Hi all, The directions for our Dutchman sail flaking system say to raise and lower the sail as anyone normally would - easing the topping lift after the sail is raised and tightening it before lowering the sail. BUT, they also say that if the boom comes up a little as the sail is raised, you might not even have to ease the topping lift ater raising the sail. I'm interested in how other folks with a Dutchman adjust their topping lift. We're new at this, so when answering, don't assume that we know much. Our big concern is that our Catalina 36 is rigged so that we don't need to leave the cockpit - except for all this adjusting of the topping lift and we'd like to eliminate going forward just to ease and tighten it. Right now it would be difficult to bring the topping lift line back into the cockpit.
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Just watch the Dutchman line tension
Judy I have a love/hate relationship with our Dutchman. As long as it is adjusted properly, which is the part I hate, it's great. Just watch the tension of the lines as you raise the main. As long as the lines are loose ( as a result of raising the boom), you don't need to loosen the topping lift since lowering the main will result in tightening them properly. Worst case scenario - you may have to tighten the topping lift when lowering the sail but since you are doing that into the wind, it's no big deal. Don
Judy I have a love/hate relationship with our Dutchman. As long as it is adjusted properly, which is the part I hate, it's great. Just watch the tension of the lines as you raise the main. As long as the lines are loose ( as a result of raising the boom), you don't need to loosen the topping lift since lowering the main will result in tightening them properly. Worst case scenario - you may have to tighten the topping lift when lowering the sail but since you are doing that into the wind, it's no big deal. Don
It's not about the Dutchman system per se
raising the boom a little with the topping lift before raising the sail makes it easier to get the sail to the top of its travel without having to haul the weight of the foot. Easing the topping lift after the sail is raised lets the foot take its proper shape as the weight of the boom stretches the foot downward. These are the fundamentals of managing a boom with a topping lift, and aren't really specific to your Dutchman system, which is just a lazyjack system rove through the sails rather than around them. Besides the assist it gives in managing the raising of the sails, on some boats the topping lift is essential to hold the boom up when no sail is raised. On new boats with solid vangs the topping lift is not critical but makes a nice redundant safety feature. On a boat with a solid vang the topping lift could be left in a fairly loose state so that it doesn't need to be adjusted during the raising of the sails (though, unfortunately, you're still left with various other systems in the way, since the vang, cunningham, downhaul, outhaul, and reefing lines may still need to run free in order not to interfere with raising the sail).
raising the boom a little with the topping lift before raising the sail makes it easier to get the sail to the top of its travel without having to haul the weight of the foot. Easing the topping lift after the sail is raised lets the foot take its proper shape as the weight of the boom stretches the foot downward. These are the fundamentals of managing a boom with a topping lift, and aren't really specific to your Dutchman system, which is just a lazyjack system rove through the sails rather than around them. Besides the assist it gives in managing the raising of the sails, on some boats the topping lift is essential to hold the boom up when no sail is raised. On new boats with solid vangs the topping lift is not critical but makes a nice redundant safety feature. On a boat with a solid vang the topping lift could be left in a fairly loose state so that it doesn't need to be adjusted during the raising of the sails (though, unfortunately, you're still left with various other systems in the way, since the vang, cunningham, downhaul, outhaul, and reefing lines may still need to run free in order not to interfere with raising the sail).
Legend 35 & Dutchman
We're new to our boat this year and, so far, have a similar love/hate thing going. Our rig/sail is such that we don't have to adjust the topping lift at all. To simplify, you need to detemine the minimum boom height that feel comfortable with when the sail is furled. They you need to determine the boom height with the sail up and with the sheet pulled in as tight as you would ever have it (meduim winds, close hauled). If the sailing height is a handful of inches above the furled height, then you may not need to adjust the topping lift. Alternatly, you could run your topping lift to the cockpit as well?
We're new to our boat this year and, so far, have a similar love/hate thing going. Our rig/sail is such that we don't have to adjust the topping lift at all. To simplify, you need to detemine the minimum boom height that feel comfortable with when the sail is furled. They you need to determine the boom height with the sail up and with the sheet pulled in as tight as you would ever have it (meduim winds, close hauled). If the sailing height is a handful of inches above the furled height, then you may not need to adjust the topping lift. Alternatly, you could run your topping lift to the cockpit as well?
dutchman
i have a love/love relationship with my dutchman. there are two ways to answer your question. 1) ignore the factory topping lift and just use the dutchman, the performance loss is negligible. 2) before raising the sail tighten the topping lift, leaving a little slack, which i have never noticed does anything on my catalina 30. i do use the topping lift to keep the boom off my bimini, however.
i have a love/love relationship with my dutchman. there are two ways to answer your question. 1) ignore the factory topping lift and just use the dutchman, the performance loss is negligible. 2) before raising the sail tighten the topping lift, leaving a little slack, which i have never noticed does anything on my catalina 30. i do use the topping lift to keep the boom off my bimini, however.
Dutchman
I wouldn't say we have a love hate relationship with our dutchman on our 29.5, it is more love than hate. The key like everyone indicated is getting it adjusted correctly at first. I went thru the exercise of running the topping lift line back to the cockpit. I raise the boom when the sails are down to provide better headroom in the cockpit. When we sail, I raise the main sail and loosen the topping lift enough so that it does restraint the sail shape, usually only several inches. I try to remember to tighten the topping lift before dropping the main, 9 out of 10 times I forget, but the boom just falls a little lower in the cockpit than desired (have it running thru a deck clutch which is locked. I just winch it back-up to the pre-marked spot on the line and all is great. Running thd line back to the cockpit is a great way to go, sure saves that trip up forward and allows the use of a winch when needed. Also, dropping the sail is so nice with the dutchman. The sails just fold so nicely over the boom.
I wouldn't say we have a love hate relationship with our dutchman on our 29.5, it is more love than hate. The key like everyone indicated is getting it adjusted correctly at first. I went thru the exercise of running the topping lift line back to the cockpit. I raise the boom when the sails are down to provide better headroom in the cockpit. When we sail, I raise the main sail and loosen the topping lift enough so that it does restraint the sail shape, usually only several inches. I try to remember to tighten the topping lift before dropping the main, 9 out of 10 times I forget, but the boom just falls a little lower in the cockpit than desired (have it running thru a deck clutch which is locked. I just winch it back-up to the pre-marked spot on the line and all is great. Running thd line back to the cockpit is a great way to go, sure saves that trip up forward and allows the use of a winch when needed. Also, dropping the sail is so nice with the dutchman. The sails just fold so nicely over the boom.
not in Durango
If you know Durango, you know that about all you can do on the Animas River in town is go tubing! We're from Durango and use it as our home port, but actually we've spent the last year in San Carlos, Sonora, MX and plan to spend next winter in La Paz, Baja, MX.
If you know Durango, you know that about all you can do on the Animas River in town is go tubing! We're from Durango and use it as our home port, but actually we've spent the last year in San Carlos, Sonora, MX and plan to spend next winter in La Paz, Baja, MX.
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