outhaul question

Moderator: GreenLake

outhaul question

Postby thetub » Sun May 18, 2014 11:13 pm

I need to rig up a new outhaul, mine was missing when I bought the boat. What size rope do I need to use?
Ryan Palmer
1983 Spindrift Daysailer 1
thetub
 
Posts: 7
Joined: Sat May 10, 2014 10:50 pm
Location: Minnesota

Re: outhaul question

Postby GreenLake » Mon May 19, 2014 1:39 am

1/8" is plenty.

Get something that's grippy at that size, there are solid braids that are a little knobbly and grip well. For length, there's no fixed answer, depends on where your cleat is at.

It helps to put a bit of purchase into the outhaul so you can adjust it when the sail isn't perfectly slack.

My current setup has the outhaul tied to the sail grommet, led to a double block at the end of the boom, back through the grommet, second time through the double block and then forward to a cleat along the boom.

1760

I used to have a single block, instead of leading the outhaul back through the grommet, but that prevented the outhaul from being maximally tight. The loss due to friction from going through the grommet is tolerable, I still get an overall benefit. If I were to redo it, I would use a different style of cleat, this one is difficult to "set", and I would mount it a bit further forward (can't always get to it from the cockpit).

(For those of you racing under class rules, the black tape is not intended to be the black band that the rules describe, and just serves as an arbitrary position for me to measure how many "inches" of outhaul I have applied).
~ green ~ lake ~ ~
GreenLake
 
Posts: 7136
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2007 3:54 am

Re: outhaul question

Postby K.C. Walker » Mon May 19, 2014 8:36 am

Green Lake,

I run my out haul as a 4:1 cascade. I use the same cleat as you are using and find that it works quite well. I located mine in approximately the same place that you have yours. In retrospect I would've put it on the bottom of the boom , for easier release. What makes it work particularly well and would be an easy upgrade for you, is to put a block forward of your cleat (I used a micro cheek block). I have mine approximately above the rear cuddy lip. It makes it pretty easy to get to for tensioning and release. To tension just grab the line that is dangling from the block, for release just grab the line between the block and the cleat.
KC Walker, DS 1 #7002
K.C. Walker
 
Posts: 1335
Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2008 10:50 pm
Location: North Stonington, Connecticut

Re: outhaul question

Postby thetub » Mon May 19, 2014 1:27 pm

Thanks for the pic, I was going to go with a single on the boom but I like your setup a bit better. I will have to see what I can track down this weekend.
Ryan Palmer
1983 Spindrift Daysailer 1
thetub
 
Posts: 7
Joined: Sat May 10, 2014 10:50 pm
Location: Minnesota

Re: outhaul question

Postby GreenLake » Tue May 20, 2014 3:01 am

The blocks I use for the outhaul are "micro" sized, i.e. about the smallest that are made.

K.C., I'm not fully sure I'm picturing your suggested setup....

The cleat I have is not very distinct in the picture. This one releases when the line is pulled away from the mounting surface. What's shown in the picture is a released cleat where just the stopper knot is holding. This was taken a few feet out of the dock before the first of us realized the outhaul hadn't been tightened.

There are V cleats that engage when you pull away from the mounting surface. Those are easier to "set" in my experience. The one I have wants to be pulled (under load) perfectly parallel to the boom and then allowed to "set" while not deviating from that position. Any deflection and it won't grab the line.

On another boat I sail, some of the cleats are this style:
Ronstan V-Jammer
and while I haven't tried it for the outhaul such a cleat would seem to be easier to set, so that if you plan to "snug" the outhaul, you can do it with a quick tug...

Actually, now that I re-read your description your "upgrade" would use the block to align the pull along the boom. So the line, coming from the sail is fed first through the cleat, continues, goes through the block and ends in a stopper knot. I can picture that. Also has the advantage of allowing anyone who can grip any part of the line between cleat and block to operate the outhaul. Brilliant. As it would cost just the same as replacing the cleat, I'll have to seriously think about it.

About your cascade - my experience is that I don't need that, but if I was routinely sailing in heavier winds, I could see how that would benefit.
~ green ~ lake ~ ~
GreenLake
 
Posts: 7136
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2007 3:54 am

Re: outhaul question

Postby K.C. Walker » Tue May 20, 2014 11:35 am

GreenLake wrote:Actually, now that I re-read your description your "upgrade" would use the block to align the pull along the boom. So the line, coming from the sail is fed first through the cleat, continues, goes through the block and ends in a stopper knot. I can picture that. Also has the advantage of allowing anyone who can grip any part of the line between cleat and block to operate the outhaul. Brilliant. As it would cost just the same as replacing the cleat, I'll have to seriously think about it.
.

Yes, exactly. Out haul on = pulled the stopper knot: out haul off = pulled the line between the block and the clam cleat. It makes it very easy to pull on plenty of out haul tension. Because it is so easy to use, I find myself using it quite a bit, because of sailing in varied conditions in the same afternoon. Actually I find that having a good strong out haul, a powerful boomvang, and a easy operating 4:1 Cunningham that I rarely reef my sail.
KC Walker, DS 1 #7002
K.C. Walker
 
Posts: 1335
Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2008 10:50 pm
Location: North Stonington, Connecticut


Return to Rigging

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 20 guests

cron