Downhaul set up
The Tornado we rescued didn't have a downhaul set up. It is the classic rig and an absolute blast. I see how it's done by looking at the photos on this site. Anyone figure an economical way to put a downhaul system together? I wonder what ratio we should choose? It's a recreational boat.


On the Harken site http://www.harken.com/DeckLayout.aspx?id=13768
you can see the setup. It is 16:1 but for recreational use 10:1 or even 8"1 wil do.
You wil like the downhaul-system, it gives a lot of trimming possibilitys.
The biggest costs wil be all the blocks, you could look at the secondhand market,
or use alternative brands like Ronstan or Viadana, cause H blocks are
ridiculously expensive.
On my T I have 10:1 downhaul setup, all Ronstan and for the spi its Viadana
all the way. Downside of the Viadana carbon block is their bearings are open,
so not suited for sandy beaches.
I rig my T on the lawn at the club, so no issues there.
Grtz, André
André de Bruin, Amsterdam,the Netherlands
P 18-2
My H16 down haul is a line only that I pull down "just to get the wrinkles out" per Matt Miller, and it works fine, set it and forget it kind of thing. I guess in a racing application, one would want to adjust the down haul, but for me, the existing system I have works fine.

martyr wrote: My H16 down haul is a line only that I pull down "just to get the wrinkles out" per Matt Miller, and it works fine, set it and forget it kind of thing. I guess in a racing application, one would want to adjust the down haul, but for me, the existing system I have works fine.
On a T you need a downhaul with a certain purchase. Not only "to get the
wrinkels out" ,but to flatten the main in a stiffer breeze.
They are different boats.
A
André de Bruin, Amsterdam,the Netherlands
P 18-2
LoL, on my nacra I have a 16:1 and if not care full you can rip the head plate right off the main. Did it on an older sail recently. But in stronger conditions, a powerful cascading downhaul , say a 10:1 or 16:1 coupled with a healthy mainsail , is super important for depowering this beast. Ray javascript:void(0);

My H16 down haul is a line only that I pull down "just to get the wrinkles out" per Matt Miller, and it works fine, set it and forget it kind of thing. I guess in a racing application, one would want to adjust the down haul, but for me, the existing system I have works fine.
your mast is very robust (hard to bend) and your lack of spreaders mean - no "pre-bend" that is all good and fine for your type of boat that races stock
more modern rigs have a much more flexable mast that has spreaders to not only reinforce it's strength but allows it to be adjustable in many directions . One way it bends is top of mast - aft. in combo with the cut of the sail (specific to this type of mast) this will help to flatten the sail out= beneficial in reducing the amount of heel your boat does when hit with a gust.
MN3

I have a lower mast base setup that gives you the three sheaves at the bottom for either an 8:1 or 16:1 setup. My email address is my screenname AT gmail.com. You will need these harken double blocks: http://www.apsltd.com/micro-double.html
That gets you 8:1. A pair of blocks or antal rings on the sail gets you 16:1: http://www.apsltd.com/antal-20mm-low-friction-ring.html, http://www.apsltd.com/40mm-carbo-single.html
16:1 is preferred on a T sail for fine tuning.

You will need these harken double blocks: http://www.apsltd.com/micro-double.html
I have 2 of them, almost brand new, used 1 season fresh water on a Mystere 6.0
PM me if interested.
Edited by Edchris177 on Mar 20, 2017 - 03:18 PM.
E C Hilliard
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