Thread: Cunningham
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Thomas Stewart
 
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Default Cunningham

Gerard,

I hate that damned wench on the mast. I don't know what size sail you
have but I have a 35 ft hoist and I see no reason to use that (SAIL
DESTROYER) to raise that Main. I sail with a female crew and they will
continually use that wench. I keep telling them that if they stretch
that main that they will buy me a new sail but if I'm not watching them
they are sure to put those couple of extra turns on there. Now, I'm not
putting all the blame on the girls. My male crew member are stronger
than the girls and they put a couple of turns on the wench and haul in
up by hand, usually more than tight enough but they have to grab the
handle an over tighten The say just snugging it up. Yeah right! With the
first tack the upper batten has trouble coming across without inverting

Now, with that off my chest, I've mounted the cunningham hook at the
gooseneck. When I need cunningham, I have a line thru the cunningham
with a loop to the hook and the other side thru a block and back to a
jam cleat on the boom at the main sheet traveler. The main sheet trimmer
can haul it in by hand. I watch the upper batten. If he draws it in past
parallel to the boom we ease the main halyard. If we can't get the
batten into position with main sheet trim and backstay tenson, I allow
main halyard adjustment with the wench,

Sorry, a long winded answer to setting up cunningham with single wench.

Ole Thom