H30 Downhaul

[MikeHoncho]

My 78 H30's boom is on a track. The gooseneck car doesn't have a pin to lock it into a position on the track and it has no downhaul or Cunningham.

With the main halyard fully winched in the boom rises about 3/4 up the track and floats.

I sail Lasers and tend to be a trim freak with the H30. Should the H30 have a downhaul regardless of trim need due to the track system and if not, should I install one anyway for trim efficiency?

I tend to get great sail shape in the upper 2/3s of the sail with vang, outhaul and traveler adjustment. I tend to get a loose foot which has the same plastic doohickey in the boom track as the Luff. This condition got me pondering the subject. Thanks

 

[Roland5048]

My '77 h30's boom is fixed. Never seen one in a track. Send pic if you can. This may be a PO's modification.

plastic doohickey in the boom track

I know that's a technical term but have no clue as to what you are talking about. Again, pics.

 

[MikeHoncho]

There had been alot of mods done to the sailboat over the years so I would believe this is aftermarket. This is the best I can do now.

These are sewn on the luff for the mast and on the foot for the boom.

 

[MikeHoncho]

You can just make out a shackle at the bottom of the goose neck for what I believe was for a down haul. I would have to come up with some block/tackle mechanical advantage but I have open clutches on the deck to accommodate it.

 

[ggrizzard]

Mast track on my '79 was OEM. Seems to me you could buy a replacement pin.

 

[MikeHoncho]

I can't see any location for a pin. Is it common for the car to have one?

 

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[Joe]

My 78 H30's boom is on a track. The gooseneck car doesn't have a pin to lock it into a position on the track and it has no downhaul or Cunningham.

With the main halyard fully winched in the boom rises about 3/4 up the track and floats.

You can install what's called a "track stop" to lock the boom into position. Installing a Cunningham is a better way to go than a boom downhaul.

 

[Ward H]

What @Joe says.
I struggled with the gooseneck track and downhaul on my O'day 25 for a couple of years. Finally got educated by the guys on this forum. I locked it in place and installed a Cunningham. Joe was one of the guys who educated me.
The Cunningham worked much better.

 

[MikeHoncho]

What @Joe says.
I struggled with the gooseneck track and downhaul on my O'day 25 for a couple of years. Finally got educated by the guys on this forum. I locked it in place and installed a Cunningham. Joe was one of the guys who educated me.
The Cunningham worked much better.

Did you have a grommet installed in the sail for the Cunningham or did you use a track slide for the purchase point?

 

[Ward H]

I hand sewed a SS ring/strap to the main sail along the luff about 6"-8" above the tack cringle. www.sailrite.com shows how to do this in a video on their website.
I tied a line from the ring down to a two block setup for a 4-1 purchase. Here is a photo.

The blocks are what I had laying around. I ended up with the line tied to an eye on the mast. It ran up through a small block on the Cunningham ring, then down to a turning block on the boom and aft to a clam cleat with keeper about mid boom. I think it was a 2-1 purchase?
Having the line run back on the boom allowed me to tighten the Cunningham while standing in the companionway of my 25. This system worked real well.

I don't have a Cunningham on the main sail of my Catalina 30. I'll be doing the same thing this winter, sewing on a strap with ring. I'm planning to rig it the same way but with a 4-1 purchase.