Turning main block ratchet on - a knock over quarantee?

Hi everyone!
I have noticed an interesting thing. Whenever I sail with a ratchet turned on it is almost a guarantee for me to get knocked over in a gust. It seems there is never enough time to let main sheet out, for it to slip through the block.
On the other hand it is very tiring (to the point I cannot hold it anymore) not to use the ratchet and not to cleat because I most often sail in very gusty conditions.
One of solutions is to work on improving my hand grip.
Any other thoughts? Tips?

Thanks a lot!

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Yuri
Hobie 16
Laser Vago

Higher wind I run the ratchet and don't cleat it as much. Then you can hold it easily.

This is what I try to to - use ratchet in high winds, but then I can't let out main fast enough...

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Yuri
Hobie 16
Laser Vago

You reacting instead of anticipating would be my guess. You can see gusts coming across the water. Keep your head out of the boat.


Yuri if I could follow this advice I'd be a better sailor too.

travel out a ways too....

smaller diameter sheet

5/16" to 3/8" max. (8 to 10mm)

_________________
Sheet In...Max Out
www.fleet297.org
sailflatlands at gmail dot com

John, he's got my 06', so its got 3/8 main on it. or at least did.

Is the line routed correctly on the sheaves? Is it a 5 to 1 or 6 to 1 ratio. I have seen people with the 5 to 1 hook the sheaves on the boom incorrectly. The sheave with the becket goes furthest aft.

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Howard

Ahh

Yuri,

Maybe you're sailing too close to the edge for gusty conditions? If you've got the hull way up out of the water, you're bound to be swimming a higher percentage of the time.

How about pushing the tiller away when a gust hits?...heading up, pinching, in effect does the same thing as sheeting out. Or, try heading up and sheeting out at the same time, a little of both.

I leave a half wrap of sheet around the widest part of my hand/palm. This is a bit easier to hold, compared to just gripping a straight line.

Karl's point is very important, look ahead for the gusts coming, the water will look darker, unless you're sailing close to a windward shore, where you have no indicator from the water surface. In that case try sailing in more open water or closer to the lee shore.

Make that flip of the wrist to release the main cleat jaws something you can do 95% of the time on the first flip. Know that when the big gust hits the tension on the sheet increases so you'll have to be pulling in on the sheet and flipping to get the jaws to release...practice. I like to release with my sheet hand close to my chest so I can let out an arms length of sheet and not dump (releasing the line completely) the whole main. That, in conjunction with heading up a bit, will "usually" keep me from going over, and able to get going again much faster.

Have fun!

_________________
Sheet In...Max Out
www.fleet297.org
sailflatlands at gmail dot com

How does one turn the rachet on or off, I didn't know they had one?

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Alfred
'87 H16 Sail 89907
If you aren't sailing on the edge, you're taking up too much room.

Guys, thanks a lot for all these comments.

Yep, the sheet is still the same 3/8, yes, it is routed correctly. Yes, I set the traveler out a bit, but I can only do this while on the tramp. And I swear I try to anticipate the gusts.

I guess, you're right, it maybe too close to the edge. See, I finally learnt to be in line with the tramp while hiking out, so me and the tramp are one straight line, the boat is screaming through water, and now a gust comes - all I want to do first is to go even faster, then I realize this is not going to happen and by the time all this goes through and settles in my head it is too late to head up. I need to worry about not hitting the mast with my forehead.

I never put any McLube on that center ratchet sheave, thinking that would sort of defy the ratchet, now I'm wondering if that will be of some help?

I think it depends on your main block whether you have a ratchet or not. My boat is 2006, so many goodies came standard. It is a small vertical knob on the right side of the lower block. See if you have one.

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Yuri
Hobie 16
Laser Vago

I am learning to sail more and more with the ratchet off and not cleating the main.The main sheet always needs small minor adjustments to accomadate wind shifts , velocity changes and waves.I think as you improve the adjustments (in sync with the tiller movements) get smaller and smaller.Keep practicing with the main uncleated and head out of the boat.When you see a puff coming the thinking is ease, hike and trim.I will try to find an article that Merrick had on this topic.BTW 5/16th's is the way to go with main sheet.

here is the article

SEEING THE WIND
(Olympic silver medalist Bob Merrick believes that one of the most useful skills on the water is being able to discern when a puff will hit, and how strong it will be. Here are two excerpts from his story posted on the SailNet website.)

* One of the skills that often separates the best sailors from the rest of the fleet is the ability to see the wind. This is critical because it enables them to consistently get to the windier side of the course and thus sail faster than their competition. How do they do it? Well, seeing the wind directly is obviously impossible, but there are a number of ways to indirectly see what the wind is doing farther up the course. Keeping an eye out to windward for the behavior of flags and other boats is one important way, but these clues are not always available. Veteran sailors know that the most consistent way to see the wind is by observing how it effects the water.

* The best way to practice spotting puffs is to spend time trying to predict when you're going to sail into them. This is a great way to improve your sailing because you can do it by yourself in any boat that can be single-handed. To run the drill, just sail upwind and try to spot puffs ahead of you. In the beginning, don't worry about tacking for puffs. When you see a puff, try to predict how many seconds it will be before you sail into it, then start counting down the seconds. If you hit the puff at zero you've done it perfectly. After practicing upwind, turn around and do the same thing downwind. After a while, you'll also develop the ability to discern how strong a particular puff will be, which is valuable information because it allows you to anticipate the effect and trim accordingly.

Sailing into more wind can greatly increase your boat's speed, but in order to get to the best puffs you need to get a good look upwind. Standing up on the deck will get your eyes a little higher up off the water, which is a good way to get a better view. On most boats you can't sail the whole race standing on the deck so it becomes especially important to stand up and get a look to windward before the start of a race. - Bob Merrick, SailNet website

Another thought...

Crew weight would make a big difference on how the sail feeds out. Light crew can not hold the boat down as the sheet feeds out. That and being on the wire. If you are light or sitting on the tramp... ratchet-on would cause more delay sheeting out and a faster heel.

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Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

Depends on the blocks, but is normally on the side. Ratchet-on will allow the sheave to turn only in the sheeting-in direction. It then locks as you sheet out and helps to hold some of the load. Ratchet-off is free spinning in both directions and better for light air.

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)