holding mainsheet with tiller hand

J

John Gilmour

Member
When going from a run to a beat I need to trim the mainsheet a lot, fast. So I pull it with one hand, hold the sheet with the tiller hand, and re-grip with the other hand. The problem I have is that I usually end up holding it in the tiller hand between just my thumb and forefinger. That is okay most of the time but it is too easy for the sheet to get away and run out about six feet -- a disaster at the start or rounding the leeward mark. So --- how do you hold the sheet in your tiller hand? How many fingers can you get on it, and how do you avoid losing your grip on it?
 
John Gilmour said:
When going from a run to a beat I need to trim the mainsheet a lot, fast. So I pull it with one hand, hold the sheet with the tiller hand, and re-grip with the other hand. The problem I have is that I usually end up holding it in the tiller hand between just my thumb and forefinger. That is okay most of the time but it is too easy for the sheet to get away and run out about six feet -- a disaster at the start or rounding the leeward mark. So --- how do you hold the sheet in your tiller hand? How many fingers can you get on it, and how do you avoid losing your grip on it?
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The key is hand-over-hand sheeting. I generally grip the mainsheet with my index and middle finger. and the tiller with my pinky and ring finger.
 
Holding the tiller ext (JCD on my boat) like a telephone, I sheet in hand-over-hand gripping the tiller and sheet at the same time. The fingers are more focused on holding the sheet and the cup between the thumb and pointer finger holds the tiller ext. You want to make sure you have a firm grip on the tiller and sheet when using the tiller hand. Try to make your turn a little wider finishing close to the mark, this will give you more time to sheet in and make you less likely to lose the sheet resulting in a faster rounding. Its true what they say, you can never practice leeward mark rounding too much.
 
Re: holding mainsheet with teeth

he must have good dental insurance, and/or has a nice flavored main sheet​
 
torrid said:
The key is hand-over-hand sheeting. I generally grip the mainsheet with my index and middle finger. and the tiller with my pinky and ring finger.
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Yes. Also, a longer extension helps you to do this without steering all over the place. But like anything that gains you places, it takes practice to get it right. You'll find that once you get the hang of it, it can even be useful on [GASP] small keelboats.
 
The trick to successful hand over hand sheeting it getting the correct grip on the tiller extension.

The way I teach this when I am coaching/instructing is to use a dagger grip with the extension held across your chest.

You then then reach down with your sheet hand and grab the mainsheet and pull in.

As you are pulling in reach in with the tiller hand and grab the mainsheet at the block and pull that in. Genrally trapping the mainsheet using first and index fingers (this is usually enough when sheeting in fast).

As you start to pull in with the tiller hand drop the mainsheet from your sheet hand in to the cockpit and reach down to grab at the block as your tiller hand reaches the limit that it can pull.

Repeat until you are sheeted to the desired amount.

It takes practice especially moving the tiller extension independantly of the tiller itself (so you don't steer all over the place).

The trick is also co-ordinating the steering for the round up with the sheeting, if it is breezy rather then struggle point the boat higher than close hauled to get the sheet in and then bear away back to close hauled (this is assuming you have the new style controls and have got them on before your rounding).

I would NEVER advocate the use of teeth. In fact if I see someone doing this I pick it up on the water with them and then cover it in the de-brief with the group. It generally works...
 
jeffers said:
I would NEVER advocate the use of teeth. In fact if I see someone doing this I pick it up on the water with them and then cover it in the de-brief with the group. It generally works...
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The next day, ask them for their main sheet. Throw it on the ground, stomp on it, drag it through some mud, etc. Then give it back. That should keep them from using their teeth.
 
one more... this may be a bad idea, but in most wind conditions, I find myself standing up (briefly) on leeward mark roundings in light to medium winds. As I slide my weight aft -back into the cockpit, the board goes down, and I reach for the sheet at the block and with one motion, I stand and pull the mainsheet in, up, and over my head. Then grab it low with my tiller hand as I sit in position. I'm 6'2, and that gets the first eight to ten feet in with one motion, and heels the boat to leeward, helping the boat turn around the mark and as I sit back down, the boat balances and accelerates. I heel the boat for steering of course, so no kinetics rule is broken. ;)
 
thanks for that uid ... I've been trying to figure out how to get all of that main sheet in when going around the lower mark.
 
I've been using my teeth since I was a kid. It is a VERY bad habit and I am trying hard to break it. Old habits die hard.

:(
 
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