Dinghy outhaul...surely something missing?

[Greenheart]

Spent this breezy Sunday afternoon disentangling lines and making sense of the whole cat's cradle. Still a few blocks and stray lines which don't seem to do anything, but maybe their purpose will become clear. But...

...I accidentally pulled my outhaul through the boom, so it'll need stiff wire or mousing line to bring it back to the boom-end...but what do I do with it, then? Littler boats which I've sailed in the past had simple tackles to assist the outhaul; can anyone see what ought to be here on mine?

View attachment 30720

Forgive the rough-looking galvanised boom-end, it's actually perfectly serviceable, but I get the feeling something is missing. Shouldn't there be a hook that runs in the rail on the boom, or at least a fairlead through which the outhaul should pass before attaching to the clew?

As it is, there seems only that drain-hole, through which the outhaul could emerge, then scratch up over that abrasive end...

...isn't a slicker system in common use, or possible for me to fit?

PS, what's the little central stub on the boom-end for?

 

[Iain C]

Hmmm, to me that looks like you dead end the outhaul on the clew, take it around that raised bit of the casting, and make it off on the clew again. Any adjustable bits you have pulled through were probably retro fitted and would have chafed, for adjustable ouhauls expect to see little wheels etc.

TBH don't worry about it...set it for the day and leave it. It's the least used control in dinghy sailing, I don't think I've ever touched it on the water on the 49er and the 12' skiff I used to sail was a tie-it-off job...

 

[Greenheart]

TBH don't worry about it...set it for the day and leave it. It's the least used control in dinghy sailing, I don't think I've ever touched it on the water on the 49er and the 12' skiff I used to sail was a tie-it-off job...

Thanks Iain...

...dead-end? Do you mean, secure it unadjustably, around the little galvanised 'horns' of the boom-end, without altering as the wind changes on the day? Those horns aren't a very obvious cleat - why wouldn't they have been given a shape that could very securely hold a line?

I'd been gaining the idea that my inability to keep smaller boats than this upright in a breeze, was because I'd never sufficiently flattened the sail, and I'd understood that appropriate tugging on the outhaul was essential to that. Not so? Do I mainly rely on the kicker & cunningham to pull the boom down?

 

[Iain C]

Priorities for staying sunny side up in a fast dinghy like that...

Rig set up...get it about right
Mainsheet...let as much out as needed to stay bolt upright. If you are still planing upwind, upright, and the main is ragging, who cares? It's still fast...
Cunno...on upwind if overpowered, eased downwind
Kicker, likewise...yank it on upwind to flatten the sail but keep control. Eased or even blown downwind if it's hairy...if you heel and the boom touches the water you're going swimming. Easing the kicker stops that from happening.
And the big one...centreboard. In a big blow I'd be going upwind in a Fireball with the board up at 45 degrees. The amount of leeway resisting wetted area you'd lose would be minimal, but you'd move the CLR upwards and backwards, so the boat is less likely to trip over it. And she would FLY.
Outhaul. Oh yes, set and forget (almost).

I don't think that's a cleat on the end, just a guide. I'd say you go frm the clew, around the casting, through the clew and round the casting a couple of times, and tie it off. I might be wrong, I've never seen a fitting like that before, but perhaps those who were class racing in the 70s/80s might know a bit more.

 

[Greenheart]

Sincere thanks for that guide. A couple of times on the beach today, the force three was gusting, nudging at nearly five, and my old butterflies were returning...

...in the old days, I had such a baggy sail, the power was either off, sail flogging insanely, or on, with the sail full and the boat heeling out of control.

Really, the sail didn't seem to have a middle setting. Straight from no power to over-powered, every time.

Thanks for the centreboard tip too. I was aware it makes a difference, but with that lousy sack of a sail, it didn't help much.

 

[Lakesailor]

Dan Have a read of this blokes Osprey adventure. especially the Sailing It link http://www.ospreyboat.co.uk/head.htm

 

[Greenheart]

Dan Have a read of this blokes Osprey adventure. especially the Sailing It link http://www.ospreyboat.co.uk/head.htm

Thanks, that's quite a read! I was half thinking "he must be crazy!", and half thinking "yeah, I'll probably make some mistakes, too!".

 

[VicS]

Spent this breezy Sunday afternoon disentangling lines and making sense of the whole cat's cradle. Still a few blocks and stray lines which don't seem to do anything, but maybe their purpose will become clear. But...

...I accidentally pulled my outhaul through the boom, so it'll need stiff wire or mousing line to bring it back to the boom-end...but what do I do with it, then? Littler boats which I've sailed in the past had simple tackles to assist the outhaul; can anyone see what ought to be here on mine?


Forgive the rough-looking galvanised boom-end, it's actually perfectly serviceable, but I get the feeling something is missing. Shouldn't there be a hook that runs in the rail on the boom, or at least a fairlead through which the outhaul should pass before attaching to the clew?

As it is, there seems only that drain-hole, through which the outhaul could emerge, then scratch up over that abrasive end...

...isn't a slicker system in common use, or possible for me to fit?

PS, what's the little central stub on the boom-end for?

Id think you need a sheave set into the end of the track to take the outhaul out from inside the boom and back to the clew.

Dunno what that end fitting is all about. Looks as though its an old roller reefing boom that had a swivel on the end for the mainsheet.

 

[Fantasie 19]

I don't think that's a cleat on the end, just a guide. I'd say you go frm the clew, around the casting, through the clew and round the casting a couple of times, and tie it off.

+1

If you need more leverage think about putting in a block with integral jamming cleat at the clew end...

 

[DJE]

I don't think that's a cleat on the end, just a guide. I'd say you go frm the clew, around the casting, through the clew and round the casting a couple of times, and tie it off. I might be wrong, I've never seen a fitting like that before, but perhaps those who were class racing in the 70s/80s might know a bit more.

I had exactly the same end fitting on the boom of my old Wayfarer. I had a couple of feet of light cord permanently attached to the clew of the sail. Just thread the sail onto the boom take the cord round the horns then back through the clew eye. Pull it up as tight as you fancy and tie it off to the clew eye. Just about possible to ease it off on the water in light winds but as the wind picks up and you want to tighhten it you are going to wish you did it ashore.

 

[Billjratt]

Looks like the stub is the swivel for the missing bit that had the sheet shackle at the bottom (and possibly a topping lift at the top). The plate would remain "upright" when the boom was rotated to reef.
You need to improvise I think. Can't see where the outhaul sheave went, but it's not rocket science to rivet an eye and block onto the boom if you want real time control - otherwise just lash it like the rest of us! (to the eye you just added)

 

[Cloven]

I had exactly the same end fitting on the boom of my old Wayfarer. I had a couple of feet of light cord permanently attached to the clew of the sail. Just thread the sail onto the boom take the cord round the horns then back through the clew eye. Pull it up as tight as you fancy and tie it off to the clew eye. Just about possible to ease it off on the water in light winds but as the wind picks up and you want to tighhten it you are going to wish you did it ashore.

Yes - very common set up for a dinghy. As said, just use the horns to wrap a light outhaul line and tie off at the clew. The hole in the stub is to take a bracket & block for the mainsheet.

 

[Greenheart]

Thanks. I'm sure I can make do, in the fashion that's widely reckoned to be satisfactory, and if it isn't, I'd be able to arrange a purchase with a combined block & jammer secured to the hole in that end-stub...

...I was thinking that the Mk 3 Osprey, without the rear deck, allows fair access to the boom end, without risking a swim, so adjustment would be possible...

...but I'm not so sure about crouching on the Mk2's 36-inch rear deck, at sea in waves, to untangle a knotted cord.

It still makes me wonder what was the purpose on my boat, of the line led through the boom, emerging about 24" from the mast? It ends with a clam cleat near the mast, and until I stupidly pulled it through, it must have had some use with the boat in its current set-up.

 

[Seajet]

I disagree with the clew outhal being rarely used, I use it all the time for sail shape even on the A22.

I do think ball bearing blocks are almost essential though, due to the friction and angles involved.

 

[Greenheart]

I disagree with the clew outhaul being rarely used, I use it all the time for sail shape even on the A22.

Can you remember the outhaul arrangement on your Mk2, Andy? I daresay booms vary a good deal, especially on boats this old...but I'd like to know how you made your outhaul adjustable, and how often you used it.

 

[Fantasie 19]

Can you remember the outhaul arrangement on your Mk2, Andy? I daresay booms vary a good deal, especially on boats this old...but I'd like to know how you made your outhaul adjustable, and how often you used it.

On my old Fantasie (19 footer so probably comparable) I had a single pulley block at the boom end with becket run the line twice through the clew (and once round the block), and it then tied off with a jamming cleat pop riveted to the side of the boom..... when you're actually sailing, and it's rough, I found the large plastic ball on the end of the line useful for grabbing in a hurry..

 

[Bobc]

Dan, seriously, pull it tight, tie it off, and leave it.

You're not racing, so that extra few percent won't matter.

 

[Seajet]

Not a matter of racing, a full bellied sail - to windward - will pull a boat over rather than give forward drive.

Also a full ended boom will drag when the boat is heeling and main sheeted out, and will cause a lot of drag maybe leading to a capsize and lost race which is why a lot of dinghies have a cut-out on the undersection aft end of the boom.

I used ball bearing blocks at the clew, gooseneck and led back along the centreboard case to the helmsman, the crew was busy enough out on the wire handling the jib and spinnaker.

 

[Greenheart]

Thanks. I recognise that I'm probably fussing a bit...but I'd be sorry to give up a sail-control which this boat may have come with, and might suffer without...

...particularly when I'm remembering my ballooning mainsail in earlier days...which really made sailing in more than about ten knots of wind, impossible. So anything which helps flatten the main, I'll regard as required.

I'll photo whatever system I use, and show it here.

 

[Lakesailor]

You're not racing. You can control the sail with your kicking strap and the cunningham. But really, You're just sailing about........... Let out the mainsheet.

You also have a traveller so you can drop it to the lee and use the mainsheet to flatten the sail. If it falls over a bit you can always try fitting an in-boom outhaul later on.

Why not use the boat with a decent tension in the outhaul and if you find the wind a bit light slacken the kicking strap and use your traveller to windward and let the boom rise to bag the sail a bit.


But Dan.

Just get it on the water.......please.