by badgley » Fri Aug 24, 2018 4:04 pm
The standard setup on a DS does have mast cleats, but it looks like you have a setup with internal halyards, which I don't think are normally cleated to the mast. Although I've never had them so I'm not sure. I guess you could run them back to cleats on the mast, if you could get the lines to run fair, but that seems tricky. I think they usually go to cam cleats on the cabin top like yours. However, the fairleads on yours, if that's what they're for, don't seem to be angled properly for the halyards. They almost look like they are positioned for something to come in from further outboard and then to run to the opposite cleat, rather than the way you have it rigged. Maybe for spinnaker sheets or something else? I'm not sure, hopefully someone will come along soon with a better idea than me... I can't really see what that third black deck piece is that you have in the middle from the pictures or if that might be involved. I mean, if you just want to get out on the water you could probably do fine with what you have there now. And then once you learn the boat and what you like always alter the setup later. For example, that old 3-strand line for your main halyard is far from ideal because it's so stretchy, so you'll probably want to think about at least that as a upgrade anyway.
The boom vang can be attached many different ways. Mine has an eyestrap on the forward side of the mast all the way at the deck. I run a short loop of line through that around the mast to secure the lower block of the vang. I think some people use bails as well. Mine is pretty clumsy and doesn't get a great angle of leverage, so it's far from ideal if you're really looking for optimum performance. But it's functional and simple and my vang is cheap so I really don't care.
Brian Badgley
1982 DS II #10911 EGRETTA
Blacksburg, VA, USA