MIRACLE DINGHY MAINSHEET CONVERSION by Matt Kirman

Converting your Miracle dinghy form aft main sheeting to centre main sheeting has a number of advantages. Firstly, it allows you to look forwards whenever you tack or gybe. Secondly, the centre sheeting minimises twisting of your upper body - giving you a much more natural sailing position. This also has the advantage of allowing you to sail in strong winds without being pulled to the back of the boat. Thirdly, with the sheet being led to the centre either the helm or crew can control the mainsheet. This will allow many more helms to compete on an equal footing since when the wind increases and the helm is struggling to control the mainsheet whilst concentrating on sailing through waves they can pass the sheet forward to the crew - a technique widely used in high performance craft.

This guide is to show you how to convert your Miracle to the centre mainsheet system. Please note that this guide is not yet recognised by the class association and you may be required to change your boat back. However, I have successfully raced in this configuration and despite complaints from other racers that my boat was not class legal the chairman of the assosciation admitted that there was nothing in the rules preventing me from using this conversion.

The Miracle assosciation (at the time of writing this article) is currently trialing their own centre main system. However, in order to use their version it is required that you either buy a brand new boat or cut pieces out of your old one - a much more expensive option than the one I am about to describe to you.

Please bear in mind that this system does not lead the mainsheet to the deck, it requires that you sheet directly from the boom. The Miracle is not strong enough to cope with the forces caused by sheeting the mainsheet from the deck - it is most likely that you would tear the boat apart. Even though sheeting from the boom may feel strange at first it is quickly adapted to and is little different from the more common method of sheeting.

Items Required

For the conversion you will need the following items:

   1 mainsheet block with shackle attachment and becket [now called block 1]

   1 mainsheet block with shackle attachment [block 2]

   1 mainsheet block (either ratchet or plain depending on preference) with shackle or swivel attachment [block 3]

   Suitable rope for a mainsheet - length depends on personal preference

   40cm length of 3mm spectra or wire loop

   Sailable Miracle dinghy

The Conversion

   Remove the mainsheet and both mainsheet blocks - you may wish to keep these for use later in the conversion process

   Attach mainsheet block 2 to the traveller on the transom of the boat (either the metal slider or, if you have upgraded, to the rope strop)

   Attack mainsheet block 1 to the end of the boom - make sure that it is able to swing freely in all directions

   The difficult bit. Choose where on the boom you want to mount block 3, remember this is where you will eventually sheet the mainsheet from. I recommend that you play with the position on the water before attaching it permanently. Once happy either rivet the block to the mast using the wire loop or tie it to the boom with the 3mm spectra.

   Make sure that your new mainsheet is long enough for you to reach the end of it whilst the boom is right out and you are in you furthest back position in the boat.

   Feed the mainsheet through the becket of block 1 and tie a stopper knot in the end so that it cannot pull back through. I suggest tieing it so that the stopper knot is on the inboard side of the boom.

   Feed the other end of the mainsheet through block 2 from the inboard side to the outboard side, then up through block 2 before finally going through block 3 (make sure that you have fed the mainsheet the right way through the ratchet)

   For ease of use you may wish to tie a stopper knot in the mainsheet so that when the boom is furthest out no more mainsheet can run through. This allows you to always reach the mainsheet even if you let go of it since one end should always be inboard. You may also wish to fasten loops around the boom so that the mainsheet doesn't drop into the boat when it goes slack during tacks and gybes.

If you have any questions about how to go about converting your boat by using this process don't hesitate to contact me by email or by posting in the forums.