Topping Lift

[Kukri]

I believe the traditional wisdom is that the topping lift should be three strand white polyester, the reason being that you can tell it apart from the main halyard in the dark.

Is this still right, or have times moved on?

I ask because three strand pre-stretched polyester used to be as common as muck, but everyone now uses braided halyards and most three strand is now sold for mooring lines and so is not pre-stretched.

 

[Bobc]

Never heard of that one. Mine is just 12mm braid-on-braid, the same as the halyards.

 

[Daydream believer]

Good idea to have a white, or light colour. I accidentally let the boom drop in the drink one night when I hooked something running down wind on a dark night & let off the topping lift instead of the halyard when my torch broke. But as for 3 strand- that is up to you. I have 6mm braid on braid. But one could buy a couple of hanks of nylon sash window cord from Marlow, which I use for my lazy jack lines & that is very good. Being sash window cord it lasts for years. One does not always need excessively large diameter lines for a topping lift. I support my boom off a short line from the backstay once the sails are stowed, so no load on the TL when not sailing

 

[Kukri]

Mine was white, in the distant days of its youth. It is now indescribable!

There is a counter argument going back to Eric Hiscock’s “Wanderer III” that the topping lift should be interchangeable with the main halyard so as to provide a spare.

 

[The Q]

Never heard of that before, also a topping lift doesn't have to be anywhere near the thickness of the halyards for strength , just thick enough for comfort.
My new topping lift is white with black woven braid,
The main halyard is Blue Dyneema throughout.

 

[Stemar]

I think having light if the halliard is dark or vice versa makes sense, but the Hiscock argument for interchangeability is a good one.

 

[dansaskip]

as others have said it makes sense to have different colours for different halyards etc but I know my halyard from my topping lift by their locations - the same goes for all the other halyards, reefing penants & lines on my boat

 

[Poignard]

After 25 years of owning my boat I don't need colour codes. I know what is what by which cleat it is made fast to.

 

[dankilb]

Ours is thinner (8mm) dyneema braid to reduce windage and flapping around. Its breaking load is sufficient for use a backup halyard (although a pair of gloves might be needed!). We're just replacing all standing and running rigging now, so it's not yet been installed (nor used!).

 

[Graham_Wright]

It is worth bearing in mind that the topping lift can perform a secondary duty for mast climbing.
Whatever the claimed strength of 6mm whatever, I, for one, would not feel comfortable climbing a mast hanging on that.

Bear in mind, if you lose the main halyard you are stymied if you don't have an alternative.

 

[James_Calvert]

Is there also a case for the topping lift to be man enough for the bosuns chair trip up the mast to recover/replace the lost main halyard?

Not a worry for me with a masthead rig, two other halyards go right to the top.

Edit: Graham beat me to it....

 

[dankilb]

8mm dyneema is certainly man enough for a safety line (and presumably wide enough for a prussik?). It’s just the thickness for handling that might make it trickier for a main harness/ascender line.

 

[Daydream believer]

If I had the issue of needing another halyard, I do carry the old one & can easily pull it through using the topping lift. It is not rocket science.

 

[Graham_Wright]

If I had the issue of needing another halyard, I do carry the old one & can easily pull it through using the topping lift. It is not rocket science.

Would they pass over the same sheave?

 

[Poignard]

If I had the issue of needing another halyard, I do carry the old one & can easily pull it through using the topping lift. It is not rocket science.

How would you do that "to recover/replace the lost main halyard? "?

 

[PetiteFleur]

I've not used my topping lift ever since I fitted a Barton Boom Strut, one of the best things I've fitted and the topping lift is tied to the backstay as an emergency main halliard.

 

[Graham_Wright]

Another use of the topping lift is to scandalise the main. Very useful at times. Easy, but noisy, way to lose drive in a hurry.

 

[garymalmgren]

RE: I ask because three strand pre-stretched polyester used to be as common as muck,

Kevin still uses it.

 

[LittleSister]

most three strand is now sold for mooring lines and so is not pre-stretched.

Does that really matter, I wonder, for a topping lift?

 

[Rappey]

A friend has a small line topping lift, and it shrieks in the wind when moored! A larger would not.