Main sheet block bracket

Have been pondering the mainsheet setup, staring at my collection of hardware, trying to make use of what I already have.

I had a boat once with a main sheet that was rigged as a bridle with one part of the purchase on each transom corner and of course a block on the end of the boom. It cleated on one of the transom corners. I believe this was how Ingrid was originally rigged. It was cheap to but a nuisance and I was very happy co convert it to a mid-boom system with a block and cleat in the cockpit. It did miss the traveler though.

I’ve seen CL 11s with the main sheet block located in the Centre of the thwart - there's no other appropriate place to mount a block - all fine unless you aspire to go rowing one day. (Not sure I’ll ever go that far but I don’t want to preclude it)

What’s missing is a solid location to mount the block, that doesn’t spoil the thwart for sitting/rowing.

Nonetheless, I believe I will rig Ingrid with a block and cleat in the cockpit and a rope traveller across the transom, as many of the Gull dinghies seem to be rigged in the UK. I have most of the parts in my spares bin, but will need to fabricate a bracket to mount the stand-up block and cleat.

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Stem and Transom fittings

Ingrid had very few places to which to tie anything, and I noted as I scanned the internet that later boats and gulls had added some fittings for this purpose. I added some stout fittings adequate to secure the boat to both dock and trailer. The transom was straightforward however the stem required the installation of a fitted oak reinforcement , well bedded in glass-filled epoxy putty and then reinforced with two layers of 1708, making a solid stem post integrated with the fiberglass topsides.

Various Reinforcements

Reinforcement was added in the following locations lower pintle is secured foredeck where the chainplate attaches centreboard pivot bolt jib sheet hardware trunk/thwart joint mast step and bow section Jib sheet hardware and trunk/thwart joint. The thwart received new marine plywood pads for the jib sheet hardware, and also reinforcement adjacent to the centreboard trunk, which this was glued to thwart with a blob of putty. These areas will be tabbed together with 1708. Mast step and adjacent area This required a shim at the mast itself. Taped and waxed. Laminated in place, cured, then trimmed. Also, the joint tabbing the shelf piece to the hull had failed, so both sides were re-bonded then further reinforced.

CL Eleven (Gull) "Ingrid"

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