I quite frequently single hand my C22 and am tired of the boom falling into the cockpit while trying to reef the mainsail. I saw a topping lift in the Catalina Direct catalog and wondered if anyone has used one on their boat. Does anyone have any other recommendations for a topping lift?
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Doug, I have used a topping lift for may years now and have found it valuable. When raising and lowering the main it is truly a tool and third hand. I used an old wire and swaged two thimbles on it, attached one end to the clevis up top that holds the backstay and put a pulley on the other end. A line goes thru the pulley and dead-ends on the back of the boom, the rest is lead thru a cheek block on the starboard side of the boom and led forward. For reefing it helps too. My favorite is for racing in real light or non-existant breeze, is to raise the boom to get the weight off the sail itself and TAKE-OFF !!!
boomkicker
Doug I used to own a Cat22, I watered it regularly and it is now a cat30
I use a boomkicker which is a set of fiberglass rods which fit between the boom and mast and work with/against the force of a vang to support the boom. no strings no topping lift lines. it works great. I have seen it in the westmarine catalogue and if you use google and enter "boomkicker" you should find their corporate web site which can direct you to a dealer. it comes in a number of sizes down to suitable for a 16 ft dinghy. It is alot cheaper than the solid vangs. Cheers Tom irwin "tomfoolery" Sidney BC
Doug I used to own a Cat22, I watered it regularly and it is now a cat30
I use a boomkicker which is a set of fiberglass rods which fit between the boom and mast and work with/against the force of a vang to support the boom. no strings no topping lift lines. it works great. I have seen it in the westmarine catalogue and if you use google and enter "boomkicker" you should find their corporate web site which can direct you to a dealer. it comes in a number of sizes down to suitable for a 16 ft dinghy. It is alot cheaper than the solid vangs. Cheers Tom irwin "tomfoolery" Sidney BCboomkicker
Remember that the boom kicker will have to be unhooked when you raise the poptop. It also costs a more. It does reduce the weight aloft a little though.
Remember that the boom kicker will have to be unhooked when you raise the poptop. It also costs a more. It does reduce the weight aloft a little though.
Make your own
You can do it much more cheaply than the Cat kit. The lift is handy in a number of ways....none the least of just moving the boom to one side or the other when the mainsail is down and you are just sipping a few in the cockpit. Brad
You can do it much more cheaply than the Cat kit. The lift is handy in a number of ways....none the least of just moving the boom to one side or the other when the mainsail is down and you are just sipping a few in the cockpit. Brad
A Simple Line will do . . .
I just ran a line from the top of the mast down to the end of the boom. No need to buy a kit. Regards, Ted
I just ran a line from the top of the mast down to the end of the boom. No need to buy a kit. Regards, Ted
i also used a simple line on a smaller boat i owned. my cat22 has lazyjacks which hold the boom up while raising and lowering the sail. my only complaint with that system is that when running before the wind, the lazyjacks need to be loose, and twice i had them wrap on the spreaders and i had to go forward to clear them. otherwise it is a very workable system. jeff
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