Can someone tell me why most boats use a wire to rope outhaul instead of only a rope. I have a 1989 Hunter 23. What is the advantage.
thanks,
thanks,
Outhaul
- Thread starter Rcarbo
- Start date
Wire to rope was an old-school way to run halyards, vangs, and hauls before the advent of modern, very low-stretch line. It stopped being a common design practice in the mid 80s and by 1990 was gone. That's 25 years ago!
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Hmmm... I'm not sure that "most boats" is consistent with my experience. I have owned 10 sailboats in the last 15 years and only one of them used wire to line and that was on the halyards... and none of them used it on the out haul. I believe the choice to use wire is to make a tighter sheave spacing in the spar. Narrow deep grooved sheaves can be packed into a smaller space if you are using wire instead of 3/8 line. But then transition to line so it is easier on your hands.
My H23 has a line (not wire) for the outhaul, prob about 3/8. The topping lift is wire.
As an aside, the PO had the topping lift rigged as fixed length, using thimbles and cable clamps to attach to boom end (how he sailed I don't really know). I made it adjustable by cutting the wire so it was about 3 ft above the boom end when horizontal, and attaching a small swivel block to the end of the wire (using clamps). My topping lift is now smallish (1/4 ?) line that runs through the jam cleat at the front of the boom, through the boom, out the sheave at the rear end, up to the block, then back down to be tied off to the end of the boom. Easy to adjust, and I now need to since I installed its oversize bimini for the 1st time this year.
As an aside, the PO had the topping lift rigged as fixed length, using thimbles and cable clamps to attach to boom end (how he sailed I don't really know). I made it adjustable by cutting the wire so it was about 3 ft above the boom end when horizontal, and attaching a small swivel block to the end of the wire (using clamps). My topping lift is now smallish (1/4 ?) line that runs through the jam cleat at the front of the boom, through the boom, out the sheave at the rear end, up to the block, then back down to be tied off to the end of the boom. Easy to adjust, and I now need to since I installed its oversize bimini for the 1st time this year.
They aren't "wire to rope" spliced outhauls... They were a combination of wire and rope. Look at all the diagrams of just a few types of outhauls... You will notice that none are a continuous line.. rather they are an assembly of rope, blocks and wire. If you refurbish your existing outhaul system it would be easy enough to substitute dyneema/spectra for the wire portion. The handled portion of the outhaul was invariably regular, thicker double braid type line. The internal and sail connect lines were thinner, flexible wire. Chances are all you need to do is replace the braided line... you'll still have to remove the assembly from the boom, though.
Here is a discussion of a Hunter 35.5 outhaul from a few years back. It looks like the first one below. http://forums.sailboatowners.com/index.php?threads/out-haul.132409/
It would pay to research your boat for the outhaul diagram before you start taking the boom apart. Try Hunter factory.
Here is a discussion of a Hunter 35.5 outhaul from a few years back. It looks like the first one below. http://forums.sailboatowners.com/index.php?threads/out-haul.132409/
It would pay to research your boat for the outhaul diagram before you start taking the boom apart. Try Hunter factory.
My H23 lacks any internal blocks - the outhaul line runs straight from the front jam cleat out the rear sheave. Rcarbo, if you were asking because you may need to replace yours, I would simply use appropriate line (some sort of braided, or maybe one of those high-tech low-stretch materials).
Jack, yes I believe he is. At least a portion of the outhaul run internally helps clean up significant boom clutter. I've set up my C-22 boom to be similar to the 4th drawing. The big difference so far is that the anchored end of the outhaul line starts like drawing 3 except that I won't have a block attacked to to the clew grommet, the line will run through it and use it for purchase (YOUR suggestion from another discussion about outhauls, thanks.) Also, the fixed point at the end of the boom has a removable pin, so when reefing its easy to move the outhaul line up to the reef-clew. Different from drawing 4 in Joe's post, I doubt I will need or use the internal block, just the bottom exit block and cam or cleat... I haven't placed those yet as I want to finish setting up all other hardware for the boom and decide where it best fits for ergonomics. I'll post some pictures when I get this accomplished.
I should clarify - all of my outhaul line runs through the inside of the boom, exiting at the front where the jam cleats are and at the rear sheaves. I don't have an exit on the bottom of the boom, though this would make it easier to adjust without having to go to the mast. I don't have, and I doubt most any H23 would need, internal purchase by use of a block inside the boom. My outhaul is probably a bit larger than needed (I think it is 3/8) so it would not be easy to use the clew grommet as a "block", but if I ever replace it with something like 1/4 low-stretch, I would do that.
No.... I am not suggesting anything about the Hunter 23. I simply responded to his question: "Can someone tell me why most boats use a wire to rope outhaul instead of only a rope. I have a 1989 Hunter 23. What is the advantage."
I posted the various outhaul diagrams to illustrate the variety of design. They are not specific to any boat. His boat may indeed have a continuous, single wire to rope spliced outhaul. But that is not MOST BOATS.. certainly not my C27 or your Bene's ... but they do have combinations of wire and rope (in my ancient boat's case) or more modern arrangements as you have in yours. The diagrams show that purchase rigging requires compact, low stretch line... but the handled and cleated parts need more substantial size...
My goal was to enlighten him to the existence of many outhaul configurations. The advantage of wire... and now spectra/dyneema... is that they are extremely strong, small diameter, low stretch lines that allow very compact block systems which would take up minimal space internally.