Kicking strap (wire or rope connection)?

[Wardy]

On my westerly Konsort, the kicking strap pulley system is attached to the boom via a length of rigging wire. This failed during a particularly violent accidental jibe (well, I'm still learning how to sail and get it qwrong every now and then).
Is the foot length of wire actually needed, or can i connect a longer line between the pulleys and attach the pulley direct to the boom?


Tia

Steve

 

[Strathglass]

You can change the length of wire with a rope and put the top pulley on the boom.

BUT

There will be a lot more rope when adjusting the kicker and it will subsequently take longer to adjust.

Also, a block attached directly to the boom will not articulate as well as one on a wire strop. Thus it could be more difficult to adjust and wear out the rope quicker.

Iain

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Also,

Without the wire, the next time it might be the pulley that fails instead.... at least with the current set up, you could rig a temporary strop using rope without too much trouble.....

 

[30boat]

On My Fulmar the length of wire is there to stop the lower block from touching a the turning block that's attached to the mast step.Maybe your arrangement is similar.

 

[fireball]

[ QUOTE ]
There will be a lot more rope when adjusting the kicker and it will subsequently take longer to adjust.

[/ QUOTE ]

Codswallop!!

You may well need a longer line (current length + 4 x the length of the busted wire strop) but since the amount of vertical travel in the boom is going to be the same you will not have to pull more line in. It will take EXACTLY the same amount of time to adjust as before.

May I suggest though, that you replace the broken wire strop with a suitable rope strop - some dynemma or spectra (or whatever they decide to call it these days) should do - this is similar strength to a wire strop, but if it does break it will be quicker to lash up.

 

[Strathglass]

Yes

I that there will still be a 4/1 advantage. and as you say the same length of rope has to be moved. But, the amount of rope used from the foot of the mast to the boom will increase by 4x the length of the original piece of wire. Unless decent rope is used here it will stretch more.
This extra rope is not necessary and will be a pain.

I agree that the use of a piece of dynemma or similar rope to replace the wire would be a good idea

Iain

 

[fireball]

Why will the extra bit of rope be a pain? It is only 4 x the length of the strop, on my boat the whole kicker is less than 1m so the extra length is insignificant.

The only time the extra length is really noticed is when it is removed or when the boom is removed.

My consideration at this time would be the cost of replacing a wire strop as opposed to buying a longer line for the kicker ....

 

[mikejames]

You could also learn the joy of dyneema splicing (not quite the same as other rope as the core is so slippery) and splice up a replacement strop out of dyneema , which saves on the cost of buying all of the kicker with new rope.
On a Westerly GK24 with a 150 sq foot main, 6 mm dyneema is more than strong enough to keep the boom down, until it drags in the water when other things start to give way...