I think you had it right. At least on my old boat the center pully at the end of the mast was for the wire rope / tackle and is used for either the flattening reef or outhaul depending on wind and whether the sail even has a flattening reef. We use no mechanical advantage on the outhaul when the flattening reef is used. The topping lift ran to one side and was cleated underneath the boom; all that went away when we installed the boomkicker. There was a cheek block/cleat mounted to the side of the boom that was part of the reefing system for the second reef; it was never used and so we removed it.
Jim Kloss
s/v Ambivalence
S2 7.9 #8
missing specs on outhaul?
Moderators: sderby, Tim Bosma, Tom Elsen
Marc,
Its rather quiet today so I'll just go through the boom rigging as best I can remember. You may or may not have all of these.
Starting at the mast, there are 2 cam cleats, one on each side of the tang for the gooseneck. These are for the reefing lines, I iwll go into those in a minute. Next aft on the boom is the vang attachment. Then there is a slot which is the exit for the outhaul. Then at the aft end there are 3 sheeves.
Now to uses and rigging:
1st, the reefing line(s). Most 7.9 mains are made with a single set of reef points, but if there are 2 sets, the second line is run much the same as the first. Our reefing line is tied in a bowline around the boom just ahead of the clew, it runs up through the reef cringle and back down to the starboard sheeve in the aft of the boom. Then it runs inside the boom to the starboard cam cleat on the tang. (We would use the port side for the 2nd reef if needed.)
Then, the outhaul. A wire leader runs from the clew of the main, through the center sheeve, and into the boom. It has a threaded pin shackle at the clew and the other end is attached to a double block. A wire leader also runs from the mast end of the boom - fixed to the inner end of the gooseneck tang - to a double block with becket. The outhaul line runs in a tackle inside the boom, starting at the becket, around and around, to make a 4:1 purchase, and, heading aft, exits at the slot in the bottom of the boom. We have a cam cleat mounted about 1' aft of the slot to secure the line.
This rigging is an upgrade of the original. It used to have a 3:1 purchase and the line exited the boom toward the bow. There was a jam cleat with a very small sheeve that the line turned around so it could be operated from the cockpit or companionway.
Is this confusing enough? If not, pm me for a phone numer and we can talk.
Cheers!
Its rather quiet today so I'll just go through the boom rigging as best I can remember. You may or may not have all of these.
Starting at the mast, there are 2 cam cleats, one on each side of the tang for the gooseneck. These are for the reefing lines, I iwll go into those in a minute. Next aft on the boom is the vang attachment. Then there is a slot which is the exit for the outhaul. Then at the aft end there are 3 sheeves.
Now to uses and rigging:
1st, the reefing line(s). Most 7.9 mains are made with a single set of reef points, but if there are 2 sets, the second line is run much the same as the first. Our reefing line is tied in a bowline around the boom just ahead of the clew, it runs up through the reef cringle and back down to the starboard sheeve in the aft of the boom. Then it runs inside the boom to the starboard cam cleat on the tang. (We would use the port side for the 2nd reef if needed.)
Then, the outhaul. A wire leader runs from the clew of the main, through the center sheeve, and into the boom. It has a threaded pin shackle at the clew and the other end is attached to a double block. A wire leader also runs from the mast end of the boom - fixed to the inner end of the gooseneck tang - to a double block with becket. The outhaul line runs in a tackle inside the boom, starting at the becket, around and around, to make a 4:1 purchase, and, heading aft, exits at the slot in the bottom of the boom. We have a cam cleat mounted about 1' aft of the slot to secure the line.
This rigging is an upgrade of the original. It used to have a 3:1 purchase and the line exited the boom toward the bow. There was a jam cleat with a very small sheeve that the line turned around so it could be operated from the cockpit or companionway.
Is this confusing enough? If not, pm me for a phone numer and we can talk.
Cheers!
Ahhh....so first I'll look at the main and see if it has a flattening grommet. Then, the blocks can serve one purpose or the other (or both).
Since you've got #8 and I've got #195, maybe they changed the arrangement. I've got a double sheave on the starboard side of the boom, about 1/3 of the way from the mast. Can't figure that one out.
I assume I'll figure out how the reefing line runs, and likely will put a boomkicker on this boat (had one on my old boat).
Thanks much
Since you've got #8 and I've got #195, maybe they changed the arrangement. I've got a double sheave on the starboard side of the boom, about 1/3 of the way from the mast. Can't figure that one out.
I assume I'll figure out how the reefing line runs, and likely will put a boomkicker on this boat (had one on my old boat).
Thanks much
On my boat (#11) the original owner used one of the internal lines for a reefing line, and the other internal line for a boom topping lift. To all of this, he added a second reefing line that ran externally through a small cheek block mounted along the side of the boom. When I added the boomkicker I eliminated the topping lift, ran the second reef internally and removed the outside cheek block on the boom.
IMHO, using the block and tackle that's meant for the outhaul is NOT a good way to rig your boat for RACING and here's why. The outhaul has a block and tackle arrangement on it for the simple reason that the foot of the main needs some semi-infinite adjustablity while sailing. For all intents and purposes, the flattener is either on or off with not a whole lot happening in between. On days when the flattening reef is used you still need to shake it out downwind. That is a piece of cake by just popping the flattener line out of the cleat on the front end of the boom or ucleating/unclutching the tail if it's been run back somewhere. If you're using a 1:1 purchase on the outhaul [one of the reefing lines] you will never be able to get in tight enough without using a winch in the wind range where you might start to think about using the flattener to begin with. An outhaul that's rigged with good hardware, small high tech line and enough purchase can really blade out the foot of a PROPERLY CUT main without the need for a flattening reef. The original mains that came from North years back were so full in the foot [and everywhere else !] that the flattener was needed to [semi] blade out the bottom.