Topping lift setup, ODay 40

[DonEvans]

have an oday 40, Ran our first season using the spinnaker halyard as the topping lift, topping lift is in very poor condition

(givin to us in a box- about 49' of 3/32SS cable with thimbles at each end with a similar sized rope line about the same length tied about a 1/4 the way down the cable???).

unable to find information specific to the 40's topping lift setup. anyone with pictures, a diagram or an idea of how they are to be setup would be great.

 

[Tom J]

Why not run a continuous line from the end of the boom to a cleat near the main halyard winch? That is how my Catalina is set up. The topping lift lays alongside the leech of the mainsail when slacked, and is available when needed. I've never understood why some topping lifts use steel cable.

 

[dmax]

If you have an Isomat mast (I do), the mast head should look like this: NG2 Masthead Assembly

My topping lift just goes through a block at the aft end of the mast head - there's a horizontal pin that holds the block. The topping lift line goes through the block with one end going to the aft end of the boom and the other down the mast to a cleat - rigged like an external halyard would be. Mine use dyneema for the cable part.

 

[njlarry]

On my 34 most of the topping lift is a ss cable with an eye on each end. The bottom eye has a shackle and block which a line runs thru from the mast end, up to the block, back down, next to the outhaul and forward thru the mast to the jam cleats. The masthead eye goes around a pin which is a sheave pin without the sheave on it. All the sheave pins are held in by gravity. In a choppy sea without tension on the lift, I once had it fall out.

 

[LouisMK]

Although on my 40 I have a similar setup to others, cable to masthead sheave, down the mast to a cleat on the boom, I don’t love it. It’s too difficult to adjust unless you’re at the dock & I’m always afraid the cleat is going to catch the mainsail & Reid it when I reef. I’ve ordered a solid boom vang from Garhauer to both support and restrain the boom. Worked great on my O’34.

 

[twodzusfittings]

@LouisMK Does the solid boom vang interfere with the main cabin hatch? On my 30', the block and tackle vang does, I have to twist the block in such a way to be able to open the hatch.

 

[LouisMK]

I suppose it might- I’d guess it limited the opening on my O’34 to about 110 degrees. However it was more important to me to not have the topping lift rub my main when tacking.