Can I ask what the specs are for the Jib winch, and whether its of any advantage to use a larger drum or different gearing. I am about to purchase and just need the reassurance that I am doing the right thing. I would also appreciate the specs on the blocks and jam cleats for the main.
IDUNA’s jib sheet winches are two-speed Barient 28’s. If we ever replace them, I would purchase the the next size larger. Although we are always able to crank in the jib sheet with the low-speed side of the 28’s, the 1st mate, as well as the captain would appreaciate a larger winch.
Hi Stewart, most everything on my BCC, was originally installed or things I copied from what I saw on other BCC’s.
Norm Renolds, or I think that is his name, was the Sam Morse yard foreman, for some years .
He did build a BCC for himself, but added some nice modifications, to his own boat.
One of the things that I copied from that BCC was a main sheet traveler track mounted on the taffrail, instead of the tri-point main sheet block on taffrail arrangement that was installed on most BCC’s .
I was still able to use South Coast multi sheave blocks, and adapted a jam cleat to the lower one , then attached that to a track car.
For me this system has worked well, Douglas
Stewart: Hi!
Zygote’s jib sheet winches are Lewmar Ocean 30STB, P/N 4903002 (in the model designation, ST is self-tailing and B is bronze), with a mass of 5.8 kg each, gear ratios of 2.1:1 clockwise and 4.2:1 anticlockwise to give power ratios of 13.8:1 and 29.2:1 (as specified by Lewmar - I’ve done my own calculations of the power ratio with the 10" winch handle we use, and only get a max power ratio of 28.6). We’re happy with the power those winches deliver. See http://en.lewmar.com/products/index.aspx?lang=1&page_id=49&part_number=49030002 .
Zygote uses the traditional long mainsheet with 4-point block set (a single block to port on the taff rail, a double block on the boom, a single on the taff rail at the centreline, and a single to starboard on the taff rail):
Mainsheet is 27.4 m (90?) of ?? braided polyester and leads (from port to starboard) through:
? Harken cam cleat on a swivel base on the taffrail to port, holding an
? ABI 1644TK heavy duty single teak block (with stainless steel straps and shaft. Cast bronze end-caps thread onto a stainless steel axle. The teak cheeks are through-fastened with brass pins. Bronze roller bearings are held in place with brass snap ring. Safe working load is 3,000 pounds);
? ABI 1604TK double teak block on the boom;
? ABI 1644TK single teak block, on taffrail at the centreline;
? the ABI 1604TK double teak block on the boom again;
? ABI 1644TK single teak block, mounted on a
? Harken cam cleat on a swivel base on the taffrail to starboard.
I’m not certain of the model of the Harken swivel base cam cleats, but they’re probably Harken 280 Offshore Cam-matics on a Harken 1574 Midrange swivel base, see http://www.newjsi.com/detail.aspx?ID=703 . That cam cleat and swivel base is not inexpensive and - as I think we’ve noted previously on this Forum - is over-kill for the job, but they do the job very very nicely.
Sorry for all the edits to this post - they’re the result of me checking and amending the details to get them right.
Cheers
Bil
Too bad the Barients are out of production, they are the gold standard I believe. Pity but they would have been an ideal choice.
Douglas, Ferenc Mate talked about placing a track instead of the multiple block arrangement on the boats. I often wondered why and could come up with no good reason! I note that shaeffer do some nice tracks, I wonder about what kind of mechanical advantage one would need to match the multiple blocks of the original equipment.
ie number of pulleys to give ease of handling.
As usual you do your homework and its great to be able crib your results Bil, many thanks for the info, I am slowly getting things together and appreciate everyones input. Do you have any comment on a track versus the tri block arrangement. Lyle Hess was a smart fella so I would assume he had a good reason to go with the arrangement he specified.
On another tack, I believe that you installed a generator in your boat, may I email you on this, I am presently designing my electrics and am looking at all the options, my email is s.gillies@nl.rogers.com
Stewart: Hi!
Sounds like my PM to you about generators failed. Drat! I’ve noted your e-mail address and will reply directly (you may wish to edit your Forum post and delete your e-mail address before a spam robot finds it).
On travellers, my thoughts are:
A traveller, as you know, delivers a massive benefit when sailing upwind because it allows you to adjust the angle of attack of the mainsail without altering mainsheet tension (and so without modifying the shape of the main).
The benefit of a traveller is bigger on (a) a high profile rig and (b) when the mainsheet attachment is at mid-boom. A BCC has a low profile rig and the mainsheet attaches at the end of the boom, so I think the benefit of a traveller to a BCC is lower.
The BCC rig performs superbly on a close reach (I like a tacking angle around 110 - 120 degrees) and the hydrodynamics of the hull are excellent at boat speeds around 6 knots. Once boat speed has been built on a close reach, you can head up into the wind (ie when tacking, stay off the wind until boat speed is up, then pinch in; when planning windward legs, think not less than 55 degrees off the true wind) (my gratuitous tip when tacking: sit to windward and then turn your head as far as possible over your aft shoulder: that’s where the next tack will take you).
Douglas and I had hoped to sail Calliste and Zygote side by side. Never happened, unfortunately. But it would have been fun to try to assay the advantage that Calliste’s traveller delivers. I’m sure there’s some advantage. But I suspect that it is not as much as on a high profile rig that can point higher than a BCC.
That said,
(a) let me assure you that BCCs do go to weather. I remember Douglas cruising Calliste upwind in the Malacca Strait alongside another cruiser of similar size but different (although respected) design. Calliste kept going, the other boat stalled in the waves. Zygote has done well close reaching in blue water, but we hated beating down the Australian E coast against 25-30 knot trade winds and steep chop (on one horror leg, beating down a narrow channel through the Great Barrier Reef, I calculated that each 1 metre (3 ft) wave hitting the bow slowed Z by 0.7 knots; a couple of those in a row and boatspeed just plummeted).
(b) in calm conditions (5-6 knots and flat sea), I can work the mainsheet through the blocks to get a traveller-like function. But more wind makes it impossible.
(c) the 4-point (or 3-point if you only count the taff rail blocks) traditional block set-up is simple, bullet-proof, and works well. Perfect for cruising. Perfect for reaching.
For a bit of fun, look for the 1937 movie ‘Captains Courageous’ starring Spencer Tracy (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028691/ accept no more recent remake; CC shows up on TCM, some rental shops, and on BitTorrent networks). The movie is forgettable (but it won an Oscar), except for two takes in the last 30 minutes (ST’s line about not fearing dying at sea is also neat). In those two takes, you see what is effectively historical footage of two of the working sailboats that fished the Grand Banks pre-WWII in what passes for an upwind race. Magic. Not a traveller to be seen.
Cheers
Bil
Just a couple of variations from Galatea:
We chose Lewmar 40 winches for our jib winches, wanting more power for our crew. We also chose to add more mechanical advantage by designing a 2:1/4:1 mainsheet arrangement with a double block on a Harken swivel in the center of the taffrail. Both choices have worked out very well for us.
Tom
SV Galatea, #117
I want to thank Bil of BCC Zygote, for his evaluation of a taffrail mainsheet traveler on a BCC .
Gosh, I never even reasoned just why Norm Reynolds changed his 3 or 4 point mainsheet arrangement, to a taffrail traveler arrangement, demarits on me !
I found the taffrail traveler advantageous because it allowed me better access to step out onto the boomkin, which is something I only mostly do inport.
Someone taught me the advantage of climbing back onboard, coming up through the “vee” boomkin opening, then doing a leg over the pushpit,and step down into the cockpit, it was mostly for this reason, I didn’t want the mainsheet lines in my way, while re-boarding.
That boomkin has done head duty in a pinch, too, another reason for less obstructed access , and mounting the Monitor Vane horizontal tubes, underneith was a big plus, too , shhhhhhhh !
My Thanks , Bil , Douglas
I can’t believe how much great stuff comes out of the forum, thanks to everyone.
Is anyone using 3/8" for their mainsheet? Are there any demerits to going with the smaller line?
I’ve purchased a Ronstan set up (similar to the Harken 1574 midrange swivel base) that specs out at 3/8" but will accommodate 7/16. The block arrangement (a triple on the boom to a double on the centerline to 3/8" singles on the Ronstans) gives me a 6:1 purchase (or is that 5:1?).
With this much purchase I’m sure the smaller line can handle the load, but am concerned about the smaller diameter in the hand. I don’t want to drill holes in my taffrail only to find I’ve undersized the fittings and line.