Hydraulics for main sheet trimming?

[Omeron]

I have long been thinking about why we break our backs during the
final trimming of mainsheets.
On a boat, over roughly, 35', the final take in of the mainsheet is probably one of the most taxing jobs, especially when shorthanded.
The idea is to have a hydraulic jack, perhaps hidden under the cockpit sole,
operated by a foot pump, geared to take the entire load of your coarse trim,
so that, you take in the main in by hand, to a point you can, and just pump
the jack a few times to trim it in properly.
Technollogy and products are available, cheap, foolproof. ıt is no more
complex and expensive than a hydraulic jack in a garage.
You can operate it without even letting go of the wheel. Before you tack,
just release the pressure by turning a valve, slacken the system, and
handle the rest by hand. and vice a versa
I am not suggesting that it handles all the trimming. It is the last few
inches which breaks our back and necessitates expensive winches.
Has anybody considered, applied, seen, such a system?
Do you think it is a workable idea?

[lazeyjack]

Originally Posted by Omeron

I have long been thinking about why we break our backs during the
final trimming of mainsheets.
On a boat, over roughly, 35', the final take in of the mainsheet is probably one of the most taxing jobs, especially when shorthanded.
The idea is to have a hydraulic jack, perhaps hidden under the cockpit sole,
operated by a foot pump, geared to take the entire load of your coarse trim,
so that, you take in the main in by hand, to a point you can, and just pump
the jack a few times to trim it in properly.
Technollogy and products are available, cheap, foolproof. ıt is no more
complex and expensive than a hydraulic jack in a garage.
You can operate it without even letting go of the wheel. Before you tack,
just release the pressure by turning a valve, slacken the system, and
handle the rest by hand. and vice a versa
I am not suggesting that it handles all the trimming. It is the last few
inches which breaks our back and necessitates expensive winches.
Has anybody considered, applied, seen, such a system?
Do you think it is a workable idea?

sounds very much like you dont have the correct purchase on your tackle
we are talking abt hyds in matese falcon thread at the mo

[Windvang]

Such a system is develloped by Cariboni, called magic-trim. It handles all the trimming using an inverted tackle. http://www.cariboni-italy.it/

[Omeron]

I am not interested in knowing/discussing what sort of hydraulics Maltese Falcon uses.
My question was ,about ,more down to earth boats, like most of us gets to sail.

Thanks for the info regarding Cariboni. but even high end gears as such are outside the realm of most of us.

I havent studied the Cariboni solution in detail, but i have a feeling it would cost a couple of thousand dollars even to start thinking about it.

My approach was, more to do with purchasing common hydraulic components, readily available, in the market ,for few hundred dollars, and to devise a relatively simple but effective solution.

[lazeyjack]

oil is oil boats or diggers, MALTESE FALCON or small boats, if you ant intersted neither am I )

[bhnautika]

Omeron you may want to have a look at adapting a hand pumped hydraulic backstay adjuster or boom vang for your idea.

[mholguin]

I think your problem is a lot simpler than this, just move to a higher power purchase. Your solution is a lot more complex than the problem itself... remember, Keep It Simple...

[Omeron]

Yes.Thats sounds more like it.Manual and simple.

I think a foot operated one would be really neat.
Wouldnt it be nice, doing slight adjustments and trimming,
while standing behind the wheel, both hands on the wheel,
and continue concentrating on steering the boat?

I also want a push button release. I am always nervous about
dumping the main in a hurry where there is so much load on it.
especially when you have inexperienced or not so strong company
with you.

I guess releasing the line directly by say 15-20 inches, would
significantly reduce the loading and would enable the rest to be
handled by hand safely.

Am i asking too much?

[Paul Scott]

I probably have spent the thousands or so $$ trying different mainsheet systems for my 550 sq ft ish roachy main that I could have paid for hydraulics installed. The trick for me is to be able to handle the main sheet(s) with one hand, so I can sail with the fluidity that I sail a dinghy. (I have a tiller w/ extension on my 40er.) I have some under deck systems now, and every time it rains, I have to clean out the rain water that flows into the lazarette through the holes in the deck. And the lines and blocks get messed up with stuff in the lazarette. And the lines twist, and it's hard to get them untwisted fast, etc. etc.. So I'm looking at bottom rachet winches, but the Andersons aren't srong enough, although conceptually they are ideal, and you can pump them. and I'd be afarid to bang into one of the New Zealand winches. As far as dumping the main, you can do that with your traveller upwind with a cleated 6:1 system if the traveller is wide enough, there's a lot less pressure there. Off wind, the tension is not so great too, so I've found cleated blocks can work on the main there. I've thought about foot pedals, but they kind of commit you as far as your placement goes, but then so do winches. I have found that with cleated blocks, 7:1 gross 14:1 semi-gross and 48:1 fine as system work nicely when they work nicely, but with all that line, they don't always work.....nicely. Although all that line is soft on the feet. In boom purchase is just plain strange.