1981 H27 Topping lift/uphaul weirdness

[SamNelson]

..still working on making this boat mine, and I need to understand something about a weird thing that is going on inside the boom.
A line runs through the center of the boom (reefing lines on either side) and is converted (mysteriously) to a cable with a shackle on exit from the aft end of the boom. I can only assume this is the topping lift or uphaul. It attaches to a cable from the top of the mast.
Heres the weird thing. When I pull on the line, the cable end is pulled into the boom until the shackle stops it.... and then there is about another foot of slack in the cable I can pull out of the forward end. Also, there appears to be a reduction going on inside the boom because the cable end appears to move faster than the line I am pulling.
I am having trouble removing the sheave assemblies from either end of the boom due to corrosion, so I haven't been able to "see" into there. Does anybody know what is in there?

 

[DianaOfBurlington]

This appears to be the outhaul.

The purchase on the inside of the boom is that for the outhaul, which is typically wire from the sail end converted via shackles to rope on the forward end. You don't mention it; but the shackle at the after end of the boom sounds like it comes out the top edge, not the bottom edge; and the rope is probably coming out the bottom edge at the forward end.

I would guesstimate that your confusion about the topping lift comes because you may have the topping lift attached to the outhaul's shackle. If this is so, what are you connecting to the after end (clew) of the mainsail?

 

[SamNelson]

Re: This appears to be the outhaul.

I have never seen the boat with sails on it. I purchased a new mainsail, but am only just now getting to the point where I will put it on the boat.
Yes, the shackle end comes out the top of the aft end of the mast, and the rope end comes out the bottom of the forward end. Is this not supposed to attach to the cable running up to the top of the mast from the end of the boom, and allow the boom to be raised/lowered as I wish? This is the way I found the boom rigged when I bought the boat.
Apparently not, as I understand your last question. You are saying this is to adjust the taughtness of the bottom of the sail along the boom I believe. I just looked up "outhaul". This makes sense.

 

[Benny17441]

Trying to take the boom apart may lead to more problems than you will bargain for. It looks like whoever took the main sail down just attached the outhaul cable to the topping lift just to secure it. Have seen just a few h27 s with adjustable topping lift and believe those may have been owner installed.

 

[Mike 1]

My '82 H27 has a reef line on one internal side cleats and the outhaul in the center that terminates in the cable as you said. It has a mechanical purchase system internally to help with the load. On the other internal side cleat is my adjustable topping lift. I should be at the boat later in the week. I will try and snap a picture or two for you.

 

[SamNelson]

Yes! This has to be correct.
Thanks guys!

 

[Mike 1]

Yes! This has to be correct.
Thanks guys!

I took a pic of how mine is set up. The blue line is tied around boom for storage, it is the reef line. The cable hanging is the outhaul, and the White line as you can see is the topping lift. Hope this helps.