Cunningham interferes with Vang on Zuma

[sshev]

New to this group and pretty new to sailing, and find myself in need of advice. I've got a little Zuma. My only prior experience was learning with a Sunfish. The Zuma has a gooseneck on the mast that pivots only up and down. It appears with this set-up the mast must pivot in its pocket in order for the boom to move in and out freely. The boat also has a Vang and a Cunningham. The Cunningham runs through a fairlead aft the base of the mast to a cleat on the deck. Part of the reason for the Cunningham is to keep the mast in the boat in the event of a capsize. The line from the Cunningham interferes with the Vang which I think will restrict the motion of the boom in one direction. I don't want to capsize right away because I can't let the sail out. Hopefully I can get a picture attached. What am I missing here?

 

[jssailem]

I am guessing... but would like a bigger image where I can see the connections of the cunningham on the sail and the vang on the boom. .

 

[sshev]

I don't have a picture showing that, but the Cunningham is up through a grommet in the sail and back to the topside of the gooseneck so when the Cunningham is pulled down, it keeps the mast in the boat and the luft tight. The Vang attaches to the mast and boom with clevis's and threaded pins hooking into U shaped straps on the boom and mast.

 

[jon hansen]

run your cunningham line through the shackle that attaches the bottom of the boom vang to the mast. done. the cunningham would never be that far aft. easy pezzee

 

[jon hansen]

what do i win?

 

[justsomeguy]

Odd design. Could you switch or change anchor points with the vang and cunningham?

easy pezzee

Then his mast will fall out when he sails inverted.

 

[jon hansen]

found a 12 min video on how to rig a zuma. he does it wrong. what can you do. never trust the internet

 

[jon hansen]

no, run the line back to the eye on the center line again. after the shackle

 

[sshev]

I did try running the Cunningham through the lower Vang shackle. some better, but it still seems to me to restrict the mast motion if the Cunningham is pulled tight and anchored to the deck. Seems like the goose neck should have been the type that pivots horizontally as well as vertically.

 

[jon hansen]

grommet, shackle, eye, jam cleat. easy pezzee

 

[jon hansen]

it's crude, but it'll get you sailing

google zuma photos. that's what most are doing

 

[jon hansen]

you want the perfect downhaul, or just take your honey sailing?

life is full of choices

 

[jssailem]

My guesses were what @jon hansen and @justsomeguy are suggesting. I would run the cuningham down the mast and attach it to the cleat. Do not generally do a lot of changing of the cunningham while sailing. The vang is another story. I would run it down to the fairlead and aft to the cockpit. Perhaps to a cam cleat. It would act to hold the mast and boom to the boat on a turtle. Yet it could be released to empty water and flip the boat right side up.
Had hoped to see more of the rigging to see if the suggestion made sense.
But there you go. Free ideas. Worth what you pay for.

 

[jon hansen]

973 663 1242 ask for todd they will be open tomorrow in NJ

 

[Joe]

You must keep the Cunningham close to the mast until it gets below the vang's mast attachment. Why don't you try wrapping the Cunningham around the mast once before threading in the deck fairlead. Or... you can simply attach a small eye strap(i.e a second fairlead) near the goose neck to keep the line close to the mast on the way down to the deck fairlead.

 

[jssailem]

you can simply attach a small eye strap

Not sure if you need to adjust the Cunningham. If not why run it to the cockpit? If you need adjustments then the eye strap will present friction into the line making adjustments improbable. Use the eye strap to hold a small turning block. Now less friction. Adjustments possible.

If no adjustments needed then just tie the Cunningham off on the boat at the base of the mast.

 

[Joe]

Not sure if you need to adjust the Cunningham. If not why run it to the cockpit? If you need adjustments then the eye strap will present friction into the line making adjustments improbable. Use the eye strap to hold a small turning block. Now less friction. Adjustments possible.

If no adjustments needed then just tie the Cunningham off on the boat at the base of the mast.

There won't be any extra friction... but there's probably no need to add an extra one anyway. The vang and Cunningham will not interfere enough with each other to make a difference. The Cunningham, btw, is an important adjustment on dinghies because there is no backstay to help flatten the sail. Racing sailors will rig extra purchase on the Cunningham because it helps bend the mast... as does the mainsheet.

 

[sshev]

thanks for all the good advice. I'm not sure this was a big problem, but attached is my solution. (or solution in search of a problem) the first picture is the original goose neck. It pivots only up and down. The second is my McIvered version, created with eBay parts and a piece of 3/4" aluminum square stock. I didn't have to alter any part of the original boat's hardware I couldn't put back to the way it was originally either. I think this'll work better than the original design.