Boom rigging

[Hunter216]

Well weather was beautiful today but no wind so no sailing and no pics. I did replace my main and jib halyard lines as well as the jib furler line.
As my small boat has no extra cleats I'm curious how much extra line should I have on each halyard and how much is too much extra? The PO had both rigged where they tied together at the base of the mast in a mess but kept excess up and ends from coming loose and over the mast head. Probably not a bad idea but I'm sure not the right way from what I'm studying now. However , I have no place to hang excess line but maybe I could add some cleats to the mast?
Also, it appears my main sail should have slugs on the luff to slide up the mast and mine does not.
Going to set the mast tomorrow and check these things out, take some pics and post for help and direction.

I tried to find some reference material for your boat and other than a few photos there doesn’t seem to anything that I can find on the web.

You might already be well versed in knots but if you use an Apple device this app is great

https://knots3d.com/

You mention you replaced some of the running rigging already so welcome to the “hole in the water to pour $ in club!”

As I have the impression you don’t have a manual to reference for diameter, length, stretch, ease of handling etc. you will need to figure this out as you go. I found a flexible tape on a reel handy for this task. Some things to consider are is the new line correctly “sized” for its intended use and do you want different colours to make it easier to have others help sail the boat (red and green) for example.
It’s not a big deal to add a cleat to the aluminum mast but again important to get the correct ‘size’” and material for the intended use and ensure it is securely fastened so it doesn’t tear out.

@Woreign mentioned bolt rope, why do you think you need slugs?

Setting the mast up and posting pictures will make it much easier for others here to assist. After all

 

[John6275]

I went with lines the same size as those I replaced. Colors would have been nice but when with what i had local to keep cost down and get it done when i had time. Was hoping at the least to set up today to get some pics (trailer sailer ) buy looking it's going to be a rainy day.
However, i do plane on getting pics soon. Looking like Wednesday might be a good morning for sailing before work.
Thanks for your help. Oh, and I have droid phone.

 

[John6275]

Please, I know this may sound trivial, but if I hear the term "pulley" anymore, especially from our "experienced" forum members, I'm gonna scream!
Here's some pictures.... You don't really need a high powered backstay adjuster on a boat this size.... some of the pictures show a mid cockpit traveler, others show the split mainsheet version with no traveler to allow space for the tiller.... study the pictures... try linking to various ones to get more.

Thanks for pics, o had found those and limited data sheet. In digging through PO file some if the original sales info survived through serval owners and states. The big pic is going to be very helpful.
Oh, and blocks.....I'm getting there.

 

[John6275]

I was looking up the very same information the other day! The rule of thumb with jib sheets is 1.5 times the boat length, or sufficient length that the lazy sheet can reach the clew other side of the boat. As for the mainsheet, it needs to be long enough to allow the boom to achieve a broad reach and still have about four feet left in the cockpit.

It appears in your photos that your mainsail has a bolt rope. You can feed it into the mast opening, the same as you would with slugs. You can add slugs to the sail if you like, which allow for easier hoisting and furling.

I did confirm it's a bolt rope. Thanks again.

 

[BudGates]

The truth is, there is no right or wrong way when it comes to halyard length. There is only what you prefer and what works for you. If your halyards are tied off on the mast you can add a fairlead above the cleat and tie a stopper knot to keep the end of the line from getting lost up the mast.

I prefer to have no more than a foot of extra line, after tying all the required knots, for either halyards or sheets. Less is actually better. I like my lazy jib sheets just long enough to allow it to go completely slack when the jib is all the way out on the opposite side. I like my mainsheet to use up all the line when the boom is at it's maximum for a run. I like my main halyard shackle to just reach the boom and the jib halyard shackle to just reach the deck when stretched all the way. Any excess line that you can keep out of the way is a good thing. Having said that, don't be in a hurry to cut the lines to length. Tie a stopper knot where you think the end of the rope should be and sail the boat a few times. Adjust the position of the knot while you're sailing until you're comfortable with the position. Once you're sure that the knot is in the correct location go ahead and cut the line a few inches beyond the knot.

 

[John6275]

sounds like a good idea. on my little boat there is no thing in place to hang or secure extra line from, in or on.

 

[Brian S]

I disagree with the rigging of the leech reefing line on the main. Woreign very helpfully edited a photo with blue lines to indicate the routing of the reefing, but I think it is on the wrong side of the boom. Reefing lines typically attach to the boom, slightly aft of where the reef point would lay on the boom, often using an eye strap. Then the run up to the beefy grommet (cringle) in the leech of the sail, through, and down to the opposite side of the boom, through a cheek block that turns the direction of travel forward along the boom to a cleat. Could be a horn cleat, could be a clam cleat. So I see in your pictures there is a cheek block on the port side of the boom, and also on the port side an alloy clam cleat forward on the boom. I would use those. But I don't see an eye strap on the starboard side of the boom. I don't know what that surface mount block is on the starboard side of the boom. I don't know that I would tie a loop around the boom like that for the end of the reefing line, as I'd want its position fixed, because you don't want the reefed sail to pull forward. Pulling the reefed foot aft a bit to adjust draft is a good idea, hence having the cheek block and eye strap a few inches aft of where the reefing cringle would lay on the boom.

 

[Woreign]

Here's a drawing that popped up when I searched for Jiffy Reefing, only it's reversed on your boom. This is probably due to your reefing hook being on the port side.

 

[Brian S]

Here's a drawing that popped up when I searched for Jiffy Reefing, only it's reversed on your boom. This is probably due to your reefing hook being on the port side.

This. This would be how to rig, but on the port side of the boom.

I like that the clam cleat is very close to the forward end of the boom. You can go forward to the mast, slack the halyard and hook the tack to the reefing hook, take up on the halyard again and make fast, then turn around and have your leech reef link right to hand at that cleat.

I have a reefing hook on my gooseneck, but I found it really hard to get the tack grommet on the hook. My new mainsail has a welded SS ring on each side of the grommet, sewed together by a look of webbing that passes through the grommet. SOOOOO much easier to just hook the ring on the reefing hook. And not too difficult to sew up oneself if needed.

 

[John6275]

So, we got to take her out today, even if the wind was too lite.
The D-shakles I ordered were too big. They were supposed to 3/16" pin and space or gap of 1/2" but were not. So, no boom bang today but almost no wind. About 6.5 gusts from time to time with 2 being an average .
It gave me time to look at boom and reefing ideas. What I thought would work, shown in pics will not because the cheek block on the port aft end of boom is oriented in the wrong direction. I'm thinking maybe it was intended to some way reverse the outhaul on the other end ???? Although nothing there on aft end of boom to connect to. Also, a pic of outhaul and its locking type/method.
As you can see the small cheek block is turned in the direction for it to be used the line would have to go aft and no room for that.
I guess I could tie line around aft end of boom and go up starboard side of sail through the cringle down to the padeye on the aft starboard side but it would have an edge running the line and there is no cleat on the starboard side. As well as no good way to secure line around boom.
Options, maybe reverse the
Check block so I can do it like I tried but it would work in that direction? Or do the last way I mentioned but add a cleat to the starboard side?
Hoping you guys can see what I do not.

 

[Woreign]

What you show in the first two photos looks to be correct for the reefing line. Why do say it won't work?

 

[John6275]

the cheek block is oriented with roller the wrong direction. so, the line, when pulled forward is pulling on the metal of the block and not the pulley.

 

[Woreign]

Hard to tell from the photo, but is this what you have, but facing the wrong way? If it's screwed on, turn it around. Or drill it out and use new pop-rivets.

 

[John6275]

no, the gap is very small, prob less than 1/8, like a cable type space. Line , I think would need to be thicker. what I have in pic isnonky 5/16" , I believe.

 

[Hunter216]

This is a blowup of one of your earlier photos. The red arrow is I think where you threaded the white reefing line. Is there space to run a smaller diameter line where the yellow arrow is?

 

[John6275]

that is correct and I do not think so. my jib firling line is very small and will not go through it and I'm afraid that small would not be strong enough.

 

[Hunter216]

Hard to tell from the photo, but is this what you have, but facing the wrong way? If it's screwed on, turn it around. Or drill it out and use new pop-rivets.

View attachment 171185

This would the right way to handle this. However it seems odd that it would have been installed this way in the first place????

 

[Woreign]

Ooops! I didn't see this this photo (added after I read the post)... I can't imagine what use it has in this orientation. I'd go ahead and turn it around. Use stainless screws or aluminum rivets.

 

[John6275]

I'm thinking the same.

 

[John6275]

was waiting to make sure no one else thought it had a purpose before I flipped it around.