How much mainsail area can be put on a 24' mast?
I want to have as much sail area in the main as is reasonably useful, to help balance the rig. Also because the reacher will be furled going upwind and in strong airs.

This directly correlates to which mainsheet system to use.
I am looking at the Harken 2.25" Low-Profile Mainsheet systems, specifically the 5:1 and 6:1 versions
Murray's Catalog of Mainsheet Systems

Also, what are the best (reasonably priced) lines to use? The 2.25" blocks necessitate a 3/8" line. I like to use a continuous line for both the mainsheet and traveler systems.

Also try this URL for Mainsheet Systems:
]http://store.catsailor.com/tek9.asp?pg=products&grp=331] in the the left hand index rollover blocks and select Sheeting Systems.
Rick

Thanks for the link Rick. Due to your being so helpful to this class, and catamaran sailing in general, you will definately be getting my business

But I still need to know which system would be better for racing with a max-area mainsail on a 24' stick: 5:1 or 6:1...
-edit-
I went to the Mystere site for some comparison, and found that they are using a 6:1 system with a 102sq.ft. mainsail on a 23'6" mast. So, I'll be going with the 6:1 system. An interesting note from the Murrays catalog, is that the 6:1 can be turned into a 7:1 by attaching another block to the becket above the cleat on the base-block. Nice to have some flexibility

http://www.harkenstore.com/uniface.urd/SCCYSPW1

Harken's new 40mm Carbo Ratchets - the Mysteres currently have a 40mm main system that doesn't ratchet. Last year, I got to demo the prototype 40mm single ratchets for the spinnaker, and it sounds like I'll have the new triple on my main this year. It's not an auto ratchet, so this will be a test to see if the sheet will still feed OK in light air since it's not easy to get to the on/off toggle - 5/16 fed through the single fine in light air. I am also downsizing to 6mm line for the main (Lite Speed) and spinnaker (Maffioli) for SF. The 5/16 stuff just feels too big and heavy anymore.

Check the top of the hulls just forward of the front beam on that abandoned 14 - had a guy offer me a "great" deal on a 14 that he said was in perfect shape. I pressed down on the deck and it sounded like I was smooshing a bag of chips!

I use a 6:1 setup utilizing the Harken 2.25 triple ratchet and a 29mm carbo triple on top. Line choice is 5/16" Yale Lite 50' continuous. Pics can be seen at tampabaycatsailors.com in the pictures section. The Blaster uses 1/4" line and is 1:1 with 2.25 jib blocks.
A 24' mast should support a 125-135sqft mainsail. However, the only drawback with a large sail like that will be the leeward hull immersion. The H14 is not known for its' bouyancy! Hope this helps.

Bob

John-
The decks on the 14 don't seem very delaminated, but for free, I don't really care. If I take it for a test-sail and a bow rips off... I'll just salvage what I can and take pictures for everyone to see The hulls on the H14 are probably the least valuable part of the boat.

Bob-
Thanks for the breakdown on which mainsheet you're using and what sail area I can expect. I probably won't be running anything "carbo" on this boat as I'm trying to do it for about as cheap as possible. If something doesn't affect the performance of the boat, I'm not going to spend extra for it. I'm a cheap-skate trying to balance the cost vs. performance equation, but I'm not so cheap as to dig out my old SeaWay 6:1 as that would detract from performance (doesn't hardly roll anymore). If I didn't think 8:1 was too much I'd just run the Harken Carbo Hexa-Ratchet system off my G-Cat (I might anyway... that's a lot of line to haul in, but it doesn't cost me anything).

Sorry for the confustion on the topic of mainsail area. I'm not putting a 24' stick and huge mainsail on the H14. I'll be using a stock 22' stick and pinhead main. I just want whatever equipment I buy to be transferrable to the next F14 I build- which will have the big sails, wide beam, etc.

Once I discovered how easy the Racthamatic System works, I would never use anything else.
Once you start running a lot of reaves (6 or 8:1) you know it will not want to play out easily over a one-way ratchet block. And if your line is large enough to sheet comfortably, it will also be large enough that it will not ease off quickly.
So, let's talk about blown tacks.
In order to do a good tack you must first be sailing close hauled with main tight. After the boat is head to wind, you must release a proper amount of sheet.
1) the tight leech with main sheeted forces the bow into the wind faster,
2) Once the bow is into the wind, that leech tension must be released to allow the bow to continue through the turn.., or if not, the tight leech will try to hold the boat head to wind -- weathervane effect.
3) BY easing the main, you have eased the leech tension, and also allow the mast to straighten more and the sail to be fuller. Sort of like a race car going into a turn -- you go in with high gear and speed, and then shift down to second to accelerate out of the turn.
4) Once the boat has accelerated, begin sheeting back to high gear.

Now, notice the part where things often get messed up. By the sheet not playing out, the main stays flat and the leech stays tight. That is a guarantee for a bad tack.., if not going totally into irons.
That is why I swear by the Ratchamatic now. It lets the sheet go out.

Sheet line is still another story. For example, the best set up is to use 5/16 Samson Warpspeed http://store.catsailor.com/tek9.asp?pg=products&grp=243.
The core and cover are both blessed with sunblock, so you can strip the cover off the parts that go through the blocks and leave it on where you hold on.., for comfort.
Then the line zings through the blocks.

Also, great when rounding the A Mark in heavy air -- just let it go and the boat rounds down smoothly without water flying all over the place from your rudder cavitation.

And for the Spinnaker/Hooter
Another great discovery.., in fact I told Harken several years ago they should do this.
They have a Ratchamatic with a becket and cleat. This is perfect for jib sheeting. Most blown tacks are because of the drag of the new lazy sheet not freely running through the blocks.

But, I found an even better place to use it. For the Hooter. As the line comes from the clew of the Hooter, I run the sheet between the becket and the block from the inside out, and then back through the Ratchamatic block and through the cleat.
The becket allows the block to have more bite on the sheet -- allow almost 3/4 of the sheeve to be in contact.
It really works sweet.
Funny, For Christmas I bought a pair for son, Dave, for his Nacra 6.0 jib, and then tried them on the Hooter. He never got them back.., so had to buy him another set.
You can see it at http://store.catsailor.com/tek9.asp?pg=products&specific=jmmrdpdmp8

Good luck at the Spring Fever. Wish I could be there.

Rick

Rick- I re-did all the systems on my G-Cat a couple years ago, and those are the exact blocks I used for the Jib Cleats. I also have Ratchamatic Jib Blocks for increased holding power. I put together the 8:1 mainsheet before they sold it that way- had to bolt an eye-strap above the cleat with an extra block on it, and tie the bitter end of the line right through the open center of the block (the 8:1 system they sell has a becket over the center pulley on the base block to secure the end of the line.)

It's an $81 difference between the carbo-ratchamatics and the normal low-profile 6:1 system. Something to think about.