Gail,
I was thinking of using the bridle with the center loop to hold the
block sheave. I could then just feed the sheet through the block and
then tie it around the boom spar.
I take it from your set up and comments that you prefer to allow the
bridle connection to travel on the bridle. It seems to me that this
limits your ability to bring in the boom as close to center as you
might want to if you are really trying to pinch. My guess is that I
probably am over estimating the pointing ability of the sunfish.
John
--- In sunfish_sailor@..., "Gail M. Turluck"
<turluck@c...> wrote:
Hi John,
If it's too windy for your 9 year old to handle the main and pull
it in,
then he's just not ready for sailing in that much wind. As kids
grow and
get stronger, they are ready more and more for challenging
conditions.
Physical strength stays fairly well in line with ability to handle
weather
conditions and the boat in standard set up. If he learns with the
3:1,
he'll always expect it. If there's a chance he'll race, it's
likely best he
learn the "right" way and grow with it.
The traveler block was standard for a short time. My 2000 boat did
not come
with one. I don't think it's worth the expense. If you try to use
the
sheave to make the 3:1 and have the bail on the block serve to
slide back
and forth on the traveler wire, the probability is high that it
will catch
at some point and the metal of the bail will cut the heavy plastic
coating
on the wire. Right after that will come breaks in the traveler
wire. Yeah,
they're "only" $15, but those $15's add up pretty quick!
I tie a bowline with a tiny loop around the traveler wire and it
slides back
and forth freely. It's bad enough the mainsheet often gets caught
around
the back corner of the transom of the boat ... Having the traveler
block
catch could be more trouble.
My two cents! I always vote for K.I.S.S. (that last one is
Sweetie!).
--Gail
