Topping Lift woes...

[rgranger]

Hey All

Just stating the obvious but.... don't forget to loosen the topping lift before you crank down on the main sheet...:cry:

I pulled the pop-rivets for the cheek block at the top of the mast and my topping lift ended up in the water, now I have to drop the mast for repairs. Any who.. I'm going with through bolts this time.

 

[JoyRide28]

As a general rule, when possible, I recommend adjusting the topping lift such that a) it holds up the boom when the sail is doused, b) it slacks off when the sail is fully hoisted (i.e.: the boom is now supported by the leech of the sail). Most boats (not all) can be adjusted thusly and therefore you never need to readjust each time you hoist/douse... The only real problem I've encountered with this is when a bimini (or other gear) is so high as to make it impossible...

 

[FourPoints]

Rigid... wait for it... Vang!

no topping lift problems anymore

 

[Scott T-Bird]

Cheek block at the top of the mast? That sounds like an odd arrangement. Mine is fixed by a pin at the top of the mast ... a small block hangs at the lower end of the topping wire (a few feet above the boom) and the control line is fixed at the end of the boom, runs through the small block and back down to a cheek block on the boom, followed by a cleat.

My buddy just bought a Venture V222, keeping it on a mooring where I'm at. I'll have to look at his to see what you have ...

 

[FourPoints]

Cheek block at the top of the mast? That sounds like an odd arrangement.

it used to be more common, particularly on smaller trailerable boats, that the topping lift was tied to the end of the boom, ran to a block up the mast, and then down to a cleat of some sort somewhere in the general vicinity of the gooseneck.

It's not a bad setup as you can raise the main, and ease the topping lift from the same spot, but it requires a longer line and a little more gear to accomplish.

 

[Scott T-Bird]

Rigid vang ... the way to go ... I agree ... this might be a mod for the near future!

 

[Benny17441]

Everything is a compromise, both having a rigid vang or using a topping lifts have their good points and their negatives. I would think it is personal decision as far as which to favor. I would think for racing the elimination of the topping lift would be a plus but maybe not for the cruiser who may use the topping lift to hoist provisons aboard.

 

[Jackdaw]

Holding up the boom sans topping lift is a rigid vang's secondary function. The primary function is sail shape. If you are thinking about a rigid vang and still want the function of a topping lift, just run your main halyard to the boom end. Sorted.

 

[DianaOfBurlington]

I have a topping lift which is about 3/4s wire with a block and the rest 5/16" line with one leg going down to an eye at to one aft corner of the boom (reef line is on other corner) and the other leg to a cheek block and led forward to its cleat. In addition I have two main halyards and a proper 4:1 block-and-tackle vang. This has got to be the simplest and cheapest setup to provide the utility and redundancy that it does.

I don't see any need for a rigid vang-- it's heavy, expensive and subject to failure (or leaks). And most people who rely too much on it tend to end up with less-than-ideal sail shape.

A proper topping lift isn't a complex thing to manage. Once the mainsail is up and drawing, slack off the topping lift and let the sail do the work. If you need to take up on the end of the boom to add bagginess to the sail, you can.

I do miss the old-school topping lift which is rigged like a second main halyard. On other boats of the past I have used the secondary main halyard as a topping lift, even if only because that's the best way to store it out of the way.

The one thing I cannot abide is the fixed topping lift, a short line leading from the backstay with a hook to snag the back of the boom. I have dealt with too many of these on the inner staysail of Cherubini 44s (in this case leading straight to the mast) when it's clear a proper full-height topping lift allows much more utility and safety in every way.

 

[Joe]

I don't see any need for a rigid vang-- it's heavy, expensive and subject to failure (or leaks). And most people who rely too much on it tend to end up with less-than-ideal sail shape.

A proper topping lift isn't a complex thing to manage. Once the mainsail is up and drawing, slack off the topping lift and let the sail do the work. If you need to take up on the end of the boom to add bagginess to the sail, you can.

I disagree.... the modern designed sail has an increasingly larger roach area... requireing the support of full length battens. The topping lift is a constant nuisance during a series of tacks because it must be readjusted for every turn. The batten ends will snag on the wire......so it must be loosened... then... to keep the loosend wire from chafing against the roach area, it must be re tensioned.... PITA and totally irrelevent where sail trim is concerned.

In an old school, low aspect rig where the leech is straight, a traditional topping lift works well. Otherwise the performance benefits of a rigid vang greatly outweigh any imagined issues regarding weight, expense and trim problems... what trim problems?

The one thing I cannot abide is the fixed topping lift, a short line leading from the backstay with a hook to snag the back of the boom. I have dealt with too many of these on the inner staysail of Cherubini 44s (in this case leading straight to the mast) when it's clear a proper full-height topping lift allows much more utility and safety in every way.

Well that's not a topping lift.... it's called a pigtail and it's there to hold the boom/jibboom in place when the boat is stored. You would never,never use it with the sail up..

 

[Timo42]

The V222 didn't come with a topping lift, just a pigtail attached to the backstay, that's something you don't forget to detach more than once! I attached my cheek blocks with structural rivets, not the kind you get at the hardware store, they retain the mandrel inside the rivet for sheer strength. If you go with machine screws, don't forget the lanocote!

 

[shanker]

Boomkicker

Just installed a Boomkicker. Extreemely easy to install, works as advertised and no more topping lift issues.

Check them out. Here are some pics of my install

 

[kenn]

Cheek block at the top of the mast? That sounds like an odd arrangement.

it used to be more common, particularly on smaller trailerable boats, that the topping lift was tied to the end of the boom, ran to a block up the mast, and then down to a cleat of some sort somewhere in the general vicinity of the gooseneck.

It's not a bad setup as you can raise the main, and ease the topping lift from the same spot, but it requires a longer line and a little more gear to accomplish.

Being a small trailerable boat, our topping lift is the longer one with a block at the top of the mast. The nice thing about it is it's also a spare main halyard, and a handy extra line for hoisting anything (within reason). Yes I occasionally forget to release it, but we usually catch this quickly and nothing has been broken yet. (Idea - make the last foot or two of the topping lift out of shock-cord, so that it stretches under extreme load, instead of breaking hardware)

Our boom is a bit longer than the sail foot, so the slacked topping lift doesn't catch or hang up on the leech or battens.

I am also thinking of adding topping lift adjustment to the boom end for convenience of access.

 

[Joe]

Just installed a Boomkicker. Extreemely easy to install, works as advertised and no more topping lift issues.

Check them out. Here are some pics of my install

You should post those pics on the other thread, also. I'm clear on the whole thing now.

 

[PuckandTitania]

My boat just had a 1/4 inch line tied to back stay bolt on the chicken head and ran down and tied off to the end of the boom. Try adjusting that with sails up or down. A real PITA. Changed that by using a cheap nylon clam cleat with a fair lead. Ran the line down through the fair lead, around the end of the boom and back to the lower screw hole of the cleat (drilled out to 1/4 inch). Now it's easy to adjust with one hand with the sail up or down.