Preventing Chafe from topping lift

[tstano]

My topping lift is cable so I covered the lower half with plastic cable cover then added a plastic wheel above that. This almost totally eliminated any chafing.

[captkangaroo]

Can anyone recommend the best way to set up a topping lift for a 16ft Newport? thanks.

[slug]

In the ocean I sail with the topping lift bar tight

This triangle , topping lift , preventer , mainsheet stabilizes the boom in a seaway and removes cycling fatigue from the boom vang and it’s gooseneck

The bar tight topper will be on the windward side of the mainsail and not present a chafe problem

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by slug

In the ocean I sail with the topping lift bar tight

This triangle , topping lift , preventer , mainsheet stabilizes the boom in a seaway and removes cycling fatigue from the boom vang and it’s gooseneck

The bar tight topper will be on the windward side of the mainsail and not present a chafe problem

If the topping lift is bar tight, where do you get your leech tension from?

[Spot]

Originally Posted by captkangaroo

Can anyone recommend the best way to set up a topping lift for a 16ft Newport? thanks.

Tie off to end of the boom, run through sheave on top of mast, cleat off on bottom of mast. Blue line on still photo.





Puff my Newport 16

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86aiGpR5Euo

[slug]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

If the topping lift is bar tight, where do you get your leech tension from?

You adjust the topping lift as needed

The goal is to form a triangle , immobilize the boom

This stabilizes the sailplan , leech tension is now fixed

Need more or less leech ...adjust topper

Gooseneck fatigue is the killer

You will notice that oceanic racers have no boom Vang . They eliminate this failure point

Oceanic cruising yachts eliminate the boom vang mast gooseneck and transfer Vang loads into the deck

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by slug

You adjust the topping lift as needed

The goal is to form a triangle , immobilize the boom

This stabilizes the sailplan , leech tension is now fixed

Need more or less leech ...adjust topper
. . .

If I need more or less leech tension, I adjust mainsheet or vang. The topping lift transfers this force AWAY from the leech. I guess I can sort of imagine if you wanted a really loose leech in really light wind but you wanted to stabilize the boom how you might put some topping lift on to do that, but in any kind of normal sailing conditions, there will be big forces on the leech -- what else do you need to stabilize the boom?



If you're under sail, the topping lift is basically a leech-loosening device. Maybe I sail too much upwind, but normally I am tightening it.

[sailingharry]

Originally Posted by Sparx

What techniques work for minimizing chafe on the main sail by the topping lift? This is especially a trouble on those full reach, full batten sails.

I have tried running the topping lift just short of tight as well as full slack. Not terribly pleased with either.

Both of my big boats (Sabre 34 and Saga 43) came with rigid vangs and topping lifts. The topping lifts were gone in short order (they serve no purpose if you have a rigid vang -- and a rigid vang is pointless if you keep the topping lift).

If you don't have a rigid vang, you can detach the topping lift once the sail is up, but that is a less than ideal solution.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by sailingharry

Both of my big boats (Sabre 34 and Saga 43) came with rigid vangs and topping lifts. The topping lifts were gone in short order (they serve no purpose if you have a rigid vang -- and a rigid vang is pointless if you keep the topping lift).

If you don't have a rigid vang, you can detach the topping lift once the sail is up, but that is a less than ideal solution.

Some gas struts are powerful enough to lift the boom by itself, so you have to put vang on to make it horizontal. Others however need the topping lift to adjust the boom position.


If the topping lift is run through a clutch, then you don't need to take it off -- just adjust it so that there is no tension on it once the sail is set. I release mine complete when I'm adjusting the sail, then pull it in by hand until it just doesn't flop around, close the clutch.


Mine is rigged through the boom to a small block on the end of a length of wire rope which runs to the masthead, and back to the cockpit where you can put it on a winch where necessary.

[slug]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

If I need more or less leech tension, I adjust mainsheet or vang. The topping lift transfers this force AWAY from the leech. I guess I can sort of imagine if you wanted a really loose leech in really light wind but you wanted to stabilize the boom how you might put some topping lift on to do that, but in any kind of normal sailing conditions, there will be big forces on the leech -- what else do you need to stabilize the boom?



If you're under sail, the topping lift is basically a leech-loosening device. Maybe I sail too much upwind, but normally I am tightening it.

Without a topping lift how will you remove the cycling load from the vang gooseneck

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by slug

Without a topping lift how will you remove the cycling load from the vang gooseneck

What cycling load? Other than very light wind and the boom out, the leech is under plenty of tension and stabilises the boom.

And even if I did have such a problem, I would certainly find some way to deal with it which does Not remove the leech from my control, even if it meant redesigning the rig. I like sailing too much.

[a64pilot]

A topping lift may also be nice to have if you run a boom brake, in order to function the lines on the brake have to be tight, and this of course pulls down on the boom.
Without a topping lift, I believe the load from the brake on my gas strut Vang may be excessive