Main sheets,,,

[J. Dillon]

has anyone ever tried nylon for main sheets ?

JD

[paladin]

a bit stretchy...ya needs something with minimal stretch.

[J. Dillon]

a bit stretchy
That could be advantageous during an unintended gybe.

JD

[paladin]

That's what vang/preventers are for......

[J. Dillon]

My sprit rig hasn't got preventers Chuck. The'd look out of place.

What about a nylon sheet automaticaly spilling some wind in a gust.. especially for ole farts who'se reaction time is err.. limited.;)

JD

[James McMullen]

For a little boat with a simple rig, it should work okay, probably. I wouldn't use it on anything big or anything with ambitions of performance.

[Ian McColgin]

NO!

I actually did once mistake nylon for dacron and rig a small boat that way. Even in light air the stretch made sail control impossible as every little change in wind strength would either push the sail out or let it come in, never just where it was supposed to be.

There is no nice way to put this - If you're sailing with nylon sheets and you think it's a good thing, you're a farmer, not a sailer.

[paladin]

J.D. a preventer wouldn't look outta place if it didn't look like a preventer....a couple of small blocks at the end of the boom can be rigged so that with a little effort friction can control the feed of line and do the same thing...

[Uncle Duke]

If you're sailing with nylon sheets and you think it's a good thing, you're a farmer, not a sailer.
C'mon.. "or you're just intending to relax and not worry about performance..."

[J. Dillon]

Chuck, no boom on my sprit rig.;)

http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/6933/carrianneporttack.jpg

JD

[Ian McColgin]

It needn't be a race. It's just more relaxing if you bother to do it right - assuming that you're a sailor and can tell whether it's right or not. I suppose if you're not a sailor, it doesn't matter. So long as you're not out on real water where one consequence of doing it wrong is getting close to Jesus.

[paladin]

J.D. I see plenty of room back by the tiller....it's getting really late, took my pills and shower and got dialysis in the morning...I'll try to draw something up manana......I'm fading, and sitting up to watch the boat crash or sinking that Mr. Lenihan was supposed to document...probably not tonight.

[J. Dillon]

Chuck , just rest. It ain't important. I just fool around now any way. But if I see somebody sailin about my size I do sharpen up a bit. to see if I can overtake or keep ahead.;)

JD

[JimConlin]

On a small boat , the mainsheet should be fat enough for hands to grip that it won't stretch much.
For a load big enough for a winch, the stretch of nylon would be unacceptable.