Lines to Cockpit/Shareing the Load

[FSMike]

My jib bag zips over the head stay as well as the sail. That way the jib is always hanked on, the jib sheets are always attached, all you do is remove the bag, connect the halyard, unfold the jib along the deck, and hoist. To put it away at the end of the sail, pull it down with the downhaul, reverse the rest of the process, and you're done.
Makes singlehanding easy.

[Squidd]

That's cool..I have a jib bag too...was one of my sewing/repair projects...

I replaced a broken zipper with Industrial Velcro...Takes two hands to rip it apart

[SloopJonB]

Originally Posted by bljones

I'm thinking on a boat under 30' the loads are light enough not to matter.

On a cruising boat I don't see a need for two cabin top winches for sail raising, unlike Harken. Here's their suggested deck layout for a smallish cruising boat.:

The Harken rendering is optimal. Lines led back to the cockpit get a lot of friction added in. On my 1/4 Tonner everything came aft and both the Gennie and the Main had to be winched for the last 1/3 of the hoist. The halyards exited at the bottom of the mast so you couldn't "jump" them. Secondary winches in the cockpit of a boat under 30' are a luxury but I'd have two halyard winches for sure.

[SloopJonB]

Originally Posted by Squidd

Actually, what about a cam holding till I can tie off on a cleat...? Cleats I have...

How about mounting a CLAM cleat where you'd mount a clutch? If you set it at the right height, the line would slide through it as you winched in and then you could remove the line from the winch, just like with a clutch.

Should be strong enough for 30' and under. They only cost a few bucks too.

[PaulinVictoria]

A clutch is the right way to go, cam cleats are just too easy to catch and ping the line out of, and before you know it, the sail is on the deck. Usually at the most inopportune moment of course.

[bljones]

Of course, things can get kind of extreme:
Here's the clutch farm on a bluejacket 23, a catboat:

[bljones]

Originally Posted by SloopJonB

The Harken rendering is optimal. Lines led back to the cockpit get a lot of friction added in. On my 1/4 Tonner everything came aft and both the Gennie and the Main had to be winched for the last 1/3 of the hoist. The halyards exited at the bottom of the mast so you couldn't "jump" them. Secondary winches in the cockpit of a boat under 30' are a luxury but I'd have two halyard winches for sure.

I can appreciate that. I figure a deck organizer and a turning block are cheaper than a second halyard winch, and I like having my halyards run to one station. But, that two winch symmetry sure is purty.

[Squidd]

Well, considering the boat has 34 years of use with just a line led to a winch and tied off on a cleat...(no cam, clam, or clutch) anything I add will be a bonus...

I think I will run the second halyard down and back to cockpit (parallel to first halyard)
I'll add a pair of cams, pre-winch, and then an additional cleat, post winch, to tie off on and back up the cam(s)...One longer halyard and I'm good to go...

Then down the line (time wise) I can add the clutchs, pre-cam, as cash flow allows....