Noob questions

[eaglerocknerd]

So after 2 months I finally got all of my mast raising parts from the PO and I got to put my mast up for the first time.

After detangling all of the stays and rigging I got everything fastened and I think I know where everything goes.

The only rigging question I have is about a line that the PO had tied at the top of the mast where the backstay attaches.
The only thing I can imagine that this ties to is the rear of the boom to hold it up. Does this sound right?

Also, on an unrelated note, where is the bilge? Is there some obvious drain plug or area that I am missing?

[Russ]

Sounds right. Back stay that is.

Bilge? There are several compartments. No single bilge or drain hole like other powerboats.

Wipe out the last bits and get the boat wet.

[Crikey]

Metaphorically, the bilge is anywhere under your feet...

[Wayne nicol]

dont know what the 26x's have- but might be a topping lift, from mast head to aft of boom- to keep boom up, when the sail is down!
or is it just the back stay itself.
if its rope then its the topping lift, if its steel wire then the backstay i guess.

[DaveC426913]

Concur with Wayne.

I have a rope topping lift holding the boom up that is fixed at the masthead and adjusted at the lower end.

[Tomfoolery]

The topping lift is normally one of two varieties. One is a static line, secured at or near the top of the mast, brought down to the boom, and secured to some attachment point there. It has to be long enough that the sail will fully support the boom when raised - the topping lift must be slack under all conditions - unless you want it not slack, for sail shape reasons, but that's taking it up a notch. The other way is to pass the topping lift over a small block and bring it down the mast, so it can be adjusted from there, which is how mine is.

It really doesn't need to be adjustable from the mast if you make it long enough to make it adjustable at the boom end, though. Just that much more clutter at the cleats. In fact, I may just replace it with a fixed length, now that I've said it out loud and given it a little thought.

But I set mine at the mast to a specific length (I put a black mark on it for reference), long enough to never be under tension when the main sail is raised, and from the cockpit I adjust the TL by winding it around the boom to raise it high over my head once the sail is flaked and covered.

If I'm leaving the boat unattended for long periods of time, I move the main sheet to a fitting on one of the gunwales and use a small line with snap hooks at each end to a matching fitting on the other gunwale so the boom is held centered on the boat and can't rock as the boat moves. Looks like an upside down wye. But if I'm using the full bimini/bridge/dodger compliment, I can't do that (canvas is in the way), so I just run the main sheet to the life line loop on the rail on either side and tension it so it doesn't move around too much. Again, the topping lift holds it up, which is what it's there for.

Oh, and there are other things folks do to replace the TL, like a boom kicker or rigid vang. But since you have the TL, there's no reason to think beyond it until you've spent some quality time on the water with her.

[Russ]

The topping lift is normally one of two varieties. One is a static line, secured at or near the top of the mast, brought down to the boom, and secured to some attachment point there. It has to be long enough that the sail will fully support the boom when raised - the topping lift must be slack under all conditions - unless you want it not slack, for sail shape reasons, but that's taking it up a notch. The other way is to pass the topping lift over a small block and bring it down the mast, so it can be adjusted from there, which is how mine is.

My last boat had a topping lift that went to a block on the top of the mast and came back to a cam cleat with the other lines.

BWY put this simple topping lift on my boat and I love it! So much easier and less complicated. Our boats have light booms and there is no need for complex systems.
Let's face it, we have 2 positions, Sailing and Not sailing. So with this simple "static" line to the top of the mast, I can adjust it from the cockpit with a snap of a clip.

Shown here in the sailing position. When I drop the main, I lift the boom and clip the upper clip to the eye and voila, boom secured high over my head. No need to remove the other clip unless I'm removing the mast. Unclip when ready to raise the main again. All done from the cockpit with a clip.

[Tomfoolery]

Shown here in the sailing position. When I drop the main, I lift the boom and clip the upper clip to the eye and voila, boom secured high over my head. No need to remove the other clip unless I'm removing the mast. Unclip when ready to raise the main again. All done from the cockpit with a clip.

Same here. Looking at mine, I'm going to remove the block at the top, as all I ever do is set it to a fixed position when I rig it in the spring, and leave it there for the rest of the year.

But I only have one snap hook, and I take a couple of wraps around the boom to raise it when I want the headroom.



And here's the bridle I use, which is just the main sheet on the port side, and a length of 1/4" three-strand nylon with snap hooks spliced to each end.



The PO mounted a tiny block, which is pretty chewed from the weather, using steel drywall screws and a plastic fairlead from a cam cleat. I'm still cleaning up some of his more, er, creative handiwork. Just make sure the line is in good condition and the knot is secure the next time the mast is down, to avoid headaches should the TL fail and the boom nails you on the noggin.



eaglerocknerd: A very useful skill is knowing how to splice three-strand line. It's easy, and incredibly useful. Saves money when you can buy a long length of dock line and splice your own eyes. Fender hangers, utility lines like the starboard part of the bridle in my pic above, and so on. Braid is much more difficult to learn to splice (well), but three-strand is easy. Just sayin'. Since you're new.

[Russ]

I take a couple of wraps around the boom to raise it when I want the headroom.

Easier still.

I like this bridle idea.

A very useful skill is knowing how to splice three-strand line. It's easy, and incredibly useful. Saves money when you can buy a long length of dock line and splice your own eyes. Fender hangers, utility lines like the starboard part of the bridle in my pic above, and so on. Braid is much more difficult to learn to splice (well), but three-strand is easy. Just sayin'. Since you're new.

Yes indeed. My dad tried to teach me how to splice lines. I never got it. I did get him to splice a bunch of loops in my lines teaching me.
Also, splices are preferred to knotted rope, since while a knot typically reduces the strength by 20-40%, a splice is capable of attaining a rope's full strength.

[DaveC426913]

Shown here in the sailing position. When I drop the main, I lift the boom and clip the upper clip to the eye and voila, boom secured high over my head. No need to remove the other clip unless I'm removing the mast. Unclip when ready to raise the main again. All done from the cockpit with a clip.

That was the arrangement I had too. I found a big problem with it (OK, "air quotes" big).

In order to reach that upper clip, I had to stand on the lazarettes. That was not something I liked doing in bouncy waves - which is usually when I found myself doing it, since I very frequently forgot to do it at the dock. And not easy to do while helming as well.

I fixed the problem by replacing the eyehooks with a block, then a line up to the block and back down to a small clam cleat. Now, to raise the topping lift, I pull down. Works great.

[Chinook]

I agree with the comment about the utility of knowing how to splice. Lots of applications for it. Chapman's Piloting includes a good illustrated discussion on how to do it. Recently, I got tired of having the thimble/anchor shackle connection between nylon rode and anchor chain hang up and chafe when passing through my anchor roller. I simply cut the thimble off and spliced the 3 strand nylon rode directly to the anchor chain. Now, the nylon/chain connection slides right through the roller without any extra difficulty.

[Russ]

I like your solution. Very simple.

It's true, bouncing around and catching that hook can be dicey. Knock on wood, it's not been a problem. Now I just jinxed myself.

That was the arrangement I had too. I found a big problem with it (OK, "air quotes" big).

In order to reach that upper clip, I had to stand on the lazarettes. That was not something I liked doing in bouncy waves - which is usually when I found myself doing it, since I very frequently forgot to do it at the dock. And not easy to do while helming as well.

I fixed the problem by replacing the eyehooks with a block, then a line up to the block and back down to a small clam cleat. Now, to raise the topping lift, I pull down. Works great.

[Wayne nicol]

mine is just a line attached at the mast head , and thru a cam cleat on the end of the boom, easy to really hike it up, when we are fishing, one tug gets it back down for sailing- - one fixed line, one cam cleat- works great for us!!!

[DaveC426913]

mine is just a line attached at the mast head , and thru a cam cleat on the end of the boom, easy to really hike it up, when we are fishing, one tug gets it back down for sailing- - one fixed line, one cam cleat- works great for us!!!

Yeah. That was my first iteration of the mod.

But I'm usually doing this as I'm underway and deploying sails, and often single-handing. I found that meant you needed one hand to pull the line, another to push the boom up, and a third on the wheel.

That's why I put the block in. Now raising and lowering is a one-handed operation.

[Tomfoolery]

Interesting. I had that arrangement, until I realized I really didn't use it that way, and I had more line and block banging around than I really needed, so I just clipped the TL to the boom. But I actually don't mind standing on the seats to raise the boom. The TL is set so that the boom will just clear the bimini, and I don't need to raise it unless I want the headroom at anchor or at the dock, where there's not much rock and roll.