main halyard

[BOAT]

BWY? Really? I had no idea they sold a duck head for the mast. I never saw anything on their website - I think I would like to find one.

[bscott]

BWY? Really? I had no idea they sold a duck head for the mast. I never saw anything on their website - I think I would like to find one.

"Chicken head"--------Duck head is what you should do in the event of an accidental gybe

Bob

[mastreb]

Sail-kote spray along the bolt rope if you don't use slugs, and should be quite easy. I like a spin lock mainsail feeder as well. You can put a simple shackle block at the base of the mast on the mast raising device bolt hole, another on a slide padeye on the forward location of the jib track and use that as a simple halyard aft mod to bring the halyard to the cockpit winches as well.

Matt

Matt, could you render a picture of your SpinLock installation? I'm guessing the only way to install it is to forego having the boltrope in the bottom section of the mast, below the feeder slot. If true, isn't there a downside to that?
Ross

It installs just below the feeder slot using a threaded slug and a screw, as you would imagine. And yes, it does prevent one from using the slot below it, but I've never done that anyway. It's just a few inches and if I'm not mistaken the mainsail bolt rope stops above the tack anyway. You just pin the tack ring to the gooseneck and all is good.

Matt

[BOAT]

BWY? Really? I had no idea they sold a duck head for the mast. I never saw anything on their website - I think I would like to find one.

"Chicken head"--------Duck head is what you should do in the event of an accidental gybe

Bob

Chicken, Duck, Goose, Pelican, they are all birds to me. I'm not much of an expert on birds. I can tell a seagull from a crow because one of them is black and the other is white, (I think).

[Judy B]

Here ya go Boat, afew pics of the masthead on my V25 (actually a new X mast).

Chicken Head !!!! I had no idea what you guys were talking about until CUSCUS posted that pic.

Most riggers and spar manufacturers call the fitting at the top of the box a masthead box, or masthead fitting.

Different parts of the masthead box have specific names so you can talk intelligently to riggers.
The section that connects to the backstay, if it projects aft is named the backstay crane.
The part of the masthead box that sticks out in front section and projects the forestay forward beyond the face of the mast is named the forestay
crane.
The section of the box that puts the spinnaker halyard furler in front to the forestay, is named the spinnaker bail .

Fair winds,
Judy B
Sailmaker

[BOAT]

Thanks Judy! I guess I will need to add "Crane" to my list of birds (Pelican, Duck, Chicken and Rooster).

It's no secret that I never use proper sailing terms much since I was a kid because my dad punished me for it. By the time I was a teenager I got in the habit of calling things on the boat by other names that I made up just to make my Dad mad. It was my way of getting back. I have NEVER corrected anyone on these blogs about terminology. It's like Spanish, I make my wife mad by pretending I don't understand sometimes.

I'm just nasty like that, (some think I'm a jerk). To each his own.

Thanks again Judy!! I'm searching for the "masthead box" now!

And thanks for the pictures Cuscus!! I'm looking for my "Crane" on the internet right now! (I could not find anything on BWY site). I think I want my masthead bird box to have a "crane" for the main halyard and that's about it. I will see what I can find.

thanks for the help!! (I have been wanting to fix that bird box thing for a long time!!)

[THE CUSCUS]

Try here Boat. The DM-6 is close to a Mac mast profile (some tweeking required......but what doesn't when working on boat stuf)

https://www.dwyermast.com/items.asp?cat ... M%2D6+Mast

[BOAT]

Hmmm, I sort of like the DH1022, simple, looks light. But I can't see how it fits the mast - looks upside down to me.

The DH106 is better I guess, but I really don't need all those pullys and stuff - and don't need the added weight. I need to think about this.

[Whipsyjac]

I just searched BWY for "chicken head" and came up with 2. The one for the is just plates for the backstay. The one for the has a slot for backstay and forestay(masthead rig). The chicken head is 1/2" shorter front to back than your mast extrusion so you'd have to open it up some how but it's only $85 and would easily hold a sheeve front and back for spinn halyard, main halyard, topping lift, or custom backstay (which I know you're itching to mod).

All this reminds me I have a lot of mast head work to do. I have some cheap blocks jury rigged there, need to mount my windex and anchor light.

Willy

[BOAT]

It's a love hate thing with the backstay. When you have it you curse it all the time when it fouls during rigging or makes you choke when entering the transom or flops around in the wind.

Then, you get an M boat and at first you feel liberated! Wow, no stupid backstay to torment me anymore! You feel free, then after a while you start looking for a place to hang the boom, and then you are wondering where to fly your flags, and then you look at 99.9% of all the other boats in the harbor and have to say to your self: "I do not miss the back stay, I do not miss the backstay"

[Crikey]

First season with mine and lovin it. Won't fly flags though.

I'll still use the mainsheet if I want to use the boom as a crane.
R.

[bscott]

BWY? Really? I had no idea they sold a duck head for the mast. I never saw anything on their website - I think I would like to find one.

"Chicken head"--------Duck head is what you should do in the event of an accidental gybe

Bob

Willy beat me to the wherabouts of BWY's Chicken head---see p/n v3wy 3403-ivo under Rigging. I have the X model and modified it to conform to the larger M mast head which I have on my boat. I also have 2 adjustable back stays which are hardened on and off to facilitate the mast rotation. I also shortened my spreaders 3.5" ea. to give me more reaching room before the main loses power on the spreader tips.

For family reasons I sail allot with jib only and can attest that the mast moves forward enough to tension my back stays. I would not sail my X without a back stay, even under jib/main.

Bob

[BOAT]

Trust me guys, I miss the backstay like I miss an old parole officer. In the end I'm much glad to be without it.

[seahouse]

then after a while you start looking for a place to hang the boom, and then you are wondering where to fly your flags,

Hey BOAT - The installation of a simple topping lift (no pulley, just fixed at the mast) will serve both purposes, and it doesn't get in the way in the cockpit.

[Highlander]

Replace the dinghy size turning block at the mast head with a quality 2" swivel block and the main will fly up the mast. I also installed a chicken head to move my back stay and topping lift away from the sail roach.

Bob

halyard jib & genny & spinnaker blocks should not be on a swivel some come with a lock to stop them from swiveling , main halyard block is bolted onto the mast side ways so cannot swivel !
http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee20 ... 010035.jpg
J