Topping Lift Appears Short

[McPhee]

I got a 75' boom topping lift line cut from Chicago Marine to replace the existing line that was in bad shape. It's the correct distance, and this distance came from the manual page (attached). The issue is the line is too short to come through the mast hole where the existing line is run. This leads me to believe that the existing line is run incorrectly, but I can't find any diagrams of how to attach the boom topping lift to the mast and where to run it. P is 12.5m, and E is 4.45m for the furling setup. So the hypotenuse is about 43'. The existing line seems to be run through a spare halyard labeled port in the Seldon mast, which I assume is toward the top. The boom line spec is certainly less than 83', so I'm just confused. Any other 33-2 owners with some pics?

 

[jssailem]

A clever carpenter once told me; (as I was opening a manual to get the length of a piece of wood...) Measure twice cut once.

It is possible that a previous owner modified your mast tie point for the topping lift. It is possible you have a taller mast than the line measurement was intended.

As a rule I always measure physically my own lengths then add 10% (or sometimes more) when buying line. If I have extra I can always find a use for the extra on the boat. If I buy short then there will be a line on the boat that needs to be repurposed. I have learned to use the manual's specifications but before I go forward I must verify there was not a typo.

Fortunately line has many uses on a boat. How is the condition of your main traveler line? maybe the fenders can use new line tails to secure them to the the life lines.

 

[Tally Ho]

Did you already run the line ? Any chance it is caught on something inside the mast?

Can you measure the old line and see if it is 75 feet also?

Pretty simple line usually….end of boom, up to top of mast, over a sheave and down the mast to an exit. On my boat (Not a Hunter) it is cleated off on the mast.

Greg

 

[ggrizzard]

Many Hunters, including mine, were built with a fixed, wire "topping lift".
It had no adjustment provision. Some owners put an block and tackle
on the end of the fixed wire to allow for adjustability. Some of those cut
a foot or so off their fixed wire to allow for greater range on adjustment.
Since I don't know your set up, I can only guess if this idea helps.

 

[kbgunn]

My topping lift runs from a shackle at the und of the boom to a sheave in the mast head casting. It turns and comes down internal to the mast and exits the starboard side from the upper most port. It is cleated at the mast. See pics below.

 

[Jkutyna]

Is it truly common to have the topping lift tie off on a cleat on the mast base? My mast has no cleats and the topping lift runs back to the port side clutches.

 

[jssailem]

It is common.

That is how my topping lift is rigged. I also have my reefing rigged at the mast. The topping lift is used to adjust the boom while reefing the Mainsail. Having the controls together makes the task much simpler.

 

[Siamese]

Always possible the manual has the wrong figure. I based the purchase of new running rigging on my Catalina 315 on the figures in their manual. They were pure fiction....numerous lines too short.

 

[pgandw]

When I bought Sweet P (Mariner 19), topping lift was fixed length from mast head to hook into eye at aft end of boom. This was unsat to me (single handing) due to not being easily adjustable.

Last summer, I added cheek block near mast head and ran topping lift to cleat on mast. Don't like that arrangement either. Topping lift catches on head of main sail, and cleated topping lift gets in way of jib halyard at mast.

Going back to fixed at mast head, but to cheek block at aft end of boom, and cleat near mid-boom.

Fred W

 

[Jkutyna]

It is common.

That is how my topping lift is rigged. I also have my reefing rigged at the mast. The topping lift is used to adjust the boom while reefing the Mainsail. Having the controls together makes the task much simpler.

I also have the blocks and clutches for 2 jiffy reefing points. I know this much at least as the first jiffy reef is in the actual boat manual. Both clutches are labelled for the jiffy reefing system, they simply do not have the lines run through there, and I have read that there is some funky stuff that goes on inside of the boom for the jiffy reefing, so that'll be a fun puzzle when I get to that point I'm sure.