Joe, The quick answer is, ... why not? The cam cleat should hold the main halyard load with no problem. My concern is about the sailor's constant companion, Murphy, and his influence ....... Murphy is always looking for a chance to screw things up for you, and a main halyard on a cam cleat sure sounds like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Mr. Murphy to wreak maximum havoc at the most inopportune moments. Just think, the weather is deteriorating; the sea is building; you want to down size the head sail .... and add a reef; but then, just when you least expect it, Murphy dislodges your main halyard from it's cam cleat; and the main falls (were you expecting that to happen in view of all your other problems...?) about your ears..... I would rather have a regular cleat for a halyard, one that isn't begging Murphy to try meddling - and you know Murphy, he only does his dirty work at the worst possible moment. Why give him a chance....? Connie Joe Murphy wrote:
Quick question. Would cam cleats mounted on the cabin top be substantial enough to serve as a clutch for the main halyard?? I was planning on putting a block at the base of the mast with a turning block on the cabin top and then running it aft through a cam cleat. I haven't had any problems just reaching over the cabin hatch to cleat the halyard off on the mast cleat, but started thinking about what I would do in an extreme emergency and needed to drop the main in a split second. Thanks, Joe
_______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats