Noisy Topping Lift

[Emjaytoo]

When our boat (a Bav 30) is moored up and the boom is being fully supported on the topping lift, the TL vibrates in anything above a dead calm. The sound is then amplified by the boom and transferred down through the mast to the saloon. The sound is enough to keep us awake at night. I have tried tightening/slackening the main sheet and kicker, but nothing makes any difference. It is not something we have come across on other boats.

Any ideas? The TL is quite a small section of rope - probably no more than 6mm, would a heavier rope make any difference?

All suggestions greatly received.

 

[Norman_E]

I do not know if a thicker rope would cure the problem, but I had a similar noise caused by a rope inside the boom vibrating. The culprit was the outhaul and slackening it when not sailing solved the problem. If your noise is generated by the topping lift and you do not have rigid vang to support the boom then the easiest cure might be to make yourself a wooden boom support to rest the boom on at night, with the topping lift slackened and the boom pulled down onto the support by the main-sheet and/or kicker.

 

[savageseadog]

If you want to spend the money invest in a rod kicker

 

[fireball]

Much easier than this - I assume you pull your Halyard back to the end of the boom .... just wrap it round the topping lift (3 times seems to do the trick) and fasten off ... this will stop the topping lift vibrating harmonics in the wind.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Tie a teacloth round it. It acts as a damper (especially if the teacloth is damp) /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Seriously though, it does work!

 

[Guest]

Sounds like you have resonance travelling the length and then amplified in the alloy boom ...

You can try disconnecting and inserting a different size / construction rope for last couple of feet ... to put in a stop to the resonance / harmonic. Or a different rope all together. Sometimes a loop or knot in the rope can be enough to stop it ...

 

[Viking]

If you put your finge ron the topping lift while its 'humming' you will see it stops. So just wrap a length of rope or bunge cord round the T/L and boom for example.

 

[jerryat]

The question's been asked on here several times. The simplest answer - and it works every time - is to take the end of your mainsheet, tie it to your topping lift witha rolling hitch leaving it hanging down. The vibrating noise you are experiencing will disappear. IF, in higher winds, you can hear a slight noise, tie a waggoners hitch in the hanging part to give it more weight and bingo, all quiet again! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Emjaytoo]

Lots of good suggestions - thanks a lot, everyone.

I'll be up at the boat at the weekend and will put a few of them in to practice.

Cheers

/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[IanR]

This works for me

Take a clothes peg and a tea towel and clip on the toppin lift
or

A fancy windsock clipped on the topping lift

Dampens the resonance and bob's your uncle.

 

[DavidTocher]

It could be caused by using a hawser laid line. I had the same problem but when I changed the topping lift for a braided line the noise went away.

David