In Dire Need of Rig Help Please?

[Dougal]

Just fitted a different mizzen mast and boom to my old ketch motor sailor. Although I’ve sailed a good few miles, my rig knowledge is pretty scant, so I’m looking for help and advice please…

This mast was originally a ‘main’ mast, stepped at deck level on a small sloop, so looks a little strange sitting atop my wheelhouse roof;-)

I have pretty much no idea how to incorporate an outhaul for the mizzen sail with this mast and boom.

I had to cut the boom by about a third. At the gooseneck end is a small external sheave (currently seized solid). At the outer end, and inside the boom, is another small nylon sheave.

More importantly, unlike the previous gooseneck assembly, there are no ‘cow horns’ to hook the foot of the sail to!

The previous arrangement (before being dismasted!!!) was much older and much more robust, having large, strong stainless hooks welded to the gooseneck, making it very simple to hoist sail. As the pics will show, this assembly really is not ‘stout’ enough to weld on such beasts.

Even the use of a downhaul does not look straight forward on this mast. I ‘assume’ the small stainless lock on the track needs loosening when sailing? It’s the only way I could make use of a downhaul. The make is Marco Polo – long since gone I believe.

As the pics also show, currently I’ve simply lashed the clew and foot. Although the mizzen is very small, this is obviously NOT the best solution;-)

Any and all advice or suggestions welcome.

 

[JVL]

Just fitted a different mizzen mast and boom to my old ketch motor sailor. Although I’ve sailed a good few miles, my rig knowledge is pretty scant, so I’m looking for help and advice please…

This mast was originally a ‘main’ mast, stepped at deck level on a small sloop, so looks a little strange sitting atop my wheelhouse roof;-)

I have pretty much no idea how to incorporate an outhaul for the mizzen sail with this mast and boom.

I had to cut the boom by about a third. At the gooseneck end is a small external sheave (currently seized solid). At the outer end, and inside the boom, is another small nylon sheave.

More importantly, unlike the previous gooseneck assembly, there are no ‘cow horns’ to hook the foot of the sail to!

The previous arrangement (before being dismasted!!!) was much older and much more robust, having large, strong stainless hooks welded to the gooseneck, making it very simple to hoist sail. As the pics will show, this assembly really is not ‘stout’ enough to weld on such beasts.

Even the use of a downhaul does not look straight forward on this mast. I ‘assume’ the small stainless lock on the track needs loosening when sailing? It’s the only way I could make use of a downhaul. The make is Marco Polo – long since gone I believe.

As the pics also show, currently I’ve simply lashed the clew and foot. Although the mizzen is very small, this is obviously NOT the best solution;-)

Any and all advice or suggestions welcome.

A bodge but it will work, picture two push a strap shackle from below either side of the pin then fix your sail to that shackle with a bow shackle job done. Would not worry about the outboard end as you have rigged is ok. The lock screw releases the slide for a Cunningham if you want to use it shackle a handy billy to that shackle disappearing off the bottom of phot two and to the base of your mizzen and swig it up .

John

 

[Tranona]

Think you have the boom end fittings on upside down - or rather, you have refitted them after cutting it down upside down. The aft fitting is correct and you have fitted the sail correctly - although if you had a shorter foot you could have had a tackle in there to tension the foot better. The gooseneck should be the other way up and the tack of the sail is attached by a shackle into that hole in the fitting (which should be on the top).

So remove the fitting that you took off ot shorten the boom and put it back the other way up and mount the gooseneck so the hole is on the top. Problem solved.

 

[William_H]

For the tack of the sail I would fit 2 plates ( about 15mm wide by 50mm long with a hole in each end) of SS on each side of the pin (the one held in by key ring) then fit a bolt through the 2 plates and the sail eyelet.
It is really desirable for sail shape to have a tight luff from halyard down to tack attachment that holds the luff of the sail in close to the mast. ie no load on the slides. Alternatively if you want to use the lashing for the tack it should go around the mast so pulling the tack in toward the mast. As well as down to the boom. This is a lashing arrangement that can work nicely for a reef. You must attach the tack forward to couteract the pull aft when tensioning the foot.

For the outhaul in a similar way the lashing should have gone around the boom as well as out to the end of the boom. Thus holding the foot of the sail. close to the boom. As it is all the down load of the main sheet will be trying to lift the clew away from the boom. I use a piece of double sided velcro (sold as cable tidy with hook on one side pile on the other) this wraps around the boom and clew eyelet and with 4 wraps is very strong. This enables the clew to slide along the boom as you adjust outhaul. For an adjustable outhaul you need a sheave inside the boom coming out the top surface at the end. Use a line that gose through the clew eyelet and back to a saddle so you get a 2 purchase effect. This line goes through the boom with or without a tackle inside the boom to emerge through another sheave on the bottom front of the boom thence down to a cleat or winch. (in my case).

A said the gooseneck appears to be on a track so that it can be pulled down by a tackle to tension the luff. My experience with these is that they are a bit dodgy. I prefer a fixed gooseneck and winch to tension the halyard. So what you use for tensioning the luff will dpend on what you have. good luck olewill

 

[Dougal]

Think you have the boom end fittings on upside down - or rather, you have refitted them after cutting it down upside down. The aft fitting is correct and you have fitted the sail correctly - although if you had a shorter foot you could have had a tackle in there to tension the foot better. The gooseneck should be the other way up and the tack of the sail is attached by a shackle into that hole in the fitting (which should be on the top).

So remove the fitting that you took off ot shorten the boom and put it back the other way up and mount the gooseneck so the hole is on the top. Problem solved.

The boom end only fits one way. That's how it came off the donor boat!

 

[Dougal]

If anyone is able to post a pic or two of possible and suggested arrangements, I'd be extremely grateful.

 

[Tranona]

The boom end only fits one way. That's how it came off the donor boat!

Well, the gooseneck fitting in the boom seems upside down as you can see it pulling the pin down. The hole to take the tack definitely should be at the top as the fitting is offset, so that the weight does not pull the pin downwards. Are you sure you cannot take the aft fitting off and re-attach it the other way round. difficult to see (as you have found out) how it would work as it is. If it is assembled this way then it would be a normal boom of its type and no need for any extra fittings or bodge.

 

[lw395]

On many dingies, we simply lash/strap the tack around the mast and add a downhaul/Cunningham.
It avoids any issue of the fitting being in slightly the wrong place.
But if you do this, release the outhaul before dropping the sail, or you put can a lot of stress on the foot as the boom drops.

The gooseneck looks the right way up IMHO, the force on it is generally downward due to the kicker.

 

[Tranona]

The gooseneck looks the right way up IMHO, the force on it is generally downward due to the kicker.

Not sure it is. The fitting is very similar to one I have, with the eye in the casting for a shackle for the tack of the sail. No reason why that eye should be at the bottom. The aft fitting looks right which is why I think it has been put back on the wrong way up.

If both ends had the eyes at the top it would make much more sense.

 

[Dougal]

Not sure it is. The fitting is very similar to one I have, with the eye in the casting for a shackle for the tack of the sail. No reason why that eye should be at the bottom. The aft fitting looks right which is why I think it has been put back on the wrong way up.

If both ends had the eyes at the top it would make much more sense.

Because I'm used to using a downhaul, I assumed the offset was for this, not the sail. Will try gooseneck other way tomorrow. Boom end DEFINITELY CANNOT be rotated. It will ONLY fit the way you see it, due to boom section.

 

[lw395]

Not sure it is. The fitting is very similar to one I have, with the eye in the casting for a shackle for the tack of the sail. No reason why that eye should be at the bottom. The aft fitting looks right which is why I think it has been put back on the wrong way up.

If both ends had the eyes at the top it would make much more sense.

Is that an eye?
I took it to be a sheave axle, probably to lead the outhaul to the deck.
Unusual to have the axis of the gooseneck pin low in the boom, but there are some odd fittings about on old boats....
So I could be wrong, but lashing and a downhaul will work I think?

 

[Tranona]

Is that an eye?

So I could be wrong, but lashing and a downhaul will work I think?

Looks to me that there is a shackle on the bottom of the slider for the downhaul. That is a more logical place to put it, rather than on the boom itself.

 

[Tranona]

Because I'm used to using a downhaul, I assumed the offset was for this, not the sail. Will try gooseneck other way tomorrow. Boom end DEFINITELY CANNOT be rotated. It will ONLY fit the way you see it, due to boom section.

So can the gooseneck fitting be put in the other way round in the boom? That would make sense, then the eye will be on top.