Hanging a Hammock

Winkfish · May 7, 2013

Have you ever leaned on or sat on your bow rail? That would be a good indication. Also, the bow rail is only going to be subject to about half the weight in the hammock. How are the rail supports situated?

MrBill_FLL · May 7, 2013

front stay, and mast.

a stock mac bow rail, good luck with that.... its too low anyway. right?

Ross · May 7, 2013

The strain that a hammock applies to the ends varies as to the straight line distance between the supports and the vertical displacement of the center of the hammock. Stretch a light line from one point to the other and put a fish weight scale on the end of the line and then a five pound weight in the middle. Then multiply by fifty for your 250 body in the hammock.

caguy · May 7, 2013

Ross said:
The strain that a hammock applies to the ends varies as to the straight line distance between the supports and the vertical displacement of the center of the hammock. Stretch a light line from one point to the other and put a fish weight scale on the end of the line and then a five pound weight in the middle. Then multiply by fifty for your 250 body in the hammock.

Listen to Ross, its all in the vectors Victor (Airplane). I've copied others and hung it from the Mast on one end and the Main or Jib halyard on the other end. Support the main halyard/hammock connection with a loop around the forstay. If you have a furler I would use a wide strap to distribute the weight on the furled sail. I was 210 at the time and it worked well.

JK_Boston_Catalina310 · May 7, 2013

Tie a bowline around your bow stay and attach the other end to the hammock. Then connect your jib halyard to the bowline and pull the hammock up to the desired height. Do the same on the mast end using the main halyard. The weight will be on your halyards not something like the bow pulpit that isn't really made to support that weight.

Ross · May 7, 2013

It is not the weight that you must be concerned about, It is the horizontal pull on the ends of the hammock.

FourPoints · May 8, 2013

I tried going from the mast (spinnaker pole ring) to the forestay, but found that it was about 2 feet too short by the time you raised it enough to clear the deck and lifelines (you'd swing into them). So I attach the pole now and hang the ends of the hammock to the ends of the pole with carabineers, and attach the pole to the mast ring and the spin halyard to the forward end to hold it up. quick lashing around the pole to the forestay stops you from swinging in the wind. used it many times that way.

JK_Boston_Catalina310 · May 8, 2013

FourPoints said:
I tried going from the mast (spinnaker pole ring) to the forestay, but found that it was about 2 feet too short by the time you raised it enough to clear the deck and lifelines (you'd swing into them).

You need a bigger boat.

caguy · May 8, 2013

Capt Strapfoots said:
I keep trying to tell my wife that. Okay so that was my original idea too was to go from the mast to the jib rolling furler but was worried about damaging the furler. Also this is for my second sailboat the Balboa 26 so it is a little bit beefier.

Don't hang it from the furler, attach it to the jib halyard and only use the furler/forestay to keep it extended. Use a wide strap or anything else to destribute load. I have seen may boat in Catalina set up this way, mine included.

FourPoints · May 8, 2013

JK_Boston_Catalina310 said:
You need a bigger boat.

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