What is this for?

Moderator: GreenLake

What is this for?

Postby thetub » Wed May 14, 2014 1:28 pm

I just bought a 1983 spindrift daysailer, everything looks pretty straight forward except for this one bracket. it's on the mast below where gooseneck slides in and above the downhaul cleat. I'm assuming its for some rigging thats long gone. If it isn't for anything I want to take off because it gets in the way of the downhaul, but I would like to know what it was for first.
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Ryan Palmer
1983 Spindrift Daysailer 1
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Re: What is this for?

Postby rnlivingston » Wed May 14, 2014 2:16 pm

This is for attaching the boom to the mast in a fixed position. Eliminates the need for a downhaul. Luff tension is controlled with a Cunningham.
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Re: What is this for?

Postby thetub » Wed May 14, 2014 10:54 pm

Thanks I'm new to sailing, I never would have thought of that. To use that setup, would I use just the outhaul for tension on the foot of the sail rather than running boltrope for the main sail in the track on the boom and tensioning with the outhaul? The cheek blocks and cleats at the base of the mast aren't used in the setup the po had. Can then use one of those for the cunningham then?
Ryan Palmer
1983 Spindrift Daysailer 1
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Re: What is this for?

Postby GreenLake » Wed May 14, 2014 11:47 pm

Whether or not the boom is in a fixed position is independent of whether you fly the mainsail as a loose footed sail.

A mainsail that is cut for use with bolt-rope will usually have a "shelf" at the foot. Some extra material that allows the "belly" of the sail to extend down to the level of the boom (without the shelf, it would have to curve in sooner to meet the straight line of the boom). A loose-footed sail usually will not have the shelf and may have extra reinforcements (or an integral sail slide) near the clew, as the back of the sail is held at only one point.

If the sail is designed for use with bolt-rope, I'd tend to use it that way.

Many DaySailers have a sliding gooseneck, which can be pulled down by a downhaul. If your sail has a Cunningham, then as Roger described, you don't need to move the boom up and down to change luff tension.
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Re: What is this for?

Postby thetub » Thu May 15, 2014 12:32 am

I get it. I didn't remember seeing the extra grommet a little higher above the tack on my sail, i looked again its there. What are the pros and cons of running it with a cunningham? Can I run the lines like I mentioned previously if I decided to use it? The po was using it with a sliding gooseneck, but I can see the bracket getting in the way of that.
Ryan Palmer
1983 Spindrift Daysailer 1
thetub
 
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Re: What is this for?

Postby GreenLake » Thu May 15, 2014 10:19 am

I reread your post, and not clear about what you intend.
The Cunningham is usually attached on one side of the mast, run up to the grommet, then down again and either cleated there, or run through a block to where you cleat it on the deck or in the cockpit somewhere.

On the DS, the outhaul is usually cleated on the boom somewhere (and, as previously mentioned works the same for loose footed sails or standard).

A common use for cheek blocks at the base of the mast is to to run the halyards to some point on deck for cleating.

Is your boat rigged for spinnaker?
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Re: What is this for?

Postby thetub » Thu May 15, 2014 12:36 pm

You answered my question, I just was curious how to rig it, I only mentioned the out haul because of my confusion with loose footed sails (mine is actually MIA). I did some looking around and answered my down haul vs Cunningham question. I don't think my boat is rigged for a spinnaker but, hey I'm new to this so there's a good chance I'm wrong. The way it was setup when I got it, the main and the jib halyards are cleated directly on the mast on a pair of horn cleats. There are two cheek blocks mounted on either side of the mast just above the the mast step hinge, that as far as I could tell are weren't used. There is the bracket that I asked about and the another smaller horn cleat below it that I assumed was for the downhaul. The boom is using the sliding goose neck. There is a ring on the front of the mast but I just assumed it was for the whisker pole. The jib sheet is run through a pair of swivel cam cleats on either side of the cuddy. Like I said the outhaul is missing, and the main sheet is run through a end boom traveler setup, though the rope traveler doesn't seem to have any adjustment.
Ryan Palmer
1983 Spindrift Daysailer 1
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Re: What is this for?

Postby GreenLake » Thu May 15, 2014 8:32 pm

thetub wrote:You answered my question, I just was curious how to rig it, I only mentioned the out haul because of my confusion with loose footed sails (mine is actually MIA). I did some looking around and answered my down haul vs Cunningham question.

You wrote that you were new to sailing, but know all the terminology - active research?
thetub wrote: I don't think my boat is rigged for a spinnaker but, hey I'm new to this so there's a good chance I'm wrong.

Not something you want/need to rig for your first day on the water. However, the minimal rigging needed for flying a symmetric spinnaker is a halyard (a block on the forward side of the mast just above the forestay), the ring for the spinnaker pole, some eye quite a bit above that for the uphaul. A block at each end of the stern for the spinnaker sheets, and something to lead the halyard to the cockpit (cheek block). Another one for the spinnaker pole downhaul, if you rig yours as adjustable. For minimalist setup I didn't even use fixed mounts for the blocks in the rear, but lashed them to the horn cleats that are there.
(and built my own pole from 1" ID bamboo with a single layer of light weight glass ...

Before you go there, check out the thread on the Doyle UPS sail, which is an alternative (except on the race course).

All of that should be well in your future.

thetub wrote:The way it was setup when I got it, the main and the jib halyards are cleated directly on the mast on a pair of horn cleats. There are two cheek blocks mounted on either side of the mast just above the the mast step hinge, that as far as I could tell are weren't used.


I see no need to adjust main or jib halyard frequently so I have the horn cleat setup that you describe.

For a more sophisticated rig, check out http://daysailer.org where you find a menu leading to "Technical Info" and here find the "Rigging Guide". Don't be afraid of growing into that by stages.

thetub wrote:There is the bracket that I asked about and the another smaller horn cleat below it that I assumed was for the downhaul.

You can use the cleat for the cunningham. (I use it for cunningham and downhaul, because I never adjust my downhaul). The bracket. If it really doesn't fit your boom, I would remove the bracket, and use a downhaul attached to the gooseneck to pull the boom down to a stop a the correct height. Then add tension as needed by Cunningham.
thetub wrote:The boom is using the sliding goose neck. There is a ring on the front of the mast but I just assumed it was for the whisker pole. The jib sheet is run through a pair of swivel cam cleats on either side of the cuddy. Like I said the outhaul is missing, and the main sheet is run through a end boom traveler setup, though the rope traveler doesn't seem to have any adjustment.

For minimalist rig, you don't need adjustment there. Eventually, adding a boom vang will probably do more. The Rigging Guide gives some numbers for suggested height of the apex of that traveller, but you just need to play with it as the correct dimension would depend on the actual height of your boom.

If your main is MIA then, obviously getting one is your highest priority, next would be the most basic setup, take her out on the water (steady breeze, not too strong, ideally) and go from there.
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