main sheet length

[DN 805]

I can't resist, and must put in my two cents worth.  I use a tapered mainsheet.  30 ft. LOA.  7 ft. skinny and 23 ft. fat.    With this length line I can ease the boom out to the side stay when crossing a pressure ridge.  I tie the cockpit end of the sheet to an eye strap located on the floor between my feet.  This keeps the line from jumping out of the cockpit and draggng behind the boat and by tieing the cockpit end to the floor it seems to keep the twists and loops from forming.

This is my 65th season of iceboating, so guess my age.  Currently I am using a mainsheet of 3/8" Samson Trophy Braid which is soft on the exterior.  I have pulled 3/16" Samson Amsteel (commonly referred to as spectra) into the 3/8" line.  The Amsteel is slippery and is exposed for the aft 7 ft. of the sheet and the Amsteel is  visible at the back boom blocks and back deck blocks.    Pulling  the 3/16" line into the Trophy Braid expands the 3/8" Trophy Braid to 7/16".   At the junction where the 3/16" line exits the Trophy Braid I have hand stitched with waxed sailmaker's twine, sewing around and through the rope.    When trimmed hard the junction is inside the boom, the fat Trophy Braid exits the forward part of the boom and is around the ratchet.    I am using only one ratchet block.  This is a Fredericksen 3" diameter mounted on the tiller post.   Thus far I've been very happy with the performance of this mainsheet.

Good cut-length rope prices can be found at HallSpars.com.  Search by manufacturer.  Click where it says "details" under the line's photo and you'll find a discounted price.   Ben Hall is a former DN sailor, but has found that America's Cup spars are more lucrative than DN spars.  Ben's wife, Nan, used to help on DN race committees.    Nan manages the on-line store.