Kicker strap

[Clyde_Wanderer]

Is its lower end fixed too high in this pic? As you will see in the second pic the boom seems to be way too high.
Should I have the k s lower end fixed lower down on the mast heel? and hauled down tighter?

 

[Searush]

Is there somewhere lower to fix it? If so, OK, if not, don't stress. You don't seem to have excessive twist in the main & that is what it is for.

It COULD be slightly less horizontal, but I doubt it would make much difference - a little easier to harden up I guess, but that's about all.

Just my opinion, of course, others may think different. And I'm a cruiser not a racer!!!

 

[savageseadog]

There will be more force required to pull the boom down with that geometry, it does mean that the force on the mast fitting (and boom fitting) could be quite high. Whether it's a problem would depend on if you were racing and/or how extreme the weather. In my opinion many boom kicker fittings in particular are very weak.
As for the boom being too high. You have the advantage of the boom being clear of your heads. It's more a function of the way the main is cut, it has a short leech. so the boom will be higher when fully sheeted. Disadvantage is that you are loosing sail area.

 

[VicS]

The optimum will be with the kicker attached to the mast as low as possible (Mine is attached to the pivot bolt that goes through the heel and the step) and with the tackle at an angle of 45°. Flatter than that and you will be reducing the downward pull on the boom in favour of a horizontal pull towards the mast.

The object being to get the attachment to the boom as far from the goose neck as possible while maintaining the 45° angle.

If the attachment to the boom is fixed then you still need to get the attachment as low as possible on the mast to maximise the downward pull at the expense of the horizontal pull and the tackle will then be at a steeper angle than 45°.

Difficult to see from the photo for sure but I think you can shackle it to the mast step itself.

As Searush says there does not appear to be excessive twist in the main but then there is not much wind either. It's when the wind pipes up that you need to be able pull the boom down firmly. I cannot see how powerful your tackle is (kicker, not yours personally /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif) but increasing it may be an option if necessary.

 

[Strathglass]

A few things to comment on.

The angle of the kicker line is certainly not at the optimum. If you could lower it at the mast this would help.

I may well be wrong but the boom section looks quite slender for the size of craft. I would be quite careful not to put too much kicker tension by adding more blocks to get better purchase.

Sheeting the main as far aft as it is will not be the most efficent especially when going to windward. Did it originally go vertically down to the cockpit floor or was there a trach?

Everything is a compromise of course and with the number of people you have aboard perhaps sheeting the main from the aft end of the bridge deck would cause problems (and complaints).

Just my comments

Cheers

Iain

 

[Alfie168]

Is that Toward Point to starboard or am I way out?

Yes the lower kicker mount should be better angled, but more than anything, match the kicker power to the rig strength otherwise you can break the boom easier than you think.

Racing in the Solent three years ago on the Sunsail 37s three crews snapped their booms at the kicker point. It was very windy (blown out eventually), but I suspect the twits had put the kickers on winches and over strained the whole shooting match.

Tim

 

[snowleopard]

The head of the sail is up to the top of mast. If you lowered the boom it won't be, unless you were having a new sail made at the same time.

 

[KenMcCulloch]

[ QUOTE ]
Is that Toward Point to starboard or am I way out?



[/ QUOTE ]
The Cloch I think, you can see the Dunoon ferry in the distance.

 

[VicS]

[ QUOTE ]
Sheeting the main as far aft as it is will not be the most efficent

[/ QUOTE ] I think you are looking at the top picture. Look at the other one where they are sailing!

 

[mortehoe]

Re: Kicker strap --- Doesnt exist!

Get your terminoligy right

What you are talking about is a BOOM VANG .... period.

 

[flaming]

Re: Kicker strap --- Doesnt exist!

[ QUOTE ]
Get your terminoligy right

What you are talking about is a BOOM VANG .... period.

[/ QUOTE ]

Only in the colonies.

 

[Aardee]

Re: Kicker strap --- Doesnt exist!

And over here it's "Full Stop", not "Period" /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[MarkGrubb]

Re: Kicker strap --- Doesnt exist!

The rule of thumb I use is to adjust the twist so that the top batten is parallel to the boom. If the kicker will let you do that then, while maybe not idea, its ok. (assuming my rule of thumb is correct).

 

[mikemonty]

Re: Kicker strap --- Doesnt exist!

Nope - Definitely a kicking strap!
And just to perpetrate a pettiness - Its "terminology"

 

[PeteCooper]

Re: Kicker strap --- Doesnt exist!

I like that link - next time I'm racing if we broach I shall casually instruct a member of the crew 'I say old chap could you undo the martingale post haste'.

 

[DRANNIE]

If you look at the main sheet it does seem to be at an angle backwards to the traveller.

My traveller is in the middle of the cockpit at 90 degrees to the attachment point. It has far more purchase up wind than the vang. I don't tend to use the vang upwind as on my small boat I normally have one hand on the mainsheet in any event.

I agree with one of the other posters, if you can't keep the boom down using mainsheet on a beat, then I would think its an issue with your traveller.

Downwind I wouldn't have thought you need to wind the vang on than hard to keep the boom level.

Surely overall height of the boom depends on where you position the boom on the mast track (assuming you have a choice) and the length of the leech.

I'll don my fireproof waistcoat...

 

[fireball]

The kicker also pushes the mast forwards giving more mast bend and flattening the sail ... the mainsheet doesn't do this...

 

[VicS]

[ QUOTE ]
I'll don my fireproof waistcoat...

[/ QUOTE ] It looks to me as though the main sheet has been removed from its normal position and clipped onto the pushpit in the first photo. Obviously in its normal position in the second but it's difficult to judge just how far aft it is. Its not a racing machine and it looks to be a fairly typical set up for a cruising boat. At least that's what I thought and I've seen worse. For example the traveller on a Konsort IIRC is along the top of the split coaming with the tiller coming in underneath it.

If you really want to optimise things you move the main sheet traveller to the front of the cockpit and suffer all the inconveniences that causes. You get good control of the sail shape though. I sailed a Fulmar that had been modified like that some years ago. Sailing school boat, and the instructor took the sheet to one of the winches as well ... I did not think you could bend a boom that much without breaking it!

 

[Alfie168]

And BOOM VANG a VANG is Lulu. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Tim

 

[mikemonty]

Errr....
You could be right, but I can't see how a kicking strap can push ANYTHING - pull - yes! But given the size and stiffness of a mast compared to the minor leverage and purchase of the kicker I doubt the kicker will have any effect on the mast.
Maybe on dinghys?
If it can deform it at all, it must be more inclined to pull the mast below the gooseneck back, thus cantilevering the upper portion of the mast forward and thereby flattening your sail.

But that must be negligible compared to the effect its having on the boom and sail.