Stopping mainsail tack cringle coming off rams horn?

[fredrussell]

I just know there’s an obvious way of stopping this annoying occurrence- what ideas have people come up with. I have twin line reefing so ramshorn not used a great deal other than when fully unreefed. I did consider tapping a thread on ramshorn end and putting a nylon nut on, that would do it wouldn’t it?

 

[MoodySabre]

Use a cable tie pulled really tight on the straight part and cut off so as to form a gate across to the end of the hook. This worked well for us for years before I changed to two line reefing.

An alternative is a small loop of bungy through the cringle that you can hook over the ramshorn.

 

[Poignard]

I don't have horns. I just pass a lashing through the cringle and around the boom.

 

[Biggles Wader]

I just know there’s an obvious way of stopping this annoying occurrence- what ideas have people come up with. I have twin line reefing so ramshorn not used a great deal other than when fully unreefed. I did consider tapping a thread on ramshorn end and putting a nylon nut on, that would do it wouldn’t it?

I don't use the ramshorn when fully unreefed as the tack is shackled to the boom but I do have the problem of the cringle falling off the ramshorn when hoisting a reefed sail. I have used a sacrificial elastic band to hold it in place until luff tension takes over.

 

[Poey50]

Rubber door stops are cheap and effective. Best not to leave them parked on the horns when not needed, though, as they lose their grippiness.

 

[James_Calvert]

I find tensioning the foot stops it falling off.

 

[prv]

I have twin line reefing so ramshorn not used a great deal other than when fully unreefed.

This sounds very odd. The point of a ram's horn is to secure the reefing tack cringles. If you have lines doing that job instead then you don't need the ram's horns. The main tack of the sail should be attached permanently, usually with a shackle.

Pete

 

[RupertW]

Bungee with hooks tied round mast - one hook for each horn.

But I’ve recently found I don’t need them by using permanent marker on the halyard at each reefing point then only dropping it a foot or so past the mark - that way there is little slack to flog.

 

[fredrussell]

This sounds very odd. The point of a ram's horn is to secure the reefing tack cringles. If you have lines doing that job instead then you don't need the ram's horns. The main tack of the sail should be attached permanently, usually with a shackle.

Pete

Hmm, now I think about it you’re absolutely right - it should be permanently shackled to boom/gooseneck. I think I’ve just forgotten to put the shackle back on when I last bent on the mainsail. I shall investigate- but thanks everyone for their suggestions.

 

[PetiteFleur]

Bungee with hooks tied round mast - one hook for each horn.

But I’ve recently found I don’t need them by using permanent marker on the halyard at each reefing point then only dropping it a foot or so past the mark - that way there is little slack to flog.

That's what I do - a piece of bungee with a loop on each end, the middle tied to the front of the mast. works well when you need to take reef in.

 

[Boathook]

As a few others I use some bungee round the reefing horns. The bungee is attached to nearby cleats either side of the mast. Means that I can leave the reef 'in' whilst releasing the tension along the foot when not actually in use.

 

[Poignard]

In "Cruising Under Sail" by Eric Hiscock is a photo of a boom with two snapshackles seized to it at its forward end, one for each reef cringle. It seems like a simple, secure method.

 

[LadyInBed]

I do have the problem of the cringle falling off the ramshorn when hoisting a reefed sail. I have used a sacrificial elastic band to hold it in place until luff tension takes over.

I don't put the crinkle over the horn, I have a 9'ish inch length of 6mm rope with an eye splice in one end. The spliced end goes through the crinkle and hooks on one horn, the other end is clove hitched onto the other horn.

 

[Daydream believer]

Hmm, now I think about it you’re absolutely right - it should be permanently shackled to boom/gooseneck. I think I’ve just forgotten to put the shackle back on when I last bent on the mainsail. I shall investigate- but thanks everyone for their suggestions.

If the luff reef line goes down to the deck it will not stop the leech reef line dragging the luff aft as you tension the leech. Therefore, if you hook the cringle to the ramshorn it will stop the luff being drawn aft so that you get a tight foot to the sail.

 

[Poignard]

Thread drift!

In one of my numerous books about old sailing vessels is a drawing showing the rigging of a gaff-rigged vessel (perhaps a pilot cutter). A line secured to a pad eye on deck, leads up to and through the tack cringle and back down to a cleat on deck. This enables the tack to be quickly released when tricing up the mainsail to de-power it; a common practice on such vessels; as can be seen in old pictures.

 

[Spirit (of Glenans)]

I find tensioning the foot stops it falling off.

Tensioning the foot i.e. hardening up the outhaul (or reefing line) usually makes the sail really hard to haul up. I was taught to tighten the halyard first, before tightening up any other control.

 

[Boathook]

Tensioning the foot i.e. hardening up the outhaul (or reefing line) usually makes the sail really hard to haul up. I was taught to tighten the halyard first, before tightening up any other control.

I find it easier to tension the foot first and then tighten the halyard. I suppose each to their own way ….

 

[prv]

If the luff reef line goes down to the deck it will not stop the leech reef line dragging the luff aft as you tension the leech. Therefore, if you hook the cringle to the ramshorn it will stop the luff being drawn aft so that you get a tight foot to the sail.

Not much point having tack pendants at all if you have to go up and hook on the crinkle. The pendant should go through a fairlead or some other fitting at the gooseneck, which will allow it to provide the horizontal force.

Pete

 

[RupertW]

Tensioning the foot i.e. hardening up the outhaul (or reefing line) usually makes the sail really hard to haul up. I was taught to tighten the halyard first, before tightening up any other control.

Same here but I’ve changed that practice as the loose leach makes it far too easy for battens to get caught up in the lazyjacks so now I take most of the slack out of the reefing line by hand , then halyard then winch in the last of the reef.

 

[prv]

Tensioning the foot i.e. hardening up the outhaul (or reefing line) usually makes the sail really hard to haul up.

If the boom is topped up above its normal sailing angle there shouldn’t be any tension in the canvas between the luff and the clew, so it shouldn’t have any effect on the hoisting.

EDIT: To be clear, I’m talking about hoisting the unreefed sail. If reefing, I’d tension the halyard before the clew pendant.

Pete