Kicker

Requirements

• Large range of adjustment.
• Good purchase (16:1)
• Two cleats

The first decision is the level of purchase to use. I found that some 12:1 systems were ok in light to moderate breezes but really weren't suitable for windy days.

my first choice purchase system is a cascade system, it is very efficient and cheap. Cascades get the maximum purchase with the minimum number of blocks. Unfortunately cascades need a lot of space. A 16:1 cascade requires 4 blocks, so pulling block 4 the entire length of the kicker about 100cm would move the top of the cascade 12.5 cm. The range of movement needs to be about double this. So I opted for a combined system, using 2 cascade stages attached to a simple 4:1 pulley set. This adds 2 extra blocks to the system but doubles the available travel.

The controls are then routed either side of the centreboard case and out to the thwart. Another 2 blocks either side of the boat. My boat has a bulkhead running across behind the mast, so I needed blocks to route the control over it. These were combined with the turning block for the 4:1 on the mast.

Legend for all diagrams is here

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