Swift 18 roll call

[junksailor]

any Swift 18 sailors aboard? I have a few rigging issues to discuss.

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[StugeronSteve]

Former Swift 18 sailor.

<hr width=100% size=1>God only made so many perfect heads. The rest got covered in hair.

 

[junksailor]

A few questions:

1. Rams horns/head (I think it's called) Curly bit of metal for reefing the main, mines not attached to anything, is it supposed to be attached to mast or boom?

2. Were your halyards led aft to the winches either side of the hatch, then cleats or just cleated at the mast?

3. What is the original setup /route for the Genoa sheets.

4. Is there an owners assoc?


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[William_H]

Hello Junksailor. I don't know the swift 18 but I am guessing that the ramshorn you speak of is attached to the goose neck ie boom as close to the mast as possible however I think they are a poor idea for reefing. If the sail flogs it can unhook itself from the ranmshorn as you are reefing and of course you have to be at the mast base to attach the new (reef) tack to the rams horn. A better idea is to run a piece of 6mm rope through the reefing tack eyelet to a small saddle on the mast on one side and another saddle or pulley block on ther other then down to a turning block at the mast base hence back to your winches or cleats on the cabin top at the front of the cockpit. The saddles on the mast should be located so that with the reef in the reef tack eyelet is as close to the boom and mast as possible. The rope should pull the clew foreward and down ie bisecting the line of the luff and the foot by 45 degrees. This will give tension against the outhaul and the halyard. If you do a similar deal with the outhaul or clew reefing point and the halyard is led back to the cabin top winch or cleat (via a pulley at the gooseneck and another at the base of the mast) you will be able to reef without leaving the cockpit. the ties around the reefed sail are not important and are only tied in for tidiness when it is safe to reach them. Don't imagine the original design is a good design for the rigging as it is probably predicated on cost and selling the boat on apparent simplicity. regrds ole will

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[StugeronSteve]

Hi. You're pushing the memory banks a bit, but as far as I can remember:
a) Rams horns on boom.
b) Halyards cleated off on mast.
c) Can't remember route of genoa sheets, will call friend who now owns boat and check.
d) Yes there is, or maybe now was, a very active owners club selling spares etc.

Lovely boat, enjoy.

Steve.

<hr width=100% size=1>God only made so many perfect heads. The rest got covered in hair.

 

[StugeronSteve]

The genoa sheets run back outside of shrouds, through cars and straight up on to coach roof winches, with cleats on the bulkhead. With the cars right back the angle on the sheet is quiet sharp when winching.

Hope this helps.

<hr width=100% size=1>God only made so many perfect heads. The rest got covered in hair.

 

[junksailor]

I wondered about cars, I don't have any, nor does it look like any were ever fitted, no screwholes or anything. The winches and jamming cleats are there.

Are the cars standard?

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[William_H]

Hello Junk sailor Thinking about your horns last night and just a wild guess. I reckon they might be welded to a bolt or pin which probably drops vertically into the goose neck joining boom to mast . ( the pivot that allo0ws left and right aswing of the boom) I suspect that someone has confused you by fitting a straight bolt. The horns may be intended to attach the tack of the mainsail when fully raised as well as the tack when reefed. If this is the case I would suggest another attachment where the tack of the sail can't escape when lowering the sail. A shackle welded to a bolt through the pivot hinge would be ideal. Just a thought regards ole will

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