Topping Lift

by **William Wing** » Wed Dec 24, 2003 12:22 pm

I'm looking for ideas on how to keep the topping lift from getting hung up on the spreaders. I have tried the thread bit from the lift line around the forestay and am not hapy with that arrangement. Will appreciate and ideas.

by **dave thinel2** » Fri Dec 26, 2003 2:25 pm

Most skippers use a small diameter piece of elastic shock cord. Attach one end to the end of the boom next to where the topping lift is attached. Attach the other end to the topping lift itself about 10 inches up from the boom. With both ends attached the elastic should be stretched some which will keep enough tension on the topping lift line above to prevent it from snagging the spreaders. Fine tune the tension to get it right.

by **Greg Vasileff** » Fri Dec 26, 2003 6:20 pm

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by dave

Most skippers use a small diameter piece of elastic shock cord. Attach one end to the end of the boom next to where the topping lift is attached. Attach the other end to the topping lift itself about 10 inches up from the boom. With both ends attached the elastic should be stretched some which will keep enough tension on the topping lift line above to prevent it from snagging the spreaders. Fine tune the tension to get it right.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Good suggestion Dave, but I want to add something. I attach the elastic to the jib boom like you say, but I attach the top end to a bowsie that slides on the topping lift line. This way I can adjust as I need to depending on wind conditions. The height of the attachment point can be anywhere below the spreader. I like to go as long as I can as it creates a more consistent tension. 10" seems a bit short to me.

greg V
http://ghmyc.org/

by **dave thinel2** » Mon Jan 05, 2004 7:09 pm

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by greg V

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by dave

Most skippers use a small diameter piece of elastic shock cord. Attach one end to the end of the boom next to where the topping lift is attached. Attach the other end to the topping lift itself about 10 inches up from the boom. With both ends attached the elastic should be stretched some which will keep enough tension on the topping lift line above to prevent it from snagging the spreaders. Fine tune the tension to get it right.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Good suggestion Dave, but I want to add something. I attach the elastic to the jib boom like you say, but I attach the top end to a bowsie that slides on the topping lift line. This way I can adjust as I need to depending on wind conditions. The height of the attachment point can be anywhere below the spreader. I like to go as long as I can as it creates a more consistent tension. 10" seems a bit short to me.

greg V
http://ghmyc.org/
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

by **Rob Stagis2** » Wed Jan 14, 2004 11:32 am

Jib topping lifts are the things nightmares are made of.....but I used the setup from the EC12 construction site successfully (so far). Sliding bowsies along the boom for adjustment, but I htink the key to happiness was the jib standoff - the attachment at the jibhead holds the halyard, jibstay - and the topping lift - away from the mast. I've sailed it 3 times now (several hours) with nary a hanfup.....

by **DBrawner** » Thu Feb 05, 2004 3:05 pm

Rob:
Describe your jib standoff if you would. My concern is that it pushes the forestay out away from the mast. If the standoff causes a knuckle in the forestay, you have effectively raised the forestay attachment point. The measured attachment point is not necessarily where the screw/fitting is on the mast, it's where the forestay would intersect with the mast. It's fine as long as that intersection is at 59" or below.

Dave

by **MichaelJ2K** » Fri Feb 06, 2004 10:19 am

I have two bowsies, one at the boom with elastic thread, the other on the topping lift line. I use that one for adjustments. I also use a short piece of string to hold the line close. So far, it seems to work but there's always room for improvement.

by **Philip Whitley** » Fri Mar 12, 2004 8:43 am

Hi All,

I now run the topping lift from the top of the sail to the jib boom, not from the mast, this has given enough distance from the mast and spreaders to permanently remove the problem, without elastic.

Regards Phil http://www.ec12.co.nz

by **Rick West** » Fri Mar 12, 2004 5:01 pm

Phil,
There are a lot of topping lift bungee solutions around. The one I developed connects to the topping lift adjuster, which is on the forward half of the jib boom and to the topping lift line at the rear of the boom. This set up was used to keep drag down and out of the rigging. The building site goes through it well. http://www.ec12.info/topping_lift.htm

by **Philip Whitley** » Sat Mar 13, 2004 8:40 am

Thanks Rick,

I like that Idea, will give it a go.

Phil

by **s vernon** » Sun Jun 27, 2010 9:47 pm

I was surprised to see the way one competitor rigs his topping lift and elastic. He just ties the elastic to the lower end of the bowsie loop on the topping lift and that is it. The elastic becomes a continuation of the topping lift rather than running parallel to it along the boom and then both attaching to a fitting on the boom.

It looked like it would take quite a balancing act for him to get it set right - with the right topping lift tension. I forget who it was.

I could not comment on the correctness of his setup at the time, since I use a string loop around the jib at spreader height instead of an elastic. Tony Shoaf maybe?

If he reads this, he might reconsider. Rick West's post gives the link to the building site page. The picture with the white elastic running along the boom shows the way Rick does it.

I do like at least one of Tony Shoaf's tricky ideas.

Scott

by **sailrt** » Tue Jun 29, 2010 5:40 pm

Never had a snag with my topping lift. I use a swivel at stand off, 35lb cortland running through swivel to bosie (located 6" below swivel) line continuing down to about 4" above jib boom. From there I use elastic connected to boom. Quick and fast to adjust because tension is applied by pulling bosie downward. Adjustments are made standing, not bending over.
Tony

Tony Shoaf
Piedmont Model Yacht Club

by **s vernon** » Tue Jun 29, 2010 6:02 pm

Tony,

Maybe you are on to something, if it works for you.

I think one of the fast inovative guys has a wire coil (spring) at the top of his string topping lift - same principle as you. Jake Leo maybe? I could be wrong. Seems like I saw that at Charelston.

Scott

by **Rick West** » Tue Jun 29, 2010 8:07 pm

Jake Leo does and has for some time. I also use .015 wire but have not needed to add a coil.

It should also be noted that Jake and I use a double spreader rig and thusly far less backstay tension found on the single spreader rigs.

However, the bungee on the jib boom set up as shown in the Classic Rig section of the building site has never been a problem for that rig in my operations.

...94 [8D]

by **Bigjake** » Sun Jul 31, 2011 10:48 pm

I have used the same system as Tony and it works well.

Jake
Blue ..22

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