On Mon, 13 Mar 2006 11:29:15 GMT, "Roger Long"
wrote:

What about this idea I'm leaning towards at this point?

Put a generous sized eyesplice in each sheet and simply bring the
bitter end back through the eye.

I wish I hadn't already bought one half of the sheet accidentally
because just putting a bight in the middle through the cringle and
bringing both bitter ends through it make the most sense to me this
morning.

It seems like this is something there should be a standard for in
traditional boats. I'm surprised I never picked it up from my tarred
hemp and baggywrinkle days. After all, there is a "Topsail Sheet
Bend". That's almost exactly the same requirements as a headsail so,
why isn't it a "Sail Bend" or isn't there a "Jib Sheet Bend". I asked
over at the Wooden Boat Forum where people obsess about these things
and didn't get an answer.

I don't remember the name but I saw an old squarerigger knot in
Ashley's kot book that looked interesting.
Form a bight about a foot from the end of the sheet then shove the
bight through the ring/cringle. Bring the short tail of the line
around to the side of the sail that the bight is now sticking out of
and insert the tail into the loop. Pull the long sheet tight and the
bight of line captures the short tail of line and pins it.

It works like a monkey trap. The bight can't pull back through the
cringle because of the tail holding it open. Too big of a
cringle/ring or too small of a sheet and it won't hold.

Come to think about it you wouldn't want to let it flog around much.
Mark E. Williams