Association Forum - Topping lift use?

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
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.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 250 Specific Forum

Topping lift use?

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

Member Avatar

USA
4479 Posts

Initially Posted - 04/26/2009 : 17:50:52

After reading the other thread on using a topping lift, I figured I should fix mine. I spent an inordinate amount drilling out a broken off screw head that attached one of the ears of the cheek block on the port side of the boom. Finally got it out and got the cheek block reattached (it's been off the boom for more than a year). After getting everything put back together, I grabbed the topping lift from where it's been tied off for the past year+ and went to attach it to the hardware.

The way the PO had it rigged, the TL is tied off to the top of the mast, runs down 95% or so of the way to the boom, then terminates in the block. Then a smaller line is tied around the pulley of the block (so it can't move, it's just a loop), then than line runs down to the cheek block on the end of the boom, which in turn turns it to run forward to a jam cleat with a ball on the end that's about a foot away. Is this how it's supposed to be rigged? It makes little sense to me to have the block on the end of the line, why not just have a single line that runs from the top of the mast to the cheek block, what's the point of the block at the end of the line? Was there originally some sort of purchase there that's disappeared into the sands of time?

David
C-250 Mainsheet Editor

Sirius Lepak
1997 C-250 WK TR #271 --Seattle area Port Captain --

Edited by - on

Peregrine
Admiral

Members Avatar

830 Posts

Response Posted - 04/26/2009 : 19:00:49

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by delliottg
 After reading the other thread on using a topping lift, I figured I should fix mine. I spent an inordinate amount drilling out a broken off screw head that attached one of the ears of the cheek block on the port side of the boom. Finally got it out and got the cheek block reattached (it's been off the boom for more than a year). After getting everything put back together, I grabbed the topping lift from where it's been tied off for the past year+ and went to attach it to the hardware.

The way the PO had it rigged, the TL is tied off to the top of the mast, runs down 95% or so of the way to the boom, then terminates in the block. Then a smaller line is tied around the pulley of the block (so it can't move, it's just a loop), then than line runs down to the cheek block on the end of the boom, which in turn turns it to run forward to a jam cleat with a ball on the end that's about a foot away. Is this how it's supposed to be rigged? It makes little sense to me to have the block on the end of the line, why not just have a single line that runs from the top of the mast to the cheek block, what's the point of the block at the end of the line? Was there originally some sort of purchase there that's disappeared into the sands of time?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I think I said enough on the other thread so how about a way to look at this from your needs?

Think about what you need the topping lift to do.
How does the boom stay in place "before" you raise the main?
Once the main is up does the topping lift distort the shape of the main or relax and let the other controls shape the main?
Can you reef from the cockpit? How does the boom stay up when you are lowering the main to reef it?
Once you answer those questions you'll get an idea of how you need the topping lift to work. Then you can lead it back to the cockpit or use one of the boom end adjustments.

I am lucky all my [url="http://www.catalina-capri-25s.com/tech/tech25/tt008.asp "] halyards, the reefing line, the outhaul and topping lift are led aft[/url]

Underlined words are HOT links.

Edited by - on

bill bosworth
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
172 Posts

Response Posted - 04/26/2009 : 19:45:02

David;
The way that your topping lift is rigged sounds the same as mine, except that the line doesn't tie to the block, it passes through the block and is tied to the end of the boom. I tie it to the bale that is mounted to the top of the boom end casting. By passing the line through the block, you get a two to one mechanical advantage that makes raising the boom much easier. I use the topping lift to raise the boom over the cockpit when we're not sailing and to hold the boom up when I'm raising the Main. I release it and leave it slack while sailing.

Good sailing
Bill, c250wb #134 Serendipity
On Kerr lake, NC

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 04/27/2009 : 07:03:27

Bill's right--you can use the blocks for 2x1 purchase. You can tie off the lower line to the boom end (a stopper knot at a hole is sufficient), run it up through the TL block, down to the cheek block, and forward to the cleat.

Edited by - on

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

Members Avatar

USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 04/27/2009 : 13:13:04

Thanks Dave, that makes sense, but is there a necessity for a 2:1 purchase?

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 04/27/2009 : 15:53:01

YMMV... My experience was that it was easier to control. Without it, you might find you need to lift the boom with one hand while pulling on the line with the other.

On the other hand, once I found just the right position, I rarely changed it. On mine, a stopper knot insured that the boom couldn't do a free-fall into the cockpit.

Edited by - on

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

Members Avatar

USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 04/27/2009 : 16:10:56

Currently on mine, the boom can make it about as low as the cabin entrance before running out of line. I'll play with it a bit this weekend and see what I can see.

Edited by - on

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
5371 Posts

Response Posted - 04/27/2009 : 20:48:50

As Dave says -- it just works -- and it stops where it needs to stop.

At times, when the wind falters, I drop the main and raise the boom so there's plenty of head-room without head-bonk!

Edited by - on

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
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.