Tack to mast step, tack to boom or...

[aaronpw]

I have a '76 Snark rigged as a sloop more or less. It has a loose footed main and the boom fork rides the mast without a stop. What is the proper way to secure the tack? I am buting a new mast so new hardware to accomodate the right setup is forthcomming anyway.

Should I secure the tack to the boom, secure the tack to the mast step?

What about the boom? Should it be secured to the mast step or mast foot?

These sre seperate as the "step" is a wooden plank roughly 12" above the mast foot spanning the width of the boat.

The mast foot has a ring which can move 360' around the mast itself.

This ring has a tang on it with a single hole for a hook and/or small block.

See my "Snark Help!" post in Ask All Sailors for pictures.

 

[Ray Bowles]

This is going to be a wild swing for an answer. I could not find the pictures so if you would repost them here it would help. The main sail tack attaches to the front end of the boom just aft the gooseneck. The clew attaches with the outhaul at the aft end of the boom.
The boom needs to be anchored on the mast so it does not creep up the mast and destroy sail shape. I have no idea how your mast is attached to the boat or how the boom mounts to the mast but if you attach the foot of the sail to the boom as mentioned that part will be correct.
There are many books available in librarys or at book sellers that have pictures of all these processes.
Good Luck,
Ray

 

[watercolors II]

We need photos

The Snark sailboat is made by CastleCraft in Illinois, the original company was in New Castle, Pennsylvania hence the name castle. In 1972 I had a Sea Devil I learned to sail on, they still make it called a Skimmer.

http://www.castlecraft.com


In your description it sounds like you have a Snark hull but, when you describe the rigging it sounds like from the Sea Devil or Skimmer.

The Snark is lateen rigged.

http://www.castlecraft.com/PDF/Snark - Super Snark Sailboat Manual.pdf

The Sea Devil or Skimmer is sloop rigged with a loose mainsail foot and the boom is not attached to the mast. The pressure of the stretched foot of the sail keeps the boom fork up to the mast, the mainsail slides down over the mast and is tied to the top, there’s no halyard or downhaul. The head sail has a halyard that uses a block at the top of the mast and attaches to a cleat at the bottom of the mast. The head sail sheet lines is one loop that runs through eyelet's on each gunwale and back to the clew, it’s self tending. The head sail attached to the bow and mast, the sheets looped through eyelet's hold the mast in place if turtled.

http://www.castlecraft.com/PDF/Snark - Sea Skimmer Snark Sailboat Manual.pdf

 

[timebandit]

This is how I do my model boats.

One line through the tack gromet around the mast that holds the sail to the mast.

One line through the tack gromet to that holds the sail down that can be mounted to the mast via cleat or around the boom if the boom secured.

You might try a line around the open ends of the fork in the boom to keep it attached to the mast.

There is another line around the mast that just hold the antena wire to the mast for the r/c reciever.