Arm winch sheeting configuration

[cfwahl]

I'm thinking that I will buy an arm winch for a new boat. The pictures I've seen of Lester Gilbert's and Trevor Binks's winches only show the winch area, and not how the system is rigged beyond that. Each of these has only one line attached to the winch arm, apparently run through a sheave to double the length of line pulled by the action of the arm. So this is a "sheet control line" in the parlance of the current Class Rules.

What I want to know here (separate post in the Rules forum) is how people with arm winches rig the stuff outside the hull. Is there simply a ring at the end of the sheet control line that pulls the sheet lines along, without a return line to pull up slack? Lots of arm winches are run this way, but there's a danger of fouling if the lines are left slack. On the other hand, it seems that it would be possible to rig a return sheet control line to the arm as well, that would pull in roughly what the sheet control line played out, and this loop could have an elastic portion, just like the drum winch configurations typically do.

Can someone using an arm winch spell out their configuration, or point me to a picture that describes it?

Thanks,

[ReyNewman]

I use an arm winch in my IOMs.

The setup is similar to what you describe: an arm with a block attached to its end. The sheet control line is dead ended (with a bowsie to provide adjustment) and the other end goes through the arm block and routed to a through deck block to a turning block at the stern. The sheet control line terminates in a ring. The mainsheet and jibsheet attach to that ring.

To prevent fouling of the sheet control line, there is an elastic line dead ended at the turning block at stern, running forward to another block near the forward wall of the cockpit, and returning to attach to the same ring to which the mainsheet and jibsheet attach. This setup keeps the sheet control line under tension at all times.

I am quite satisified with the setup.

If you'd like, e-mail me at ReyNewman@adelphia.net and I will send you a picture of the setup.

Regards,

Rey

[cfwahl]

Rey,

Thanks for the description; I think I've got it.