haydude
Well-Known Member
And it will, because those struts develop slow leaks with time.
Topping lift... and your point is?
- Thread starter Nostrodamus
- Start date
And it will, because those struts develop slow leaks with time.
rob2
Well-Known Member
I have both and the TL has all sorts of uses as already listed in the above postings. Once the mainsail is hoisted, under normal conditions the TL is clipped off back at the mast so I don't have to play about adjusting the slack or get hung up on the backstay. Mind you, I would prefer the halyard to the much lighter TL for going up the mast!
If nothing else, as my vang is a spring type it squeaks in a most irritating manner when the boat is moored so I take the stain off with the TL as well as tightening the mainsheet at one end of the track and rigging a line to one of the split backstays. That holds it nice and secure and stops it squeaking or in the case of a gas or oil strut will stop it working and ageing prematurely. Much easier to tidy up the sail, too. Of course, many of these functions can be performed by the halyard instead and that will stop it from frapping when not in use.
Rob.
If nothing else, as my vang is a spring type it squeaks in a most irritating manner when the boat is moored so I take the stain off with the TL as well as tightening the mainsheet at one end of the track and rigging a line to one of the split backstays. That holds it nice and secure and stops it squeaking or in the case of a gas or oil strut will stop it working and ageing prematurely. Much easier to tidy up the sail, too. Of course, many of these functions can be performed by the halyard instead and that will stop it from frapping when not in use.
Rob.
Norman_E
Well-Known Member
A slow leak of oil can be followed with a sudden loss of all the gas, as happened with mine.
Slipperman
Well-Known Member
Topping Lift... and your point is?
Can I ask how you get a gas kicker re-gassed? I have a Selden 'rod kicker' - not sure if this is the same but it seems to have lost its umph. Fortunately have a topping lift so no immediate problem.
Can I ask how you get a gas kicker re-gassed? I have a Selden 'rod kicker' - not sure if this is the same but it seems to have lost its umph. Fortunately have a topping lift so no immediate problem.
Nostrodamus
Well-Known Member
Mine was 14 yrs old and needed a bit of a boob job. It is also a Selden. The riggers did it at the same time as they were changing the standing rigging and some running rigging. It think it was somewhere between 200and 300 pounds but now has more lift than a page 3 boob job. (not French of course)
onesea
Well-Known Member
All above noted but the dilemma I am faced with, would you put a topping lift on a boat with with strut kicker?
We lower it onto the kicker strut which is jut the right height, then put main halyard to end off the boom and lift (opposite for raising the main).
The problem is we have runners that will cause no end of foul ups when sailing so would have to remove topping lift anyway.
Apart from safety line for going up the mast, it is going to cause more problems than its worth?
We lower it onto the kicker strut which is jut the right height, then put main halyard to end off the boom and lift (opposite for raising the main).
The problem is we have runners that will cause no end of foul ups when sailing so would have to remove topping lift anyway.
Apart from safety line for going up the mast, it is going to cause more problems than its worth?
johnalison
Well-Known Member
A bit of a side-track, but squeaking kicker or gooseneck seems to happen with alloy fittings. Mine was fine when new but has worsened lately. Big Nigel cured it by letting me have some nylon washers to replace the previous metal ones.
bobgarrett
Well-Known Member
My boom on my previous boat used to squeek. I also noted that the washers on the gooseneck were steel and were wearing the softer metal gooseneck. I spoke to the manufacturer and they advised that nylon washers would solve the squeek and stop the wear. "So why don't you include them?", I asked. "Because they wear out" I was told!
I bought a hundred nylon washers for a couple of pounds on ebay.
Norman_E
Well-Known Member
Not re-gassed, you just have to buy new gas springs, which are the same sort of thing used to hold up the tailgates of hatchback cars, only stronger.
Take a look on this website if yours need replacing. The first thing you need to do is take the vang apart and look at the part numbers on the actual gas spring (or springs) The vital dimensions are lengths open and closed and force in newtons, as well as the type and size of end fittings.
If, like me, you decide to replace the gas struts with stainless steel coil springs, I had mine made by Leeming & Peel who designed the springs to provide the same force at normal boom height as the original gas springs. Mine were one off specials wound in opposite directions so as to to work one inside the other. The outer one is 6.35mm wire, 46 coils, 600mm long times 47mm OD, and the other is 4.47mm wire, 60 coils, 600mm long times 33mm OD.
Last edited:
Cardo
Well-Known Member
Conachair
Guest
I find a topping lift handy for long dead downwind passages goose winged in lighter airs. Preventer forwards, mainsheet backwards and topping lift up you can get the boom in just the right place for a just baggy enough main and nice and rigid. Then sit down with a good book for a week or so 
Cardo
Well-Known Member
I find a topping lift handy for long dead downwind passages goose winged in lighter airs. Preventer forwards, mainsheet backwards and topping lift up you can get the boom in just the right place for a just baggy enough main and nice and rigid. Then sit down with a good book for a week or so
Sounds lovely.
Nostrodamus
Well-Known Member
The topping lift can also be attached to the pasarel (stern boarding thing) to raise and lower the drawbridge.
DaveS
Well-Known Member
One of this winter's jobs was reaming out the worn holes in the alloy gooseneck fittings and inserting bronze sleeves. Hopefully the annoying squeaks will become a thing of the past.
Norman_E
Well-Known Member
I have done the same, and am waiting to re-fit the parts when I go out to the boat next month. The wear in the aluminium parts was up to about 2mm and resulted in creaking noises. I am fitting grease nipples so that the bearing surfaces can be kept lubricated.