If you mount the ratchet on the boom and a normal block on the tramp, you'll greatly reduce the static load on your tramp but it'll have minimal effect on the load you have to hold

That's the conclusion that I came to as well. That means I purchased the wrong parts.

why can't you just swap the blocks you bought for the boom and tramp?

From a durability standpoint, I don't think its a big deal either way - at least with the C2 tramp construction.

In fact - as I think about it, there might be a problem with having the ratchet up on the boom. The first portion of sheeting out/in will result in the tramp flexing up/down before the line starts to feed through the ratchet block on the boom.

Wound up putting it together this weekend with the help of some borrowed parts. I wound up with an auto rachet on the tramp and I am really liking it. I put my blocks 18" forward of the stock location, I decided I was too big to go between them and the mast.

I think I am at 11:1 total purchase and my hands are happy with that.

Bacho - Now that you've had this setup for a while, what do you think?

I like it in the breeze for sure. It's a major upgrade for our situation.

In a drifter, the system doesnt unload as freely as I would like. It's also a little messy up there with the spin sheets. If I know we won't be trapping, I may switch back to the traditional system for the day.

I have a tube made to contain the sheet running down the boom, haven't gotten around to installing it yet though.

I did find myself today yanking on the traveler side trying to sheet it. I guess it hasn't become second nature yet.