Have any of you Mac 22 owners ever installed a chicken head on your mast? If so how well did it work out?
Thanks
Don
Thanks
Don
Chicken head on a mac 22
- Thread starter brokenfeather
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I'm a new owner of an old Mac 22, but have no idea what you mean by a chicken head. I hope it's a piece of sailing equipment, as opposed to a voodoo amulet or something of that nature.
I'd like to know what one is so i can check to see if my mast has one.
VBR,
Pat
The chicken head on the mast works out well as it keeps the more superstitions people from bothering you. Also it gives you a little extra protection for the boat, as it covers things that your insurance does not.
;-)
I picked up my new V-21 in 1970 at the factory. The original three point rig always looked a little inadequate. So several years after I bought the boat and we were starting to sail on bigger lakes, I beefed up the rigging with two addition side stays with spreaders, and a back stay. We also added a mast head forestay. This included the chicken head fitting that allowed the main halyard to cross the top of the mast through two pulleys in the fitting and provided attachment points for the fore and aft stays.
It has always worked well for me. While we have not raced the boat in official competition, and have never sailed in extremely high winds. We have walked on the side of the cockpit a couple of times, and the chicken head worked well. I trailer the boat and the only minor frustration is feeding the sheet through the fitting when preparing to launch the boat.
You guys are to much. Thanks for the comedy and the input. I think based on what I've read here and the input from BWY that we are going to install one on our 22.
Thanks again for the helpful entertainment.
Don
Thanks again for the helpful entertainment.
Don
Yer welcome, Don!
At this stage of my vast career with MacGregor sailboats (40 days) humor is mostly all I have to offer the group: that, and endless questions. I appreciate the tech talk TB provided, but to tell you the truth, I STILL have no idea what a chicken head does! But that's OK. I'll figure it out one of these days. All in good time. VBR,
Pat
Chicken head
The chicken head moves the attachment point for the backstay aft of the masthead, usually so the backstay will clear any roach in the main sail. See sketch. -Paul
The chicken head moves the attachment point for the backstay aft of the masthead, usually so the backstay will clear any roach in the main sail. See sketch. -Paul
Attachments
Sorry, my scanners not working. Here we go. I installed a chicken head on my V25. It replaces the standard mast cap. The one I have has a hole in the top with a fore and aft shieve which allows the main and jib halyard to be run internally exiting at the base of the mast and lead back to the cockpit for single handing. The backstay conects to the top which sets it up and back and keeps the head of the main from hitting the backstay. cleaned everything up real nice. Most V22 came with and S-104 extrusion from the factory. Check around your local docks and look up at mast tops and you may be able to see one. Also check with local skippers who are always willing to help out. I couldn't find one onl line with Harken, Lewmar, etc. I keep pluggin'. Fair Winds.
Nemo
I found this image on line...
I had one of these on my Coronado 25'. I'm old school I guess but I'm a strict believer in the "keep is simple stupid" school of thought. On my coronado the lines would occasionally slip out of the groove on the sheaves and I would have to send someone up the bosun's chair. NOT COOL. And on one occasion the line skipped as I was trying to douse the genoa in a stiff breeze and JAMMED . VERY NOT COOL. I was luck and was able to maneuver into the lee of an outcropping of land and was able to finally jerk my sail down.
So a simple block for me please. You can see it. Your line won't skip out and wedge in the top of the head. I also don't like leading lines inside of the spars. Out of sight means out of mind and you may miss chafe etc.
I found this image on line...
I had one of these on my Coronado 25'. I'm old school I guess but I'm a strict believer in the "keep is simple stupid" school of thought. On my coronado the lines would occasionally slip out of the groove on the sheaves and I would have to send someone up the bosun's chair. NOT COOL. And on one occasion the line skipped as I was trying to douse the genoa in a stiff breeze and JAMMED . VERY NOT COOL. I was luck and was able to maneuver into the lee of an outcropping of land and was able to finally jerk my sail down.
So a simple block for me please
. You can see it. Your line won't skip out and wedge in the top of the head. I also don't like leading lines inside of the spars. Out of sight means out of mind and you may miss chafe etc.Attachments
Wow guys, thanks again! Learning more every day here.
I can see in the diagram what the chicken head does, thank you. I haven't even hoisted my sails yet, so I don't know if I'll have that sail / aft stay conflict problem.
When I put her in the water for the first tests, we'll be running what the boat came with, rig-wise.
But it's good to learn about the existence and use of things like this; and here you guys discuss the pros and cons from your own experience. Mahalo!
VBR,
Pat
I can see in the diagram what the chicken head does, thank you. I haven't even hoisted my sails yet, so I don't know if I'll have that sail / aft stay conflict problem.
When I put her in the water for the first tests, we'll be running what the boat came with, rig-wise.
But it's good to learn about the existence and use of things like this; and here you guys discuss the pros and cons from your own experience. Mahalo!
VBR,
Pat
Again you folks are really coming through with some much needed information. We didn't have a problem with the OEM sails. The new FX sail was the one that had the interference problem. We haven't installed the CH yet but confident it will solve the problem.
Don
Don
You will never go hungry on a sailboat with a chicken head and a goose neck and I even have noodles:dance: for padding on my life lines.
and a goose neck and I even have noodles:dance: for padding on my life lines.- Status