Well, Doug...
You've certainly given me a lot to consider there. I'm going sailing
this afternoon, so I'll ponder the options while I drift around in
today's forecast light winds.
My main desire is to remove the mainsheet cleat from the companionway
shelf to make it easier to get in and out of the cabin. Secondarily,
I'd like to make it possible to sail the boat single-handed while
sitting up against the bulkhead. And thirdly, I'd like to be able to
move the boom closer to the centerline while beating upwind.
But I don't want to mess up an already good design. So anything that
makes it more difficult to optimize sail shape, or switch sides
during a tack, or move freely about in the cockpit, or decapitates
any crew I might sail with is a bad thing.
I would also like to avoid installing so much hardware that my boat
looks like some sort of Rube Goldberg contraption. So installing a
lot of blocks and lines around the periphery of the cockpit is
probably not the way I'm going to go. Keeping it simple usually works
best for me.
I have yet to see an ideal solution. It seems like anything I do will
involve some sort of compromise. But I am eager to hear about any
additional ideas anyone has. Don't worry, I won't start drilling
until I am satisfied that I've arrived at the best possible solution
for my boat. Or perhaps the least bad one.
David
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
David W. Wood -=- [EMAIL PROTECTED]
1981 M15 -=- Hull #163
David,
Don't drill any holes yet!!!
I have done a number of travelller/sail twist
experiments from time to time. My M15 is low end
stock as it came from the factory.
I have added a couple of cleats outside the combing,
in line with the end of the tiller. They have been
usefull for a number of things. One of which was a
temporary installation of a traveller.
See
http://www.arlingtonyachtclub.org/Fleets/daysailer/64travelers.htm
for a description of several at the end of the boom.
I got enough ideas from this page to rig one that
works with the mid boom cleat that is on the M15.
I have since removed it as too much hassle.
I now just tie a line to any available fitting at the
end of the boom and tie it off on the windward combing
cleat when the boom is about centered. The slowly let
out the mainsheet until you get the twist you want.
It is not quick release but then I want the twist in
light winds not heavy winds so I am not to concerned
over this. It has to be released and retied for each
tack but is very effective and extremently cheap.
The other techinque I use which is not as effective
but does help is to grab the mainsheet between the
mid boom block and the mainsheet cleat and "hook it"
over the windward jib fairlead and hold it there with
your hand after re-cleating the mainsheet.
Experiment with these before you drill any holes.
A couple of other thoughts - I cruise my M15
extensively and to get the mainsheet out of the way of
the cabin entrance when not sailing I remove a jib
sheet from the jib fairlead and run the main sheet
there instead. This allows the mainsheet to be
cleated tightly and the boom stays in the middle of
the boat.
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