Two small lines coming out of the head of the main boom... Yeah I know technical terms right!?

[HarrisOutdoors]

This is a 1980 Hunter H27 that was basically derelict when I saved it. After cleaning it up a bit, I sail it all over the near coastal Gulf and use it as a condo at the beach... so there's that!

Anyhow, at the head of the main boom where the boom meets the mast, there are two small lines which appear to lead through the boom aft. One seems to be attached through the boom up to the masthead. That one I figure is to adjust the trim of the boom/mainsail, correct me if I'm wrong. It doesn't budge no matter how hard I pull it, (yeah I know... "that's what she said"). Would it be bad of me to replace that with a permanently affixed stainless cable? I'm not a technical sailor and have never used this thing... I'm sure it has a name.

The other seems to go in and disappear, but at the aft end of the main boom is a stainless cable attached to the clew of the sail... I suppose this is to provide tension on the foot of the mainsail and again I'm sure it has a name... unfortunately, the line coming out of the front of the boom is dry rotted to nothing and the stainless cable doesn't budge no matter how hard I pull... any ideas to fix that.. or again stainless cable to the aft of the boom and be done with it.

Anyhow any ideas or just a vocabulary lesson would be nifty.
Thanks
J Harris

 

[LeslieTroyer]

The first line you describe may be a reefing line. The other the outhaul.

 

[Will Gilmore]

I'm going to guess the first line is a topping lift, if it goes all the way to the masthead. Les is definitely right about the second one being the outhaul. You guessed correctly about its function.
The toppinglift holds the boom up when the sail is furled. It can also be used to introduce a deeper belly in the main for those occasions when you want to capture and hold as much light following wind as possible.

-Will (Dragonfly)

 

[ggrizzard]

And to add to what Will said...
If the suspected line going up the mast is a topping lift, and your main sheet is taught, the line won't move because the boom won't move upwards.

 

[heritage]

The first line you described is the topping lift. In order to use it to lift the aft end of the boom, as ggrizzard said, the main sheet has be slackened. Also the cunningham needs to be slackened. Even with both of those slackened, the weight of the boom makes it hard to pull the line and raise the boom. The line could use some more mechanical advantage than it has.
The other line, the outhaul, works easily on my H27. Looks like you need to replace yours. It could have a restriction somewhere caused by the lines deterioration.

 

[Hunter Ad Bot]

And now a word from the sponsor...

Deck fill caps for most Hunter sailboats

Stainless, nylon, in all the shapes and sizes, replacement caps are in stock.
See the product

 

[HarrisOutdoors]

Thanks for the responses folks that makes sense... Terms I've heard and long forgotten for sure oh well! Slack the mainsheet... crap now I feel stupid... no wonder it wouldn't move.

 

[Will Gilmore]

When the main is set, the topping lift should be slack. It is meant to only takes the weight of the boom when the sail is furled. Just in case you had questions about how to adjust it.

-Will (Dragonfly)

 

[Benny17441]

On the h27 those will be the "outhaul" to horizontally stretch the sail and the other the "reefing" line to shorten sail when the wind speed overpowers the boat. By the reefing line should be a pair of inverted horns to secure the grommet in the sail being shorted. Replacing those lines if they are broken or jammed could be a major feat.

 

[HarrisOutdoors]

Yeah, it's sure looking like a giant PITA to get those out.