Tacking the Tack

[Brett]

How is the tack of the mainsail supposed to be attached.There are two reefing hooks, and I have two reef points. A previous owner has attached a turning block below the boom and clam cleat above that which would work well for a cunningham, but when used for the tack it will not prevent the outhaul from pulling the tack away from the mast.There is a tiny hole at the top of the gooseneck fitting but it does not seem large enough for an appropriately sized pin to attach a fitting to attach the tack to.I am currently using the block and cleat that should probably be used for the cunningham. I also had to tie a line around the mast at the tack to prevent the outhaul from pulling the tack away from the mast too far.I have considered drilling out the hole in the gooseneck a little larger to hold a pin that I could attach a fitting too. That would hold the tack where I think it should be and then I could use the cunningham to make luff adjustments.Just wondered how it was supposed to be.

 

[Steve Dion]

Brett, I'll show you.

Brett:I am going to take some pictures of the standard setup. I post them on the Photo Forum. I had a new sail made in the last couple of years. The sailmaker put a cringle on each side of the sail for the reefs. When you reef, you just drop the main, hook the cringle, pull the reef line at the forward end of the boom and raise the main. If everyone is working together it takes less than a minute.

 

[Tom Madura]

Check this out

Brett,If you have the Isomat NB-26 boom like mine (I believe this was standard equipment)here is a website with a picture of the exact tack shackle you need.http://www.rigrite.com/isomat/Isomat_Booms/NB26_oldstyl_gsnk_assem.htmlThere were apparently two different gooseneck arrangements, but look around the Rig-Rite website and they'll have exactly what you need. PS: I didn't buy their shackle but found one with the identical dimensions in a local store.

 

[Brett]

Thanks for the web site. I clearly have the old style gooseneck fitting. I cannot believe that the hole in the top of that fitting will allow a shackle that is strong enough to hold the tack.I will certainly investigate further. It is unclear from the pictures what size the shackle they are showing is, but I know the hole is less then 1/4 inch and that seems suspect to me.

 

[Tom Madura]

Shackle strength

Brett,The tack shackle doesn't really see a huge shock load, because of the sail slides close by on both the boom and the mast. The load is really spread out at that point, unlike, for instance, the mainsheet attachment point where a tremendous amount of leverage is exerted. (On a previous boat I destroyed a mainsheet shackle on an accidental jibe.) For what it's worth, in my experience the standard tack shackle has worked just fine.Tom Madura"Good Vices"

 

[brett]

I'll give it a try

It seems it is worth a try. If it should fail, I'll have the cunningham to keep the sail under control. I was just concerned that the main halyard pull could generate quite an up load on this shackle.I will measure and buy a shackle to fit and we'll see how it goes. Only a couple more weeks of sailing left (that interrupted by soccer) so I may not give it a real test until next year.Thanks for the responses.