Mast Add-ons - main halyard

I promised to take some pictures for everyone and here is the first post. Here are some things added to my mast that really help sail handling:

This large Harken cam cleat allows you to jump the main sail halyard instead of pulling it up in the cockpit. You simply grab the halyard as it exits the mast and pull down with your body weight. Between jumps you "park" it in the cleat. The sail goes up in seconds to about 98% fully hauled. You then gather up the slack in the cockpit, put the halyard on a winch and finish setting the main. When lowering the main you can lower some halyard, park it, organize the sail, drop some more halyard, etc. to allow you to neatly fold the main into the lazyjack/cover. Once lowered you can step on the folding mast step to get "head high" with the main's headboard fitting to remove the shackle.

More to follow.

Bob

Hi Alan,

I have seen people with badly burned hands while jumping the chute at the mast when it filled too early (often because a crewmember pulls in the sheet too soon). In the split second that it fills you can't get it into a cam cleat fast enough and your hands suffer the consequence. The rope clutch will alllow you to jump the halyard with its handle closed - if the chute fills the halyard can't reverse.

The mainsail halyard doesn't have the same problem and a cam cleat is much easier to install.

Bob