[C320-list] Replacement Sails Dutchman A system

[dprudden]

My topping lift is cleated at the mast. Do you all have it led aft, into a clutch? I have a 2 line Dutchman that I loosen by slacking the topping lift after raising the main but I have to run forward to the mast to do so ( and  of course I have to run forward to tighten it before dropping). I have no open turning blocks or clutches on the starboard side of the cabin. 

David Prudden
#787

Sent from my iPhone

On Dec 20, 2012, at 2:57 PM, Warren Updike <wupdike at hotmail.com> wrote:

> Scott, I'm not familiar with the various Dutchman configs, just ours which
> I'll attempt to describe: it is a two block system, there is a continuous
> line on which the two Dutchman blocks are attached and the free part of the
> line runs freely through each Dutchman block. At the upper end is a small
> single turning sheave with a rotating eye.  At the lower end is a fiddle
> block with cam cleat.  The topping lift is attached to the small sheave at
> top and kept taught when not sailing. The rotating eye allows the topping
> lift to twist as it needs without transferring the twist down the rest of
> the lift.  The fiddle and cam at bottom allows the tension on the
> monofilament lines to be eased when not striking the main even while the
> topping lift is taught. 
> 
> After the sail is up and drawing, I slacken the topping lift.  Before
> striking the main, I tighten the topping lift, adjust the Dutchman at the
> fiddle block to tighten the monofilament, then drop it.  Once down and
> flaked, I use the fiddle/cam to relieve the tension on the monofilament.  It
> all works fine as long as the monofilament lines are properly tensioned and
> I'm not too far off the wind when I drop the main.  Oh, and I try to be a
> few degrees to port of the wind so the sail slides don't hang up on the gate
> screws.
> 
> So much to remember.  So few brain cells left with which to work.
> 
> Warren & Pattie Updike
> 1994 C320 #62 "Warr De Mar"
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Scott Thompson [mailto:surprise at thompson87.com] 
> Sent: Wednesday, December 19, 2012 6:19 PM
> To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
> Subject: Re: [C320-list] Replacement Sails Dutchman A system
> 
> My boat also came with the Garhauer solid vang and the Dutchman C system
> ("clothesline") with two mono-filament lines. One of the first changes I
> made to the boat was replacing the springs in the vang with weaker ones
> (from Garhauer) so that it wasn't so difficult to pull the boom down to
> where it should be in light air. But that means that my vang is not quite as
> rigid as yours.
> 
> Regarding the Dutchman, I now have the A system with 3 monofilament lines