On the other hand...
Hi there,
That "complex bi-cam" setup happens to be one of my favorite things in the world. Or at least it is when properly used. Bridgedeck travelers are definitely something one has to want to live with, but they tend to be efficient (better vanging than end-boom, more leverage than mid-boom). If there's a dodger in the way, or the crew can't live with it, then it is inappropriate, but that isn't the fault of the tackle setup.
Likewise an insufficiently stiff boom should automatically preclude moving the sheet forward. Perhaps most important, the sheet loads must be calculated to determine if the proposed purchase(s) are appropriate. In the case of that Rhodes, they might not have been. Or it might have been that simply moving the boom attachment point(s) would have brought all into harmony. Or you might have gone with a different purchase entirely, with an option for a winch lead. The point is that the 3:1/6:1 is a tool that is not right for all applications, but wonderful for some (variants, by the way, include 2:1/4:1 and 4:1/8:1).
If you do stay with end-boom sheeting, a vang is indeed a critical component, as the boom departs effective traveler range very quickly. If at all possible, get a to-mast vang, partly so you don't have to tack it, and partly to avoid folding your boom in half with a rail-mounted vang.
Fair leads,
Brion Toss
|