn't snag or tangle between tacks.

Someday, I'll have a place to work on my boat in the winter, at least I can plan for spring.

Good thread.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I'm building a Vac. so lots of room on the main bulkhead aft. One set of three on each side of the hatch. See my orig. post above. All halyards will be lead to the cockpit over the cabin top to the cockpit. I'll just use them to hang the coiled halyards out of the way. Just thought it would look sharp and nautical as well practical. They are made of oak. I have another set, but the pins themselves are made of maple with the holders made of oak. This last set will be for sale down the road. Interested parties can e-mail for more details.

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  • 3 years later...

G,day to Phil Gowans this is Johno Mitchell from Bittern ,Victoria in Australia ,Mate I've been looking at your Weekender pictures and find myself drooling at what looks like home made wooden blocks on your mainsheet how do you make them,and especially how do you do that rope strop around the block itself ? I,ve been working on my Weekender since June and I would like to have wooden blocks on mine.I have the hull nearly complete only seats to install,so its all starting to feel like launch isn,t far off.Actually the other thing that I'me stuck on is carving the figure head,an arching dolphin. Stay in touch regards Johno

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This is one article on "How To".  This can take you thru the steps to make the wooden part of the block.  The sheves can be turned from UHMW Poly stock 3/8" or 1/2" thick.  A hole saw can cut the circles, mount them on a 1/4" bolt to use as a shaft and use a drill press for a lathe.  A 3/8" curved microplane will cut the groove in the sheeve easily and then drill out the center hole 1/64" oversized to allow the sheeve to spin freely.

An article in the Marlinspike Sailer has directions on how to form the grommets and another in the same book has rope stropped blocks in it.

http://www.eclectica.ca/boatbuilding/blocks.php

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I just cut off the extra line after I hoist the sails.

Keeps the cockpit nice and clutter free.

Raises heck if you want to douse the sail and re raise them though,  You have to bend on new lines every time but Hey!  Everythingg is a compromise after all.

Don't mind Ray.  He cannot help it, being from Maine and all. ;D

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I have my jib and main halyard lead back to cam cleats on the starboard side of the cabin top.  I have "halyard bags" attached to the companionway bulkhead, and coil and stash the halyards into the bag.  I'm actually using a canvas bag with two pockets I bought at WalMart in the housewares department ... it's really a clothespin holder. 

I have two jib sheets, each led back to the deck beside the cockpit.  Each is just coiled loosely and laid on the seats, then pushed back so they are out of the way.

This is what I did and it works great!  I use the single bags, one for each line.  i don't coil them as they won't feed out well in a hurry.  I use them as a stuff bag, like rope climbers do.

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