The outhaul on my 1973 Tartan 30 is a bit bizarre. I've attached a picture of what it looked like when I purchased the boat 3 years ago. It has an old roller reefing boom that was converted to slab reefing. The outhaul has some sort of internal purchase and the line exists just forward of the winch on the boom. Impossible to put on the winch and really no place to secure it. Looking for suggestions on how to improve it. I currently do not run lines back to the cockpit and don't intend to.
Outhaul suggestions
- Thread starter oldlaxer1
- Start date
OL... That is a bit odd, but not unusual.
If you pull on the line it extends your outhaul?
I just refit the outhaul on my boom. We removed the boom, and removed the end and goose neck fittings.
Removed all of the hardware and started from scratch to redesign the systems.
If wanted I'll take some specific photos and forward them next time I'm on the boat.
Boom end, showing 2 reefing lines one on either side of the boom end (white/blue and white/green)
You can see the new black exit for the outhaul. We used a small dyneema line that attaches to a block in the boom.
Here is the winch with the two Reefing lines wrapped. The jam cleat next to the winch is to secure the reef line from the winch.
This last image is of the lines on the port side of the mast. The black whit speckled line is the outhaul. Another dyneema non stretch line the is pulled then secured in the jam cleat on the bottom of the boom.
If you pull on the line it extends your outhaul?
I just refit the outhaul on my boom. We removed the boom, and removed the end and goose neck fittings.
Removed all of the hardware and started from scratch to redesign the systems.
- Installed a 2:1 system in the boom that exits before a cleat on the base of the boom. I have never needed more purchase for the outhaul. Certainly not a winch.
- I placed a #10 winch on the boom to help with reefing the sail.
- I installed two reefing lines that run through the boom and exit near the port side of the mast. All control lines are on the port side of the boom. This is the same side I use for the main halyard. When I go to reef, I can accomplish all the work on the main sail from a single station.
If wanted I'll take some specific photos and forward them next time I'm on the boat.
Boom end, showing 2 reefing lines one on either side of the boom end (white/blue and white/green)
You can see the new black exit for the outhaul. We used a small dyneema line that attaches to a block in the boom.
Here is the winch with the two Reefing lines wrapped. The jam cleat next to the winch is to secure the reef line from the winch.
This last image is of the lines on the port side of the mast. The black whit speckled line is the outhaul. Another dyneema non stretch line the is pulled then secured in the jam cleat on the bottom of the boom.
Yes, pulling the line extends/tightens the outhaul. Easing the outhaul is a pain because I literally have to go forward and push some of the line back into the hole. I'm assuming everything inside is as old as the boat and not at all efficient anymore. The winch is really for the reefing lines and they did a good job at the outboard clew end with eyes on the port side and blocks on stb. However, if you look closely you might be able to see the self jamming cleats in a bit of an odd location just aft and below the winch. I don't want the boom to be swiss cheese but I may end up moving them to be easier to use.
Moving hardware on my boom was no big deal. We spent a lot of time deciding where the working parts needed to go to make the leads fair. We cut holes where needed and reattached the hardware. Then we had a welder close up the left over holes. Sanded the welds fair and took a scotch bright pad to the boom to smooth out the surface and blend the new welded spots with the rest of the boom. The boom has now been outside for 11 months and the aluminum has a normal patina. Unless you examined the surface you would not know we had changed a thing. I know because I did it and I am very happy because I can go to one spot and work all of the lines. A critical issue as I often sail solo.
No Swiss cheese.. Weld it.
No Swiss cheese.. Weld it.
If you don't intend to run the line back to the cockpit, what would be the point of trying to improve it? That hole is not good. As you know, it makes too much friction. There doesn't appear to be any way to exit the line except to install an exit plate or at least a shaped hole to let the line move freely. After that, you need a block on the mast, a block at the base of the mast, a deck organizer and a cleat on the cabin top. If you want to adjust your outhaul, it is unlikely that you or crew is going to go forward to do it. What do you do now? Have you left it untouched for 3 years because it doesn't work so good?
Another thought might be to reverse the purchase to the forward end of the boom somehow and run the outhaul line out the aft end. Then you can adjust outhaul form the cockpit without adding the hardware to bring the line to the cockpit from the mast.
Another thought might be to reverse the purchase to the forward end of the boom somehow and run the outhaul line out the aft end. Then you can adjust outhaul form the cockpit without adding the hardware to bring the line to the cockpit from the mast.
Let's just say I had a lot of more pressing things to take care of so I've put off improving the outhaul. I'm now to the stage that this is bothering the hell out of me so I'm looking for suggestions. Reversing may be a thought.
I'm going to have to take both ends of the boom off to see what is going on in there and figure out how to make it work better. If I reroute it I may bring it back under the boom with a cam/jam cleat so it is adjustable from the cockpit. I'm just not a big fan of having lines running to the cockpit over the cabin top on a 30 ft boat, but that a whole other argument....;-)
In addition to the above posts, if the hardware in the boom is in good shape downsize your line by at least one size to make everything go around blocks more easily. Also use a hockle free line like Salsa which goes through blocks very nicely. Bring the line out of the boom, using an exit plate or the drill and file method if you must. Mount a new cleat forward of the line exit from the boom. Pay attention to the cleat type, that it's lead is fair and the cleat is the right size for the line. Since the "Default" position for the outhaul is tight, you don't want the cleat to allow the outhaul to slip to the full position. That would power up the sail when you really don't want it.
I agree with Scott about reversing the purchase and bringing the line out of the boom in the cockpit, where the driver or crew can adjust it easily and often. Assuming that the Tartan 30 will have a Dacron sail, adjustability of the main outhaul, in the cockpit, would be very nice. It doesn't need to be on the cabin top.
I agree with Scott about reversing the purchase and bringing the line out of the boom in the cockpit, where the driver or crew can adjust it easily and often. Assuming that the Tartan 30 will have a Dacron sail, adjustability of the main outhaul, in the cockpit, would be very nice. It doesn't need to be on the cabin top.
Maybe just a cleaning, lubrication and replacing old line is a first step. Sailed on a 25 year old boat with zero outhaul control, spent 2 hours with a screw driver, pliers and a can of McLube and the results were amazing. Overall cost was 4 squirts of McLube and 2 beers, not bad.
I'll start the "GoFundMe" right away. ;-) It is definitely something that can be remedied without buying a new boom.
Well the good news is it wasn't too painful to get the boom ends off and have a look around. Pretty much everything posted above was correct. First, mud daubers had the gooseneck end full of mud and crap. There was a 4-1 block purchase system but apparently someone drilled a hole and hit one of the blocks causing one of the sheaves to be pinched and locked. By running the line through one empty sheave I can make it 5 to 1 and lead the line aft and through an inline exit bullet block to a cleat and solve my problems. I'll probably replace the cable with dyneema as well for smoother operation. Time to go shopping.