So, about this downhaul...

[jeadstx]

Sorry for the confusion Tim, although I know where the boom is supposed to be when the sail is raised, I don't want to lock it at that point. When my dad taught me to sail many many years ago, he taught me to raise the main, then push down the boom and cleat the downhaul to tighten the luff. When I raise the sail, if the boom doesn't rise with it, I check for the slide jamming. One thing different on my DS II is that I have a DS I mast. Although all the tangs for the stays are in the right places, I've read somewhere that my mast may be a little taller, don't really know as I haven't measured it.

Yes, my cleat is at the very bottom of the mast right next to the hinge plate. I sometimes wonder if the P.O. put some epoxy on the screws. I've tried several times to break it free. If I feel like it at some point, I'll just get an aluminum tube and put another cleat on. Cleat location just hasn't caused me any real problem.

Thanks for the tip on the Elmer's stuff.

I noticed recently that my boom gooseneck slide has some slight damage. Ordered a new one from D&R, haven't installed it yet.

John

[TIM WEBB]

No worries John: I realize everyone has different setups/proceedures/etc. I'm just all about reduction of effort where at all possible ... ;-P

There is one other consideration to the whole main all the way up/boom height discussion: I originally did the rig on the ground exercise because I had a new main that was an unknown variable. I wanted to see exactly where the boom would be with the main raised as far as possible, using only the main halyard to tension the luff. Turned out the boom needed to be quite low, due to the combination of things I described in a previous post. However, had I found that I could set the gooseneck stop higher, and still achieve the desired luff tension, I would probably still have elected to keep it rather low, in order to reduce the (very small I know) heeling lever moment of a higher main on the rig. Turned out that was not the case, but was one of the things I wanted to find out by doing the exercise in the first place ...

[jeadstx]

I was just on Facebook and saw the pictures of the latest Cape Cod Shipbuilding Day Sailer. I noticed that the boom appears to be fixed on the mast at one height, no boom downhaul.

John

[TIM WEBB]

Yup, that's definitely a fixed gooseneck!

I guess when you buy brand new you kinda expect everything to fit ... ;-P

I think that from CCSB it will, since Wendy mentions "test stepping/outfitting". I believe that is something they do with every new boat they build, whether it's for a show or a buyer.

[GreenLake]

Yup, that's definitely a fixed gooseneck!

I guess when you buy brand new you kinda expect everything to fit ... ;-P

I think that from CCSB it will, since Wendy mentions "test stepping/outfitting". I believe that is something they do with every new boat they build, whether it's for a show or a buyer.

Only as long as you never replace your sails...

[Interim]

To John's point about a lubricant, I use SailKote.

It works very well, but I will admit I used this as a solution that didn't require it. I was in fact encumbering my boom too much by leaving it pre-tied from the gooseneck to the cleat. Fixing that operator error let my sail go up to where it should be (obviously). However, the lubricant certainly made the boltrope slide much easier.

--john

[TIM WEBB]

John, how exactly did cleating down your boom/gooseneck encumber raising the main?

[GreenLake]

We'll let John give us his version, but in my case I know that I'm putting my whole weight (well shoulder and up) into lowering the boom. If I had that tied down, I'd have to overcome this in raising the sail. I'm glad I don't have to do both at once.

[Interim]

I had the tack pulled down too far. And sometimes I've tried hoisting the sail with the main sheet cleated too tight (this is because when I'm launching, I have the main sheeted pretty close so the boom isn't flopping all over). Either, in my case, have held the tack too low to get the head to the top of the mast.

--john

[TIM WEBB]

Which brings me back to my original point: if you have determined at what height the gooseneck needs to be in order to have a fully raised main with a tight luff, why not just set the DH cleat at that position and be done with it, and not have to fuss with the DH at all when raising the main?

[GreenLake]

@Tim
because there appears to be not insignificant tension on the sail when the boom is in the correct position. Yes, you may be able to supply that tension via the halyard, but I find it easier to add it after I've cleated off the halyard by leaning into the sail and bringing down the boom. Gravity, you know.

[TIM WEBB]

And that is why in my ground exercise I set the gooseneck DH cleat an inch or two lower, just to make sure ... ;-P

Hasn't failed me yet GL!

[K.C. Walker]

Another not insignificant reason to set your boom height with the down haul tube is to set the gooseneck height as a fulcrum for the vang. You don't want the vang to increase luff tension when applied. That is what the Cunningham is for. Most of the racing boats have gone to a fixed gooseneck rather than a sliding one. I don't believe that I've heard complaints about not being able to get a full haul on the main.