[sailingdog]

A lot of this depends on how your main sheet is setup, as well. With a six-to-one purchase, which is how my mainsheet is setup, a line clutch doesn't make sense. There's enough internal friction to the block system and a lot of line to get moving that keeps the forces and speeds reasonable. If you've got less leverage and NEED to have a winch to make up the difference,, then a line clutch might make sense, since you've got a lot less leverage and less friction.

Some of what I've written does reflect the fact that blowing a sheet on a multihull is far more time critical than on a monohull under certain conditions. However, broaching really isn't one of those conditions, since multihulls tend to be far less likely to broach.

Originally Posted by KeelHaulin

I disagree that a clutch should not be used on a mainsheet. Sorry SD but they can be released with load on them quickly and I'd rather have a clutch on the line and the line wrapped around a winch before letting it free. To pull up on a heavily loaded mainsheet with no other control like wraps on a winch could prove to be more dangerous to the line handler than use of a clutch which is only slightly slower to release.

Yes, line clutches generally have the highest load capacity of all the line control devices. However, there are some, like the older Spinlock ones, which can JAM under a heavy load, and may need to have the line tensioned before they will release. This is one reason I don't like the Spinlock line clutches.

In addition; cam cleats have a much lower load limit so for high loading applications a cluch might be the only way to go aside from cleating off after the winch.

I'd point out that if you're using a single winch to handle multiple lines, unless they're mostly static lines, you've designed or setup the running rigging fairly poorly. Dynamic lines should have their own winch IMHO if at all possible. I have three winches on the cabin top of my boat. The third one has six line clutches in front of it and is for halyards and reefing lines.

No argument that cam/clam cleats aren't as versatile when needing multiple lines led to a single winch—in that situation, line clutches are definitely the way to go.

Multiple clutches in front of the winch also allows use of the winch for more than one line; which can't be done as easily with cam cleats or clam cleats.