So all booms use a tipping lift?

[Learning Curve]

Yes probably a silly question but being new to sailing I honestly don’t know if I should have a topping lift. My boat is a southern cross (sonata 7) trailer sailor 23ft .

[Suijin]

It depends. Some boats have a hydraulic vang, some a spring vang which accomplishes the same thing. On a small trailer sailor if you don't mind resting the boom on the deck when the sail is down then no, you don't need one, but they certainly are convenient. It does not need to be high tech line.

[JimsCAL]

On some small boats, all you have is a short wire with a hook connected to the backstay. Allows you to attach to the end of the boom when the sail is down. No topping lift going to the top of the mast.

[Learning Curve]

Originally Posted by Suijin

It depends. Some boats have a hydraulic vang, some a spring vang which accomplishes the same thing. On a small trailer sailor if you don't mind resting the boom on the deck when the sail is down then no, you don't need one, but they certainly are convenient. It does not need to be high tech line.

What if i don’t have a vang. Yes I did notice the boom just falls to the cockpit if the mainsail is not raised to support it. I actually made up a connector on the back stay to keep the boom up for this purpose but obviously once the mainsail is needing to go on I disconnect this and there is no support for the boom.

[Learning Curve]

Originally Posted by JimsCAL

On some small boats, all you have is a short wire with a hook connected to the backstay. Allows you to attach to the end of the boom when the sail is down. No topping lift going to the top of the mast.

Thanks yes and that is funny as that is what I did as nothing was in place. [emoji1417]

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Learning Curve

What if i don’t have a vang. Yes I did notice the boom just falls to the cockpit if the mainsail is not raised to support it. I actually made up a connector on the back stay to keep the boom up for this purpose but obviously once the mainsail is needing to go on I disconnect this and there is no support for the boom.

Yes, many small boat "topping lifts" are made up that way...just a short penant attached to the backstay w a hook on the end to clip to eye on end of the boom. Clip to boom to stow, unclip once main is riased.

[jrbogie]

The first thing I do with a new boat is remove the topping lift. The damage that occurs to the main sail leach is just not acceptable. After lowering the main I attach the main halyard to the aft end of the boom to raise it up and out of the way. Presently I own a Hunter passage 42 which has a traveler arch which does well keeping the boom out of the cockpit.

[Boatyarddog]

Originally Posted by jrbogie

The first thing I do with a new boat is remove the topping lift. The damage that occurs to the main sail leach is just not acceptable. After lowering the main I attach the main halyard to the aft end of the boom to raise it up and out of the way. Presently I own a Hunter passage 42 which has a traveler arch which does well keeping the boom out of the cockpit.

There should be no chafing of your mainsail leech.
I'd say your not relaxing the topping lift line adequately, so it cannot chafe.
Not sure with your methodology how you'd reef if you need to? Perhaps you have a rigid boom vang? Or you lay it on the "traveler arch" aka, boom kin?
Cheers,
SV Cloud Duster

[waterman46]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

Yes, many small boat "topping lifts" are made up that way...just a short penant attached to the backstay w a hook on the end to clip to eye on end of the boom. Clip to boom to stow, unclip once main is riased.

Topping lift on backstay is simple but can lead to big problems including possible capsize. If main is raised quickly while boom still attached to backstay, and you are not pointing dead upwind or get a gust from another direction, the boat may not be able to head to wind fast enough to avoid trouble.

So if you want to use this (lubberly IMHO) arrangement then be sure to disconnect boom from backstay and lower boom end to deck before raising main. And if you have crew in cockpit while raising main, warn them that they may be "inconvenienced" by the boom wanting to jump around and strike them until the main is fully raised. Same can happen when lowering sail.

It's easy to avoid this issue with a true topping lift run from top of mast.

[OS2Dude]

Originally Posted by JimsCAL

On some small boats, all you have is a short wire with a hook connected to the backstay. Allows you to attach to the end of the boom when the sail is down. No topping lift going to the top of the mast.

Well, 'Actually' this makes the backstay do double duty as a topping lift. Any line that holds up (or lifts) the boom (or yard) is a topping lift. One could argue that a solid vang or boom kicker could be considered a 'topping lift'.

But as stated: NO, you do not -NEED- a topping lift. But life is easier with something to hold the boom off the deck when the sail is not doing it.

[Locquatious]

When we lost an upper stay due to a broken, the topping lift allowed us to stabilize the wobbly mast by preventing the boom on the side of the broken plate. Stabilizing the mast using just the halyards was not adequate for quartering the swells at an angle needed to get back to quiet waters.

Keep the topping lift.

[Boatyarddog]

Originally Posted by waterman46

Topping lift on backstay is simple but can lead to big problems including possible capsize. If main is raised quickly while boom still attached to backstay, and you are not pointing dead upwind or get a gust from another direction, the boat may not be able to head to wind fast enough to avoid trouble.

So if you want to use this (lubberly IMHO) arrangement then be sure to disconnect boom from backstay and lower boom end to deck before raising main. And if you have crew in cockpit while raising main, warn them that they may be "inconvenienced" by the boom wanting to jump around and strike them until the main is fully raised. Same can happen when lowering sail.

It's easy to avoid this issue with a true topping lift run from top of mast.

Excellent point!
In any kind of real wind, that boom is going to shake and pitch about.
Even with the main sheet attached it can literally knock your teeth out.

Not relaxing the main enough, can certainly pull the boat over.
There's also, using the topping lift, a quick way to spill wind fron the main.

Fishermans reefing, pull on the topping lift relaxing the main sheet, this spills wind in a pinch.
Okay for "puffs", but temporarily.
Cheers,
SV Cloud Duster

[Tillerjockey]

Another alternative is book kicker. they are not too expensive and will hold up the boom without a topping lift. A vang is also a good idea for mainsail control.

[Tillerjockey]

boom kicker

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by waterman46

Topping lift on backstay is simple but can lead to big problems including possible capsize. If main is raised quickly while boom still attached to backstay, and you are not pointing dead upwind or get a gust from another direction, the boat may not be able to head to wind fast enough to avoid trouble.



So if you want to use this (lubberly IMHO) arrangement then be sure to disconnect boom from backstay and lower boom end to deck before raising main. And if you have crew in cockpit while raising main, warn them that they may be "inconvenienced" by the boom wanting to jump around and strike them until the main is fully raised. Same can happen when lowering sail.



It's easy to avoid this issue with a true topping lift run from top of mast.

I agree, I dont like this arrangement either, but it is common on smaller boats.