Rams Horn

[Jayayecee]

On all the other boats I have sailed the rams horn is immovable but this one on our Westerly Fulmar pivots and hinges. Always ends up in the wrong position and a right pain imho. Has anyone any experience of this or how to replace it with a more convention system?

 

[ianat182]

Why not try swapping the shackle to the ram's horn position and vice versa, they appear to be the similar diameter clevis and shackle pins. (The width of the ramshorn jaws may be too narrow.) Using a slightly shorter shackle would work better then.

 

[Boathook]

Mines like that and I've got used to it. For reefing the crinkles have webbing straps with rings to hook over the horns rather that trying to force the sail in. I also hold the horns upright with some cord and bungee strap to a cleat on the mast.

 

[PlankWalker]

How about changing the pin that fixes the rams horn to the goosneck with a bolt.
Then with the aid of washers if necessary, you could put some pressure on it to hold it in the position you want.

Incidentally while your at it, put some sacrificial nylon washers top and bottom of that boom fitting,
around the long bolt attached to the rams horn,
or the continual movement of the boom will grind away the aluminum casting.

Plank

 

[johnalison]

Mines like that and I've got used to it. For reefing the crinkles have webbing straps with rings to hook over the horns rather that trying to force the sail in. I also hold the horns upright with some cord and bungee strap to a cleat on the mast.

I think that with rings the problem would go away, but if it doesn't then perhaps the joint could be stiffened. I'm assuming that it is not adjustable and I would be tempted to put in some gunk, maybe silocone rubber, which would stiffen it even if it didn't adhere.

 

[Concerto]

I have no problem with the rams horns on my Fulmar and I am sailing singlehanded. What I am puzzled by is the alloy and stainless fitting above. My mast does not have that. It is currently chucking it down with rain otherwise I would photograph my fitting.

 

[Poignard]

I took the rams' horns off and just pass a lashing through the reef cringle and round the boom.

But I have recently seen a system which I like the look of. It is on the UK Sailmaker's website. I'll see if I can find a picture.






Proper Reefing Procedure — UK Sailmakers

 

[William_H]

I use a similar system to that described by poignard. The line goes to a cheek block on the other side of the mast and from there back to the cabin top cockpit winches. No fiddling with rams horn and all reefing can be done from cockpit. The down side is another line for each reef on cabin top. ol'will. A serial reefer.

 

[LadyInBed]

Pack the rams horn to the goosneck pin to remove slack. Spot weld the rams horns in the correct angle.

 

[Daydream believer]

I took the rams' horns off and just pass a lashing through the reef cringle and round the boom.

But I have recently seen a system which I like the look of. It is on the UK Sailmaker's website. I'll see if I can find a picture.


View attachment 137441

View attachment 137448

Proper Reefing Procedure — UK Sailmakers

I do not like that system as the luff cannot be pulled down to the boom because it is stopped by the sail & the sail bag. If the sail was fitted to a rams horn on the gooseneck it would be considerably lower as the luff could be pulled down past the wad of sails. The sail is fixed nowhere near the black band. There will also be a tendancy for the luff to pull aft away from the mast if set up as in the picture.

 

[Minerva]

On all the other boats I have sailed the rams horn is immovable but this one on our Westerly Fulmar pivots and hinges. Always ends up in the wrong position and a right pain imho. Has anyone any experience of this or how to replace it with a more convention system?View attachment 137395

Thats the same setup we have on our moody. You are quite correct in pointing out that once the sail is up and you are at the point of wanting to reef that they are impossible to rotate. However they are easy to rotate / orientate when the main is down so just need a quick check just before the main is hoisted that they are OK.

 

[dansaskip]

If you find it a pain you could always replace the hooks with fixed ones I think Seldon part nos might be 536-118 or 536- 113 -01. Have a look at the Seldon catalogue
https://support.seldenmast.com/files/1322118734/595-808-E.pdf

 

[Boathook]

Thats the same setup we have on our moody. You are quite correct in pointing out that once the sail is up and you are at the point of wanting to reef that they are impossible to rotate. However they are easy to rotate / orientate when the main is down so just need a quick check just before the main is hoisted that they are OK.

As soon as you take the tension of the halyard, the horns on my boat can be rotated though normally they are lined up OK.

 

[Daydream believer]

Many have a bungee to ensure that the sail does not drop off the rams horn whilst they tension the halyard. If the bungee is fitted to a lacing eye above the horn & hooked on over the rams horn all the time it should hold the horn vertically. Is that not what the OP wants?

 

[wilkinsonsails]

If they did pivot they may jamb against the bottomm of your tides Marine track and crush it.Now the slides sit a bit further back with the track addition ,I would consider a new crinkle point a bit aft and a longer webbing strap with rings to hook over

 

[wilkinsonsails]

If your Tides track has slipped down the mast groove a bit it will make it more difficult to hook over too . Check the tapped through track fixing into the mast .
its under the track stop box so you have to push up and secure the sliders and take out the cross pin .

 

[Concerto]

If Cindy, (wilkinsonsails) is right and you have a Tides Marine track fitted, then this is moving the sail further aft of the correct position. On my Fulmar I use the track which is part of the mast and cannot understand why a Tides Marine track has been fitted.

 

[wilkinsonsails]

Barton Marine do this hook and shackle combo which may lower the hooks away from the Tide Track stop box and stop the hooks getting stuck .