Steve Willis wrote:<snip>Kevin's idea I must look at for the 15 as it would help keep the sheets on board - and nearer the windward side than if they fall down the tramp on the heel. Never got close enough to him on the water to see how it works so will have to try the beach!
Steve
I find that with the main and traveller lines tied together and looped around the mast it makes the main and traveller readily available at all times since they are almost always within arms reach especially when beating since they tend to sit more to the centerline of the boat the further up it you go. But chief benefit is that it stops them being washed off the back of the boat in one great klump. Also tangles tend to be minimised, in the old days when I went sprinting I would invariably end up with a wad of rope in the middle of the boat amongst which was my Jib sheet, Main and Traveller and I would have to untangle it whilst trying to race
Its pretty common practice at the club Steve, I've been doing it for at least 14yrs!. I think it was Chris S. or Kevin\John that suggested it to me.
The thing that I haven't done is splice the two ends together I guess the main advantage is that it prevents any knot from coming undone (mine are notorious for doing just that), I can't see the spliced end ever reaching the travellers cam since Kevin's is a full length line like mine is. It looks neater. I'll leave Kevin to estoll the virtues of his arrangement.
Martin S.