How to Sail a Boat Better - Three Tips to Remove a Jammed Line From a Sailboat Winch

You and your sailing crew are short tacking up athe jammed sheet.e. Remove the override by hand
narrow channel with shoals to the left and mooredand re-wrap the sheet onto the winch.
boats to the right. You get your crew ready for the3. Emergency Methoda. Cut the jammed sheet
next tack, come about--and the head sail sheet jamsforward and aft of the winch.b. Lead the bitter end
onto the sailboat winch! What would you do next?of the cut sheet through the block and around the
Jammed turns on a head sail sheet winch-calledsailboat mast.c. Tie a rolling hitch onto the leeward
"overriding turns"-are caused by a sheet line thatsheet. You can tack with this rig until you clear all
leads at a downward angle to the winch drum. Whendangers.
this happens, the wraps on the drum can bunch upPrevent Future Sheet Jams
so tight that they are almost impossible to remove.Avoid future overrides by leading head sail sheets in
Use one of these fast, easy methods to remove anan upward direction to the sheet winches. Use one
override:of these easy techniques:
1. Luff Up Methoda. Point up into the wind for a few* Reposition each Genoa block along the track to
seconds to luff the head sail and take tension off thebring it closer to and lower than the sheet winch.
sheet.b. Remove the turns by hand.c. Fall off the* Insert an intermediate block between the existing
wind and build up speed for the next tack.Genoa block and the sheet winch.
2. Line and Block Methoda. Tie a rolling hitch onto theSailboat winch overrides are part of life on any small
jammed sheet between head sail clew and winch.b.cruising or racing sailboat. Learn how to sail a boat
Mount a snatch block aft of the jammed winch.c.better than ever before by planning for the
Lead the line to the snatch block and to an openunexpected with fast, easy techniques like these.
winch.d. Grind on the winch to remove all tension on