C&C 34 Owners (or similar): How do you run your lines aft?

[andrewembassy]

Fellow C&C 34 (or similar) owners - I'm in the process of reworking my running rigging. I'm curious to see how your run your lines aft to the cockpit. Which lines do you run? How do you get them aft? Which do you consider the most important to have in the cockpit?

I've been looking through pictures of C&C 34s online (mostly found in for-sale listings) and trying to get a handle on the best way to run our main sheet, vang (to be installed), reefing lines, topping lift, outhaul, etc.. I think I have resigned myself to the fact that with our boom we probably aren't going to be able to have the reefing lines run aft to the cockpit because they run externally on the port side of the boom and a swinging boom would tigthen/loosen them if they were run back to a turning block on the mast.

Priorities:
We are generally casual cruisers, with mostly inexperienced crew. Safety while reefing is a big priority, but as noted above I don't see how we can run the lines back to the cockpit without a completely new boom with internal reefing lines.

Here's the state of the union:


Boom, Port Side
The 1st and 2nd reefing lines terminate on the boom. Topping lift is currently cleated mid-boom, which is super annoying.


Boom, Starboard Side
Outhaul, flattening reef.


Mast Base, Port Side
Deck organizer currently has main halyard (red fleck) and main sheet (blue fleck). Main halyard enters the mast just below the gooseneck.


Mast Base, Starboard Side
Our Jib Halyard is going to be replaced and we're going to get a haylard bag on the mast. We'll also likely remove some of this deck hardware (that aft winch will be moved to the starboard side of the companionway to handle other lines.)


Horrible cleats & winch
I'm replacing these abominations with a proper triple rope clutch.

Well, what do you folks think? For cruising around Puget Sound, San Juans, etc. and a little bit of beer can racing, how would you set this up? Pics of your own setup would be hugely appreciated, especially if you've got a C&C 34 or something of similar vintage!

[Pete O Static]

Hi Andrew

Fellow C&C owner here. Mine is a 29 MKII and I have raced C&C 35's 27's and 99's for many years.

I am no longer racing and mostly sailing shorthanded, so I have my 29 set up for that. If you are not racing, then leave your mainsheet on the coachroof. Much better for cruising and moving a traveller into the cockpit is a big job. I would lose the topping lift and get a boom kicker of appropriate weight to support your boom. If you are not racing, you don't need an expensive hydraulic one. The boom kicker is simple and easily installed. When you are not sailing, simply run the main halyard back to the end of the boom to support it. That gets a line off your boom. You can attach blocks to your mast collar and run all your halyards via organizers ( similar to what you have on the port side already ) back to the cockpit with winches and two triple clutch rope stoppers on the coach roof, either side of the companionway. I would remove the winches you have on the deck by the mast altogether.

I don't have a photo handy but on my boat, everything comes down to the mast base then gets vectored off at about 45 degrees to rope organizers and then straight back to either side of the coach roof. I have a winch on either side of the coach roof and ahead of each winch, two spinlock triple clutch rope stoppers. I have no winches or cleats or any other hardware on the deck.

My reefing set up is somewhat custom. I am a big believer in the keep it simple system and my boom originally had an elaborate internal system which was a pain to maintain. Now I use two lines. The first one is simply a second cunningham which runs to the first reefing point along the luff. It comes down to the mast base and back to the coach roof. On the end of the boom I have installed a track with a block. Just forward of that, close to where your main sheet bail is, I have a rope clutch. The reefing line runs from the block on the track, under the boom, up to the reefing cringle, down to the boom through the block and into the rope stopper. Putting in my first reef takes less than a minute and I don't need to leave the cockpit, provided I reef with the boom somewhat close to center line. I normally do not have a second reefing line set up unless I anticipate I may need it. Then I rig it. However, I am sailing this boat on an inland lake.

The 34 is notorious for loosing control when off the wind. It is easily overpowered and rudder authority lost so you need to reef even earlier than most. Mind you, that is when pushing it but it breaks loose easily. If you make some changes on the deck and install hardware, do yourself a favor and drill oversized holes in the deck, fill them with epoxy fiber and then drill the appropriate size hole. This will provide a barrier to the balsa core in the deck.

I will try to find some photos for you.

[Pete O Static]

Here are two photos of my 29 Mk11, not that close up but should give you the general idea.