Leading Halyards Aft

[sailingdog]

As part of my spring projects this year, I decided to lead the halyards aft on my boat. To do this, I asked my friend Bob to make up some halyard block attachment plates for the mast step. Here's a photo of the new mast step with some of the blocks in place.



As part of this project, I'm also installing four Lewmar D1 double-line clutches. Recently, another Sailnet user asked me about line clutches, and I told him to buy the Lewmar line clutches, rather than the Spinlock or Garhauer ones he was considering. The reasons for this are:

• The Lewmars are less expensive than the Garhauer or Spinlock clutches
• The Lewmars are less abrasive to the halyards than the Garhauer or Spinlock clutches
• The Lewmars have some of the best holding power, and can be released gradually even under heavy loads, allowing you to ease the line, rather than let it go suddenly

The Spinlocks can't always be released if heavily loaded, so IMHO, they're more of a line jammer than a clutch. The only downside to the Lewmar clutches is that they can only handle a limited range of line sizes. For instance, the line clutch in the photo can only handle 10-12 mm lines (3/8-7/16"). A Spinlock or Garhauer could handle over twice that range—5/16-9/16".

Here's a photo of one of the line clutches I installed for the halyards project.



The deck in this location is solid fiberglass, and the line clutch was installed using four 1/4x20 bolts and a 3/16" aluminum backing plate. The labels on the clutch are not correct, as the two lines are the outhaul and the mainsail halyard.

The small Spinlock PX powercleat you see just forward and inboard of the Lewmar is for one of the two ama retraction lines, which will allow me to retract the amas from the cockpit.

The other three double line clutches will be installed on the port side of the companionway, along with another winch. A fifth line double line clutch will be installed on the port side of the boat, roughly symmetrical to the one in the photo above.

[chucklesR]

SD,
Good job
Did you check out the configuration and loading with Tony first or just go for it?
As you know I'm considering the same but going for a 'no new holes' approach on my cabin top by using the existing 1 1/4 jib sheet track with a turning block instead of installing a separate block and backing plate.That limits me to leading only two lines aft (main halyard and first reef) but that will work for me and how I sail.

[steelboat]

SD, I've been wondering how that project was going, and am glad to see it seems to have worked out OK. Once you get the kinks out it should be a pretty good system.
We're finally in ( have been for about a week and a half) and are slowly moving towards fully functional. New cushions are great... it's like having a whole extra room in the house, compared to last year. Bow and stern rails close to ready for installation, too, so we'll have real lifelines.
Best, Bob S/V Restless

[speciald]

Watch for wear on the shieves. I had to rplace all the Lewmar Oceans block as the shieves wore and cut the lines where they passed through the blocks.

[labatt]

SD - The Lewmar clutches are great. I've got 12 D2's on my boat. The one issue to watch out for is the use of small diameter high-tech line. Although the specifications show for the allowance of 5/16" line, 5/16" high-tech line will slip. The good news, sort of, (for me) was that Lewmar sort of stood behind their product and paid for a good portion of the replacement of the 5/16" line on my boat (and we could use a larger diameter line). I think they should have paid for the entire thing since we used their parameters, but whatevah. Anyway, we love these clutches and we have ZERO damage to our lines that run through them (unlike our old clutches). I like your mast step - we have something very similar and they are incredibly handy. Here are my clutches on one side (excuse the green circle - I was trying to point something out to someone else).

[Cruisingdad]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

As part of my spring projects this year, I decided to lead the halyards aft on my boat. To do this, I asked my friend Bob to make up some halyard block attachment plates for the mast step. Here's a photo of the new mast step with some of the blocks in place.



As part of this project, I'm also installing four Lewmar D1 double-line clutches. Recently, another Sailnet user asked me about line clutches, and I told him to buy the Lewmar line clutches, rather than the Spinlock or Garhauer ones he was considering. The reasons for this are:

• The Lewmars are less expensive than the Garhauer or Spinlock clutches
• The Lewmars are less abrasive to the halyards than the Garhauer or Spinlock clutches
• The Lewmars have some of the best holding power, and can be released gradually even under heavy loads, allowing you to ease the line, rather than let it go suddenly

The Spinlocks can't always be released if heavily loaded, so IMHO, they're more of a line jammer than a clutch. The only downside to the Lewmar clutches is that they can only handle a limited range of line sizes. For instance, the line clutch in the photo can only handle 10-12 mm lines (3/8-7/16"). A Spinlock or Garhauer could handle over twice that range—5/16-9/16".

Here's a photo of one of the line clutches I installed for the halyards project.



The deck in this location is solid fiberglass, and the line clutch was installed using four 1/4x20 bolts and a 3/16" aluminum backing plate. The labels on the clutch are not correct, as the two lines are the outhaul and the mainsail halyard.

The small Spinlock PX powercleat you see just forward and inboard of the Lewmar is for one of the two ama retraction lines, which will allow me to retract the amas from the cockpit.

The other three double line clutches will be installed on the port side of the companionway, along with another winch. A fifth line double line clutch will be installed on the port side of the boat, roughly symmetrical to the one in the photo above.

Well, I don't like it.

First of all, you can tell by looking at the picture that the block is exactly 1/2 of 1% to far to starboard. If you were in a cat 5 hurricane for 6 months straight, that line would definitely chafe. That makes it unsafe for any saltwater use.

Second of all, the clutch looks like it is at least a 1/16th of an inch twited too far to staboard. ABYC specifically states that, "All multihulls which uses clutches must be precise in their placement or the hull will fail, the boat will pitchpole, and loss of dog could/will happen." I cannot remember the exact location of that in ABYC, but I am sure it is there.

Third of all, that particular location would have been an ideal mounting spot for a second BBQ. You messed that up too.

It is obvious to me that you are new here. Before making any more of these type of posts, please follow the following link:

http://www.sailnet.com/forums/genera...t-sailnet.html

- CD

[Idiens]

For those used to Spinlock clutches and thinking of changing to Lewmar clutches:-

The lever handle operates in the opposite direction.

Guess how I found out.

[jbondy]

Originally Posted by Idiens

For those used to Spinlock clutches and thinking of changing to Lewmar clutches:-

The lever handle operates in the opposite direction.

Guess how I found out.

You don't have to tell me about it! I am in the process of completing the same project. I installed the clutches and when I went to test them, I found that with the clutch locked, I couldn't pull the line tighter and the line would run out. Now I know what the little picture of a winch on one side of the clutch means!

But why they decided to mnake their clutch work the opposite of every other clutch I've used in my life is beyond me. I was thinking I should reverse the pawls in the winch so it turns counter-clockwise, too. That'll show me!

[Idiens]

Originally Posted by jbondy

I was thinking I should reverse the pawls in the winch so it turns counter-clockwise, too. That'll show me!

Somewhere that's done deliberately for port and starboard winches.

It would confuse the hell out of me.

[GeorgeB]

SD, do you have a photo from the inside? I am interested in how you finished the install from the interior side. I too, would like to add some clutches, but the bolts and nuts would protrude into either the galley or head and I’m afraid of “head knockers”.