onenyala
New member
Anyone out there with any experience of a sliding gooseneck, especially with regard to reefing.
Sliding Gooseneck
- Thread starter onenyala
- Start date
DanTribe
Well-known member
We used to use sliding a sliding gooseneck when I had a Stella.It's very useful for getting fine adjustment of luff tension by using a downhaul tackle, especially if you don't have halliard winches. It's also good if using roller reefing because you can t cleat the halliard and roll the boom up to the required level. I found it not so useful when I converted to slab reefing though.
It was mainly fitted on boats built before halliard winches were commonplace, as a simple means of tensioning luffs.
What boat do you have?
Dan
It was mainly fitted on boats built before halliard winches were commonplace, as a simple means of tensioning luffs.
What boat do you have?
Dan
G
Guest
Guest
They break!! Can be useful but you are limmited to a fitting that is compatable withe the track which is desigened to hold sail slides not boom so you finish up with a very small goosneck. The downhaul idea does work but can also be done with a takle rove to the halyard or other ways - take a look at how gaffers do it. (of course if you have a trad mast and boom with jaws the drawback does not apply anyway)
Roly, Voya Con Dios, Glasson, Lancaster http://www.voya.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk//MW1/Intropage.htm
Roly, Voya Con Dios, Glasson, Lancaster http://www.voya.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk//MW1/Intropage.htm
Strathglass
New member
The sliding gooseneck is a good way to have an easy adjustment of luff tension without any control lines. Unfortunately it works the wrong way round. When you raise the gooseneck in light winds to make the sail fuller you reduce the sail area. Conversely in heavy winds pulling the gooseneck down to flaten the sail also increases sail area.
This is why performance boats now have a fixed gooseneck to give maximum but consistant sail area and a cunningham to control luff tension. It also makes the kicker controls more predictable.
Iain
This is why performance boats now have a fixed gooseneck to give maximum but consistant sail area and a cunningham to control luff tension. It also makes the kicker controls more predictable.
Iain
claymore
Well-known member
You say 'especially with regard to reefing'
So take the boom from the gooseneck, roll the sail round the boom, making sure you don't get the luff running forward of the boom end. When you have enough rolled, slot the boom back onto the gooseneck. Now comes the handy bit as you slide the gooseneck down giving you a nice amount of luff tension which is really handy on a windy day. Tighten it by whatever device you have to stop it running up when you hoist the reefed main. Hopefully you will have taken a big enough tuck in the leach to give you a flat sail.
Finally fasten on the kicker - presumably by means of a reefing claw. Is this what you meant?
regards
Claymore
So take the boom from the gooseneck, roll the sail round the boom, making sure you don't get the luff running forward of the boom end. When you have enough rolled, slot the boom back onto the gooseneck. Now comes the handy bit as you slide the gooseneck down giving you a nice amount of luff tension which is really handy on a windy day. Tighten it by whatever device you have to stop it running up when you hoist the reefed main. Hopefully you will have taken a big enough tuck in the leach to give you a flat sail.
Finally fasten on the kicker - presumably by means of a reefing claw. Is this what you meant?
regards
Claymore
onenyala
New member
I sail a Kingscruiser 29 (1972) mainly singlehanded.
Reefing the main is labour intensive to say the least with the sliding gooseneck. After easing the main sheet,letting go the kicking strap,letting go the luff downhaul I then have to lift up the forward end of the boom and clamp it off , take up the topping lift, ease the halliard & hook on the reefing cringle, retension the halliard, let go the clamp, haul down the new clew, adjust the tension of the luff with the luff down haul, let go the topping lift, take up the slack in the kicking strap then back to the cockpit to pull in the main sheet.
The part of the operation which is the hardest is operating the clamp at the gooseneck which prevents the boom from dropping when there is no weight on the main halliard.
There is no main halliard winch so the clamp prevents the boom from dropping too far and saves the effort of sweating the halliard + the boom up.
Short of altering the whole set up and having a fixed gooseneck I think I am stuck with it.
Reefing the main is labour intensive to say the least with the sliding gooseneck. After easing the main sheet,letting go the kicking strap,letting go the luff downhaul I then have to lift up the forward end of the boom and clamp it off , take up the topping lift, ease the halliard & hook on the reefing cringle, retension the halliard, let go the clamp, haul down the new clew, adjust the tension of the luff with the luff down haul, let go the topping lift, take up the slack in the kicking strap then back to the cockpit to pull in the main sheet.
The part of the operation which is the hardest is operating the clamp at the gooseneck which prevents the boom from dropping when there is no weight on the main halliard.
There is no main halliard winch so the clamp prevents the boom from dropping too far and saves the effort of sweating the halliard + the boom up.
Short of altering the whole set up and having a fixed gooseneck I think I am stuck with it.
salamicollie
New member
I have a Cobra 850 (slightly younger) and I have added Reefing spectacles (S/S rings on webbing in the reef cringles and a pair of witchard hooks on webbing at the reefing hooks. This with the downhaul and kicker marked to ensure the boom can be hauled up and the reefs marked on the halyards allows me to:
release downhaul/kicker
drop main halyard to required reef
lift boom and clip hook to spectacle
tension sail with downhaul kicker
sort out the main sheet
No need to touch the topping lift and the main can't flog off the reefing hook!
Refinements- lead back downhaul and kicker to cockpit to minimise time at mast
add a clam cleat to the boom end and run a line from boom end up to the topping lift eye and back to the clam cleat. - instant topping lift adjustment in the cockpit (this was in PBO recently will try to dig out and send a PM)
Hope this helps
release downhaul/kicker
drop main halyard to required reef
lift boom and clip hook to spectacle
tension sail with downhaul kicker
sort out the main sheet
No need to touch the topping lift and the main can't flog off the reefing hook!
Refinements- lead back downhaul and kicker to cockpit to minimise time at mast
add a clam cleat to the boom end and run a line from boom end up to the topping lift eye and back to the clam cleat. - instant topping lift adjustment in the cockpit (this was in PBO recently will try to dig out and send a PM)
Hope this helps
onenyala
New member
Thanks for your reply. I'm not sure I understand the function of the hooks and rings. are the webbing straps and rings fixed to the mast and used to to hold up the boom while you slack back on the halliard or are they meant to replace the cringles and rams horns ?
