Someone had posted pictures of how he ran his lines aft to the cockpit. Was it here or somewhere else? Tips welcome. Colin Isis V-703
Lines aft
- Thread starter o2n7dcolin
- Start date
This is something I would like to see more of too.I was in the vega group pictures section last week and I believe if you look in the photo albums Tern and Little Star, you will find some pictures.
Roy
Roy
Hi All
There are 2 x Group Moderators for the Vega Group. I am one and the other is Bill (Ex. Vega "Traveller).
Bill now wishes to step down after selling his Vega so I am after an eager replacement. Work isn't difficult. Please let me know if you wish to apply to become a moderator. My email address is: steve@...
Computer literate is an advantage as is a sense of humopur and thick skin...
Cheers
Steve Birch Vega "Southern Comfort" V1703
There are 2 x Group Moderators for the Vega Group. I am one and the other is Bill (Ex. Vega "Traveller).
Bill now wishes to step down after selling his Vega so I am after an eager replacement. Work isn't difficult. Please let me know if you wish to apply to become a moderator. My email address is: steve@...
Computer literate is an advantage as is a sense of humopur and thick skin...
Cheers
Steve Birch Vega "Southern Comfort" V1703
Hi Colin
Probably making the turn at the bottom of the mast is the biggest hurdle in setting up the lines to the cockpit. Everything else should go pretty smooth. When I bought the boat she was already rigged with a mast bail through bolted to the mast a few inches up from it's base. Turning blocks shacked to the bail aligned the lines with the deck organizers at the front edge of the cabin top. This worked for more than a decade I believe, and could be done without removing the mast, as I think it was installed so on the Tern, provided the bolt is not over tightened. It would be very desirable to slip a compression tube over the bolt, inside the mast, the first time it is down however.
Last winter when I had the mast off the boat, and because I wanted to install a hinged mast step anyway, I chose to install a step already designed to anchor the halyard blocks. I've posted a picture in Tern's album. This was bought at Ballenger Spar Systems Custom aluminum and carbon masts and booms and I think it is a good solution. Although they adapted the step to the mast for me, it did not seem a difficult thing to do. I kept the bail but mounted it on the front of the mast as a place to hook the spin pole when it is rigged but not yet ready to hoist.
The splash guard at the base of the dodger is easy to drill out for the lines but the hole sides should be sealed with resin and painted.
I know some folks don't like the lines to the cockpit but I feel I have better control of the boat this way and would not go back. Being able to put the jib on deck, alone, from the helm, is useful when docking or rafting up. Reefing from the cockpit is just too easy. But there are disadvantages; It's easy to get carried away and bring too much back, additional cost, more line means more tangles and jammed blocks, there's some chafe to watch for and there is a need to protect the deck from the lines, which will saw through the glass where they run across the cabin's corners.
Craig Tern #1519
Probably making the turn at the bottom of the mast is the biggest hurdle in setting up the lines to the cockpit. Everything else should go pretty smooth. When I bought the boat she was already rigged with a mast bail through bolted to the mast a few inches up from it's base. Turning blocks shacked to the bail aligned the lines with the deck organizers at the front edge of the cabin top. This worked for more than a decade I believe, and could be done without removing the mast, as I think it was installed so on the Tern, provided the bolt is not over tightened. It would be very desirable to slip a compression tube over the bolt, inside the mast, the first time it is down however.
Last winter when I had the mast off the boat, and because I wanted to install a hinged mast step anyway, I chose to install a step already designed to anchor the halyard blocks. I've posted a picture in Tern's album. This was bought at Ballenger Spar Systems Custom aluminum and carbon masts and booms and I think it is a good solution. Although they adapted the step to the mast for me, it did not seem a difficult thing to do. I kept the bail but mounted it on the front of the mast as a place to hook the spin pole when it is rigged but not yet ready to hoist.
The splash guard at the base of the dodger is easy to drill out for the lines but the hole sides should be sealed with resin and painted.
I know some folks don't like the lines to the cockpit but I feel I have better control of the boat this way and would not go back. Being able to put the jib on deck, alone, from the helm, is useful when docking or rafting up. Reefing from the cockpit is just too easy. But there are disadvantages; It's easy to get carried away and bring too much back, additional cost, more line means more tangles and jammed blocks, there's some chafe to watch for and there is a need to protect the deck from the lines, which will saw through the glass where they run across the cabin's corners.
Craig Tern #1519
Hi Craig,How did you navigate that web site.... it's pretty sparse.
Do you have the part numbers that you used?Thanks,Roy
Do you have the part numbers that you used?Thanks,Roy
Are there any concerns with drilling through the mast at that point to mount the mast bail? Might it weaken the mast to a dangerous point? I only ask because I've heard of masts being lost due to holes being drilled when routing the lines through the mast. If not, what do you think about mounting the mast bail at the height of the cabin top, thus possibly avoiding some of the chafing issue?
Thanks,
Jack
V2620 - Bella
Thanks,
Jack
V2620 - Bella
As far as drilling holes in the mast, I just don't know. I'm not an engineer and pretty much just fumble along the best I can, that said; certainly too many holes must be bad and large holes must be bad, but all masts and booms have holes drilled for attaching things. I would guess that placing the bail close to the deck, where the mast is supported by the step, would be preferable to placing it higher. That way the horizontal pull on the halyards, from the mast to the cockpit, would be transferred to the step and not to the mast column, perhaps pulling it out of line. I think the bail was installed with the mast in place because there was no compression tube in the mast, but still it worked for many years. I put a length of PVC pipe over the bolt when I replaced it. Of course over tightening the bolt and kinking the mast would be very serious, fatal.
Another option might be to mount blocks on deck, with stand up bases, and through bolt them to a stainless steel or aluminum plate. If the plate ran under the mast so much the better, but I don't know if that's possible.
I didn't use the website to order because his shop is just 20 min away, and I prefer the phone anyway. My invoice says the part # is Hinged base ss 1/4" B HMB M30, 3/4" Delrin plate.
The Delrin was cut to shape to fit tight inside the mast as a plug 4 small holes were drilled through the mast into the Delrin which was tapped for screws. The top plate of the step is held to the plug with counter sunk machine screws tapped into the plug. The bottom plate is screwed to the deck with existing screws. I drilled out the plates and plug for the wire. I have not yet dropped the mast with this rig.
Craig Tern
Another option might be to mount blocks on deck, with stand up bases, and through bolt them to a stainless steel or aluminum plate. If the plate ran under the mast so much the better, but I don't know if that's possible.
I didn't use the website to order because his shop is just 20 min away, and I prefer the phone anyway. My invoice says the part # is Hinged base ss 1/4" B HMB M30, 3/4" Delrin plate.
The Delrin was cut to shape to fit tight inside the mast as a plug 4 small holes were drilled through the mast into the Delrin which was tapped for screws. The top plate of the step is held to the plug with counter sunk machine screws tapped into the plug. The bottom plate is screwed to the deck with existing screws. I drilled out the plates and plug for the wire. I have not yet dropped the mast with this rig.
Craig Tern
For anyone interested, I have just posted some new photos showing how the lines 'turn' at the right height to run along the top of the coach roof on my Vega. A pair a stacked Barton cheek blocks mounted on a bracket guide the main halyard and topping lift. These and the kicking strap - which turns via a loose block attached to a custom made 'slide' that fits in the lower part of the sail track - go through a 3-way organiser back to the clutches and a single speed winch mounted on the Starboard coach roof, The two reefing lines turn via a smaller double block also attached to the same 'slide' and go to an organiser on the Port side and back to a double clutch. The final photos shows how the reefing lines are led to the same single speed winch across the companionway via an open sheave.
So far it has all worked perfectly. I still have to go on deck to quickly secure the tack when reefing but am working on a way to do this without the need to leave the safety of the cockpit. The bracket for the cheek blocks was made locally from a small sheet of s/s and then prepared with an etch primer before being painted to match as closely as possible the gold anodising on the mast. The shape was carefully matched to the profile of the mast before being riveted to the mast with s/s rivets. The two cheek blocks are secured to the bracket with long s/s machine screws running through aluminium tubing and then fastened with washers and locknuts. Anti corrosion cream was applied between all the s/s and aluminium parts. The 'slide' was made by a local engineer and finished off to be a snug fit in the track by myself. This was inserted while the mast was down but could equally be fitted with the mast in-situ if you don't mind cutting away the bottom of the track to allow entry. The bracket was mounted with the mast in place so that the lines exit from the cheek blocks at the right angle. Photos can be seen in the 'Little Star' photos folder and should be pretty self-explanatory, but if anyone has any questions I will do my best to answer them.
Fair Winds
David
V1696 - Little Star
So far it has all worked perfectly. I still have to go on deck to quickly secure the tack when reefing but am working on a way to do this without the need to leave the safety of the cockpit. The bracket for the cheek blocks was made locally from a small sheet of s/s and then prepared with an etch primer before being painted to match as closely as possible the gold anodising on the mast. The shape was carefully matched to the profile of the mast before being riveted to the mast with s/s rivets. The two cheek blocks are secured to the bracket with long s/s machine screws running through aluminium tubing and then fastened with washers and locknuts. Anti corrosion cream was applied between all the s/s and aluminium parts. The 'slide' was made by a local engineer and finished off to be a snug fit in the track by myself. This was inserted while the mast was down but could equally be fitted with the mast in-situ if you don't mind cutting away the bottom of the track to allow entry. The bracket was mounted with the mast in place so that the lines exit from the cheek blocks at the right angle. Photos can be seen in the 'Little Star' photos folder and should be pretty self-explanatory, but if anyone has any questions I will do my best to answer them.
Fair Winds
David
V1696 - Little Star
Oh, very nice deck organising pics. Nicely done. Thanks.How did you like the epoxy and copper powder on your prop?
roy
roy
Hi Roy
Sorry for delayed reply - been reorganising some of the cables in my study and been 'off air' for a few days. My prop is brass, not bronze and consequently in previous years it would have heavy fouling at the end of every season which required a lift-out and work with a scraper/chisel/grinder to get rid of the barnacles. The copper coating for the prop was made up of epoxy resin and copper powder (lots of it) and painted on. The prop was then turned slowly to avoid the epoxy running off the ends of the prop while the epoxy set. It has now done 2 seasons in the Eastern Med with no winter lift out and although it has some growth, there is no substantial fouling and a quick underwater scrub removes most of it, so from this experience it has been a great success. If there has been any effect on the efficiency of the prop, I haven't noticed it.
Cheers
David
Sorry for delayed reply - been reorganising some of the cables in my study and been 'off air' for a few days. My prop is brass, not bronze and consequently in previous years it would have heavy fouling at the end of every season which required a lift-out and work with a scraper/chisel/grinder to get rid of the barnacles. The copper coating for the prop was made up of epoxy resin and copper powder (lots of it) and painted on. The prop was then turned slowly to avoid the epoxy running off the ends of the prop while the epoxy set. It has now done 2 seasons in the Eastern Med with no winter lift out and although it has some growth, there is no substantial fouling and a quick underwater scrub removes most of it, so from this experience it has been a great success. If there has been any effect on the efficiency of the prop, I haven't noticed it.
Cheers
David
Hi David
I hope your prop isint brass!! Would only last a few weeks in the water!! Expect you will find it is bronze!!
Steve B
I hope your prop isint brass!! Would only last a few weeks in the water!! Expect you will find it is bronze!!
Steve B