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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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Best size for C250 topping lift?

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TakeFive
Master Marine Consultant

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2272 Posts

Initially Posted - 03/24/2012 : 16:16:26

I ordered new line for my topping lift because the old one had several kinks popping through the braid. I didn't bother to check the diameter, because the owners manual clearly said it should be 5/16". When I came in I realized that it is bigger - the old one was 1/4".

Half of it is now installed on the masthead. The other half that goes through the boom will wait until the mast is up. But I am concerned that it will be too big for the clam cleat. So I am faced with a choice of buying 1/4" for the half that goes through the boom (losing the strength benefit of the larger line), or replacing the clam cleat to accommodate the large line. I haven't measured yet to be sure my boom sheaves will accommodate the larger line.

For those of you with newer C250s with topping lifts, what do you have? What things should I consider in choosing between 1/4" and 5/16?

Rick S., Swarthmore, PA
PO of Take Five, 1998 Catalina 250WK #348 (relocated to Baltimore's Inner Harbor)
New owner of 2001 Catalina 34MkII #1535 Breakin' Away (at Rock Hall Landing Marina)

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britinusa
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USA
5404 Posts

Response Posted - 03/24/2012 : 16:36:34

Rick, our topping lift is only rigged thru the boom.

We have a long topping lift from the mast head that ends in a snap hook about a foot above the bimini.
The the boom topping lift line is rigged stbd side jamb cleat beneath the boom, goes forward inside the boom, then around a ionternal sheave, passes to the aft end of the boom, out on the stbd sheave and ends in a second snap hook that we connect to the end of the fixed topping lift line attached to the masthead.

So no moving parts within the mast.

Paul

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TakeFive
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Response Posted - 03/24/2012 : 16:40:11

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by britinusa
 Rick, our topping lift is only rigged thru the boom.

We have a long topping lift from the mast head that ends in a snap hook about a foot above the bimini.
The the boom topping lift line is rigged stbd side jamb cleat beneath the boom, goes forward inside the boom, then around a ionternal sheave, passes to the aft end of the boom, out on the stbd sheave and ends in a second snap hook that we connect to the end of the fixed topping lift line attached to the masthead.

So no moving parts within the mast.

Paul
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Paul - Mine is rigged exactly the same way - a 2-part line that allows removing the boom without removing the line from inside the boom. I am concerned about whether the larger line passes easily through the two boom sheaves, and whether the clam cleat will grab the larger line.

What size is your line?

Edited by - TakeFive on 03/24/2012 16:41:18

Voyager
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Response Posted - 03/24/2012 : 17:31:33

My topping lift on Passage consists of a line from the mast top to a block with a jam cleat and a short line to the aft end of the boom. I believe the line is 1/4" or 5/16", which is plenty strong. I can hang off the boom. This configuration allows me to adjust the boom height while motoring with sails down.
On my daysailor, I use a block at the top of the mast and run a 3/16" line from the aft end of the boom over the block down to a cleat mounted on the mast near the tabernacle. Again, I can adjust boom height, preventing head bonks while underway or at anchor.

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dmpilc
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Response Posted - 03/26/2012 : 09:26:37

1/4" line for the topping lift should be more than sufficient. On both of our boats, C-25 and C-22, when I converted them to all rope halyards, I took the wire portion of the halyards from the C-22 to make the upper portion of the topping lifts. For each one, the thimble loop at one end is attached to the aft pin on the masthead right beside the backstay, and a micro block is attached to the bottom end of the wire. Then a 1/4" is tied to the micro block and runs through block on the boom end and from there forward along the boom to a lance cleat. One could also start the line at a padeye on the boom, go up through the block on the wire and come back to the block on the boom. (Red/orange line in the pic) Very easy and quick to adjust.

If you are not concerned about weight aloft, i.e. do not race your boat, the wire will last virtually forever, and you don't have to lower the mast to change the topping lift line when it wears out. If you have to lower the mast every year anyway, an all rope topping lift from 1/4" line will do nicely.

Edited by - dmpilc on 03/26/2012 09:43:26

TakeFive
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Response Posted - 03/26/2012 : 20:10:14

While I agree that 1/4" would be perfectly adequate for a topping lift, I already bought 2-25' pieces of 5/16" NovaTech XLE. At that length, there's not much else to do with it anyway. Low-stretch Dacron would make awful dock line.

The two clam cleats currently on the boom are both identical, and one of them works fine for the 5/16" outhaul, so the other one that currently is used with the old 1/4" topping line will also work fine with 5/16" (especially after the line softens up a bit with use).

The only problem is the sheaves at the aft end of my boom. The port one for 5/16" first reef is an appropriately sized 1-3/4" D x 1/2" W x 1/4" bore sheave. However, the starboard one for the topping lift is awful - it's a skinny 1-3/4" x 5/16" sheave with a thin slot it in it that looks like it was designed for wire. In fact, it's identical to the sheave that the wire outhaul wraps around just forward of these two other sheaves. The 1/4" line that has been running around this sheave is way oversized for it, and does not settle into the slot like it should. I think that explains some of [url="http://www.catalina-capri-25s.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=21693"]the fouling problems that I was having two years ago[/url]. No way it would work for 5/16" - it's not even right for 1/4". So I'm definitely going to have to replace this sheave. I cannot find one in exactly the same diameter, but the closest match looks to be a [url="http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/RONSTAN-Rope-Pulley-4FRW9"]Ronstan sheave that I found at Grainger[/url], which seems to have a far better selection of Ronstan hardware than even WestMarine, and pretty good prices too. I don't quite have room for another 1/2" wide sheave on the shaft, and this RF251 is 3/8" wide, which will fit fine.

Edited by - TakeFive on 03/26/2012 20:13:54

OJ
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4382 Posts

Response Posted - 03/27/2012 : 10:52:11

FWIW our topping lift is ss strand, ~1/16". Works well and very unobtrusive - will use again.

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