I just installed a floating jib lead set up and it is working really well. I looked at all of the posts on track placement They were very useful - mostly in convincing me that I didn't want to go through all the effort to install a toe rail t track and inboard tracks. After recoring the entire deck I wanted to come up with a solution that required drilling as few holes in the boat as possible. I've used a similar set up on a Santa Cruz 52 and a class 40 and figured that it might work on the Gail Grace too. I'm flying a 155% headsail on the furler. The first time I pulled it out I realized that the locking foot block I installed on the deck near the back of the cockpit was not going to work. I had to turn it somewhere further forward so I put a snatch block on a stanchion base and the lead was almost perfect but I had no adjustment. I have since replaced the snatch blocks with a couple of Lewmar 80mm blocks that work nicely. Below are pictures of the floating lead as installed. It consists of a short length of Dyneema spliced around a friction ring, The tail of the line is spliced with a loop and an adjustable splice. On the top of the friction ring there is a piece of bungee attached to the upper lifeline to keep it from banging around when it is not under load. I can flip it inside the lifeline and use an inhauler to the cabin top winch to trim smaller jibs inboard.
Jib sheet lead thru adjustable lead, back to turning block and to winch
Turning block to winch
Adjustable lead set at low position
Adjustable lead set to high position (around 13" of difference)
Adjustable splice
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