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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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Just another reason to laugh at myself

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djn
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1561 Posts

Initially Posted - 08/08/2006 : 14:10:41

Hi All, I took my nephew and his frind out sailing yesterday and as soon as I got the boat set up I gave them the tiller. They really enjoyed the day. We sailed close hauled in 15 most of the day. Anyway, I had time to just look around and wonder about things. For the longest time I have been trying to tighten the main up. I put a 6:1 downhaul on it and it did not really help. I put a 4:1 outhaul on the end of the boom and that did not help. I have a 6:1 boom vang and that did nothing. At some point I just figured that the sail was cut "baggy"...... but as the boys were trying to keep the boat going straight, I had to laugh when I realized that I never took off the topping lift. That thing did a great job of keeping the end of the boom up. Without the topping, all those systems tighten up the mail like a fiddle string if needed. Cheers.

Dennis
No Boat
S.E. Michigan

Edited by - on

Justin
Admiral

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502 Posts

Response Posted - 08/08/2006 : 20:03:10

I did a very similar thing a couple months ago when I took my brothers and their friend out. I was raising the main and I could not raise it all the way. The leech was as tight as could be, but the luff was very slack. It took me a minute to realize I forgot to loosen the main sheet. I just slackened the main sheet, up went the sail, and we had a great time out there on the bay.

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djn
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1561 Posts

Response Posted - 08/08/2006 : 21:09:23

Hi Justin, for me this was not a one time deal. I have been leaving the topping lift on everytime I sailed since the season started. Cheers.

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EAbrams
Navigator

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USA
130 Posts

Response Posted - 08/09/2006 : 06:43:13

Last thing my friend Bob told me as we left the boat after stepping the mast. Don't forget to loosen this topping lift when you go sailing again.

What did I for forget? You betcha! But I did catch my error rather quickly.

Much more serious was handing the tiller to my DW as I tried to clean up the lines scattered around the cockpit. I failed to tell her and watch for an accidental gybe as we headed downwind. Luckily ( if you can call it luck) all she was hit by was the main sheet. I guess forgetting to loosen the topping lift was a good thing for me.

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existentialsailor
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1180 Posts

Response Posted - 08/09/2006 : 11:16:43

A neat trick I was shown this spring was to use you main halyard as the topping lift. One less line aloft.

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Brooke Willson
Admiral

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USA
983 Posts

Response Posted - 08/09/2006 : 11:27:36

Rick, I'd like to see that -- especially when you're sailing. I use my topping lift to control sail shape in light winds, adding extra curve to the main. I can't imagine how you could use the main halyard as a topping lift when the sail is raised. Enlighten me!

Brooke

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Ericson33
Admiral

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USA
892 Posts

Response Posted - 08/09/2006 : 12:27:08

BOOMKICKER

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Brooke Willson
 Rick, I'd like to see that -- especially when you're sailing. I use my topping lift to control sail shape in light winds, adding extra curve to the main. I can't imagine how you could use the main halyard as a topping lift when the sail is raised. Enlighten me!

Brooke
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

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existentialsailor
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1180 Posts

Response Posted - 08/09/2006 : 17:46:58

Brooke,

Can't help you.
Capri's didn't come with topping lifts as standard, though a lot of folks added them. When the sail is off, the main halyard is holding the boom up off the traveler. I'm not using the main halyard as a topping lift while sailing.

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 08/10/2006 : 07:58:38

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by existentialsailor
 A neat trick I was shown this spring was to use you main halyard as the topping lift. One less line aloft.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Not much help when it comes time to tuck in a reef. Also, I like to keep the boom off the passengers' heads or knees when I drop the main...

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 08/10/2006 08:00:09

existentialsailor
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1180 Posts

Response Posted - 08/10/2006 : 08:51:24

Okay...
Like I said, I thought it was a neat idea and it has worked well for me this season.
Wasn't trying to foist it on anyone.

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 08/10/2006 : 10:05:11

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by existentialsailor
 Okay...
Like I said, I thought it was a neat idea and it has worked well for me this season.
Wasn't trying to foist it on anyone.

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

This is one of those issues of terminology. Many people call the boom crutch a topping lift, you are using your halyard as a boom crutch and that makes perfect sense, (except the boom probably has a little more sway than you like). Boom crutches evolved from large wood rails with three cutouts, one to port, starboard and center, to pieces of wire swaged onto the backstay with a clip on the end. A topping lift really is a piece of adjustable sailing hardware that also acts as a temporary boom crutch on the water when dropping the main. People with topping lifts still attach the end of the boom to the "boom crutch tail" when putting the boat to sleep; or else their booms will sway a bunch too.

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The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.