Trick to stop Topping Lift from Strumming

[johnalison]

Because there is no point in having all that extra windage flapping against the sail
Why do you need a spare halyard? Unless you are of the silly habit of disconnecting it from the mainsail at the end of each day, which can always lead to a lost tail end.

I agree that in normal use a topping lift is superfluous, but on the whole I have been grateful to have one. As well as acting as a back-up line when going up the mast I have occasionally found it useful to be able to raise the boom, though I believe that a gas strut could do some of the tasks, not having one myself. When standing at the tiller under power, on my boat it can be hard to see ahead due to the small or absent space between the boom and sprayhood, especially if the sail cover is in place, and raising the boom obviates the need to keep moving one’s head around. For a non-racer, its occasional uses outweighs the disadvantages.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Because there is no point in having all that extra windage flapping against the sail
Why do you need a spare halyard? Unless you are of the silly habit of disconnecting it from the mainsail at the end of each day, which can always lead to a lost tail end.

Fighting talk to suggest moving the halyard to the end of the boom is silly. But if you don’t mind it slatting against the mast in the wind then fill your boots. Of course I could frap it away from the mast with a bit of gash line but moving it to the end of the boom feels like less effort.. and has the advantage of allowing me to twist it round the topping lift a few times to stop the topping lift thrumming.

 

[Daydream believer]

I agree that in normal use a topping lift is superfluous, but on the whole I have been grateful to have one. As well as acting as a back-up line when going up the mast I have occasionally found it useful to be able to raise the boom, though I believe that a gas strut could do some of the tasks, not having one myself. When standing at the tiller under power, on my boat it can be hard to see ahead due to the small or absent space between the boom and sprayhood, especially if the sail cover is in place, and raising the boom obviates the need to keep moving one’s head around. For a non-racer, its occasional uses outweighs the disadvantages.

I do have a topping lift & would not be without one. What I am suggesting is that it does not have to be a thick line. 6mm is usually more than enough for boats up to 35ft. I see no point in thick lines as spare halyards. That was my point

 

[Daydream believer]

Fighting talk to suggest moving the halyard to the end of the boom is silly. But if you don’t mind it slatting against the mast in the wind then fill your boots. Of course I could frap it away from the mast with a bit of gash line but moving it to the end of the boom feels like less effort.. and has the advantage of allowing me to twist it round the topping lift a few times to stop the topping lift thrumming.

How on earth can it be less effort. What planet are you on? I have a short length of line permanently fitted to the shroud to take the halyard away from the mast. Grab a bight of the halyard when dropping the main, flip a clove hitch around the halyard using the line already attached to the shroud, Tension the halyard when back in the cockpit. Job done. Quick & easy. Does not require trips too & from the end of the boom, which as a single hander, I have worked to avoid. Keep it simple with less energy expended.
Time & motion study (greatly ridiculed by all) was on the coriculum at college. It is surprising what one can do to save energy if one studies the tasks in hand.

 

[johnalison]

How on earth can it be less effort. What planet are you on? I have a short length of line permanently fitted to the shroud to take the halyard away from the mast. Grab a bight of the halyard when dropping the main, flip a clove hitch around the halyard using the line already attached to the shroud, Tension the halyard when back in the cockpit. Job done. Quick & easy. Does not require trips too & from the end of the boom, which as a single hander, I have worked to avoid. Keep it simple with less energy expended.
Time & motion study (greatly ridiculed by all) was on the coriculum at college. It is surprising what one can do to save energy if one studies the tasks in hand.

Clove hitch, as in guaranteed-to-loosen knot. It takes all sorts I suppose.My technique, which is hardly original, is to unshackle the main halyard from the sail, take it back to the cockpit, where I am going anyway, and clip it to the clew. That is two actions instead of what I take to be your highly efficient three, assuming that you don't sail with your spare line on the shroud blowing in the wind. Or maybe you do.

 

[Daydream believer]

Clove hitch, as in guaranteed-to-loosen knot. It takes all sorts I suppose.My technique, which is hardly original, is to unshackle the main halyard from the sail, take it back to the cockpit, where I am going anyway, and clip it to the clew. That is two actions instead of what I take to be your highly efficient three, assuming that you don't sail with your spare line on the shroud blowing in the wind. Or maybe you do.

It is clear that you will not listen to common sense & cannot understand the rational behind saving time & doing things with safety in mind.
But to each his own. If that suits you then do it. It is obvious that you are stuck in your ways & so beit

 

[geem]

Useful when going up the mast as a back-up line.

We use the spinnaker halyard for that.10mm dyneema. Nice and strong. I run an ascender on it attached to my climbing harness.

 

[geem]

We don't have a rod kicker and did not have a topping lift. Boom support came from the lazy jacks. Reefing was fraught, I installed a topping lift - cheaper than installing a rod kicker as the sheaves were there for the topping lift (that I terminated at the mast). Reefing was more comfortable but strumming occurred.

Strumming was an occasional issue - but the lessor of many evils - dropping the boom to be supported by the lazy jacks was the answer.

We had to ensure the topping lift was not touched as if it was released - reefing would cause serious damage. Easily managed (by using the lazyjacks as the back up)


There are many ways to skin a cat (or fillet a fish).

Jonathan

Our rod kicker is mechanical. It has a big stainless steel wheel on it. Rotate it one way for extension and the other way for contraction. Super simple and super robust.

 

[Frayed Knot]

The topping lift on my present boat (10mm) used to hum incessantly, driving us nuts.
After trying several things, though not the halliard wrapping suggested above, I hit on the idea of a length of bungee, now permanently attached to the backstay, which I clip to the topping lift as high above the boom-end as I can reach.
It absorbs the resonance and has never been a problem since.
Of course, I regularly forget to unclip it when I raise the main…

 

[johnalison]

We use the spinnaker halyard for that.10mm dyneema. Nice and strong. I run an ascender on it attached to my climbing harness.

Not so easy with a fractional rig, although it is something I would do if I had to.

 

[fredrussell]

Our rod kicker is mechanical. It has a big stainless steel wheel on it. Rotate it one way for extension and the other way for contraction. Super simple and super robust.

Does that mean you have to go forward if you want to adjust boom ‘tension’, for example to put some twist in sail? That’s unusual, no?

 

[john_morris_uk]

How on earth can it be less effort. What planet are you on? I have a short length of line permanently fitted to the shroud to take the halyard away from the mast. Grab a bight of the halyard when dropping the main, flip a clove hitch around the halyard using the line already attached to the shroud, Tension the halyard when back in the cockpit. Job done. Quick & easy. Does not require trips too & from the end of the boom, which as a single hander, I have worked to avoid. Keep it simple with less energy expended.
Time & motion study (greatly ridiculed by all) was on the coriculum at college. It is surprising what one can do to save energy if one studies the tasks in hand.

I don’t have bits of line flapping about attached to a shroud whilst I’m sailing.
It may or may not be the same effort to move the halyard but you’re ignoring the anti-humming benefits of putting a few turns of the halyard around the topping lift to act as a vortex shredder. Even if it was a little more effort which I’m not convinced that it is I’ll stick with the technique as we no longer have the back stay humming and vibrating the deck directly above our cabin via the main sheet.

 

[johnalison]

My halyard is wire and hum-free, so I take the boom weight on it. Before anyone carps about it, wire is what came with the boat and when it came to replacing it I chose to replace like for like. I would like to have had Dyneema but that would probably have involved replacing the sheave as well, also wire was cheaper, and it works.

 

[Sea Change]

Why do you need a spare halyard?

Says the man who presumably has never had a halyard break at sea. Or a failed sheave.

As I write, my main is currently hoisted using the topping lift, and the boom end is supported on what was the main halyard. The sheave was getting sticky and needs to be replaced as soon as I get an opportunity.

I also run two spare halyards on the front of the mast, which get used for various purposes- lifting dinghies and poles, or climbing the mast without having to mess about with an in-use halyard first.

 

[ylop]

Interestingly I don’t recognise the thrumming that people describe. Is this on anchor, in a marina or underway? We did have an issue with it resonating when we were motoring - but it seemed to be the shackle to boom connection. Insertion of a soft shackle between the two has solved if.

 

[Sea Change]

Interestingly I don’t recognise the thrumming that people describe. Is this on anchor, in a marina or underway? We did have an issue with it resonating when we were motoring - but it seemed to be the shackle to boom connection. Insertion of a soft shackle between the two has solved if.

It's something that happens to thin topping lifts when there's a decent breeze going over them. You generally only notice it when you're not underway, as there aren't other noises too drown it out.
It's presumably caused by the thin line having to be under greater tension, so that it can resonate like a guitar string.
When we upgraded our topping lift, it more or less solved the problem.

 

[geem]

Does that mean you have to go forward if you want to adjust boom ‘tension’, for example to put some twist in sail? That’s unusual, no?

Yes, we would go forward but the boat is a stable 18/19t 44 ft boat with flush decks and lots of hand holds. Reefing is all done at the mast so its totally normal to be on deck.
we aren't racing around the cans

 

[[70521]]

Because there is no point in having all that extra windage flapping against the sail
Why do you need a spare halyard? Unless you are of the silly habit of disconnecting it from the mainsail at the end of each day, which can always lead to a lost tail end.

Never noticed any extra windage flapping against the sail. Goodness knows what you would think about the other boat I regularly sail where the topping lift is 16mm, but she is 30 metres LOA/105 tonne.

The second halyard is there:

• to give me a spare should I have a problem with the main halyard; and
• to give me a safety line when I go up the mast, giving two lines at the front and rear of the mast;

Why do you think that disconnecting the halyard from the mainsail at the end of a passage is silly? I park the halyard at the end of the boom, doubling the lines supporting the boom, just in case one fails and disrupting the airflow that stops that annoying strumming.

In over 40 years on the water I've never lost a tail end, but have been onboard several vessels where the main halyards wrapped round the radar reflector as there was way to much slack in the line.

We all have different ways of solving problems.

 

[Poignard]

Interestingly I don’t recognise the thrumming that people describe. Is this on anchor, in a marina or underway? We did have an issue with it resonating when we were motoring - but it seemed to be the shackle to boom connection. Insertion of a soft shackle between the two has solved if.

'thrum'

A new word for me. Learnt yesterday, thanks to Wordle.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Fighting talk to suggest moving the halyard to the end of the boom is silly.

Leaving the halyard attached to the mainsail caused this catamaran to cartwheel. The force of the wind on the halyard broke the zip on the sailcover, then that force started to raise the mainsail - and it was game over for the cat.

You can see at 20-21 seconds how much of the mainsail is up. I never leave my halyard attached to the mainsail.