Rope holding issues solved
We have all encountered clutches that won’t hold a rope properly, but figuring out the best solution is not always obvious.
The first step is to examine the existing cams. Are they the correct size for each line? And how badly are they worn? Wear can have a massive effect on the amount of load a clutch can hold without the rope slipping. And once the line does start to slip the rate of wear accelerates rapidly.
Fortunately replacement cams are available for all the major brands of clutches, generally at a small fraction of their replacement cost. Unless a boat gets very little use, if clutches are more than 1015 years old there’s every chance the cams could do with replacement.
On raceboats and very large cruising yachts it’s also worth checking that the cams are matched to the type of rope used. Needless to say, the higher the load the more important your clutch’s holding ability becomes. Clutch manufacturers have done much work to develop new materials such as ceramic coatings that hold very high tech lines more firmly.
Sometimes replacing lines can cause problems: your old halyard might have had an outer cover that had been abraded into a rough surface through years of use. New, modern rope is likely to be shiny and more slippery and less easy for the clutch to grip.
However, the problem can also manifest as a result of upgrading to Dyneema lines – the lack of stretch increases peak loads on the halyard. The solution is to splice an additional length of outer cover tube over the rope, extending for a couple of feet each side of the clutch. This adds extra diameter that gives more material for the clutch to bite on. It can also be made of a material such as Technora, which has a rough surface that adds more friction.
Adding extra clutches
There are many reasons for adding extra clutches, including setting up mainsail reefing that can be handled from the cockpit, or easily rigged boom preventers.
Before starting work, however, it’s worth reassessing the existing systems – you may find re-rigging other lines will free up spare clutches while making those systems operate more smoothly.
In a deck layout from 30 years ago a kicking strap, for instance, would most likely have had a 4:1 purchase before being led back to a clutch. Today, it’s far more common to see that purchase being increased to 16:1 or 24:1 using a cascade arrangement with two low-friction rings, which means a winch is not needed for tensioning and a decent cam cleat will happily hold the load.
Equally, it used to be common for clew outhauls to be taken to a clutch, but adding a 4:1 cascade should enable it to be taken to a cam cleat on any boat under 40ft. Spinnaker pole downhauls can also generally be taken directly to a cam cleat.