Boom Downhaul

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Roamer
Posts:37
Joined:Tue Sep 08, 2015 6:00 pm
Boom Downhaul

Post by Roamer » Sat Jul 09, 2016 5:35 pm

Hi, finally ready to get my boat in the water for the first sail. Bought it last fall (well used!), and have spent the time since making numerous repairs. While practicing rigging in my driveway, I found that the boom has a short length of line through a ring on the bottom of the gooseneck, but there's no obvious place to cleat it. I can tie it to the bail on the mast for the boom vang, but this doesn't seem right. Where does the boom downhaul go?

thx for your help...
George

JimW
Posts:41
Joined:Fri Apr 22, 2011 3:26 pm
Location:Ann Arbor

Re: Boom Downhaul

Post by JimW » Sun Jul 10, 2016 3:39 am

Mine has a horn cleat at base of mast:
mast.jpg
mast.jpg (136.32KiB)Viewed 14415 times
former 1979 mkII #2263 "Gabriola"

Roamer
Posts:37
Joined:Tue Sep 08, 2015 6:00 pm

Re: Boom Downhaul

Post by Roamer » Sun Jul 10, 2016 1:17 pm

Aha!! So I am missing a piece of hardware... I'll see about getting one. Fits in sail track like a sail stop?

Thx, George

JimW
Posts:41
Joined:Fri Apr 22, 2011 3:26 pm
Location:Ann Arbor

Re: Boom Downhaul

Post by JimW » Sun Jul 10, 2016 9:19 pm

Yes, I think it fits in the track--must be a couple nuts in the track (I don't have boat nearby at the moment, but that's my recollection).

I think it looks like PN "MCleet" here: http://www.sjsailboats.com/parts.php.
former 1979 mkII #2263 "Gabriola"

kuriti
Posts:243
Joined:Tue Sep 13, 2011 12:48 am

Re: Boom Downhaul

Post by kuriti » Tue Jul 12, 2016 4:16 pm

I never had a cleat and only used the boom vang until i made a bridge for re-routing lines into the cockpit. Now i run it through a block at the mast organizer to a cam cleat on my aluminum bridge. you can see the bridge and mast organizer below to get the idea, but the mast and downhall are not present:

Image

Roamer
Posts:37
Joined:Tue Sep 08, 2015 6:00 pm

Re: Boom Downhaul

Post by Roamer » Mon Jul 18, 2016 2:39 pm

I've ordered a cleat from Stephen at sjsailboats.com, and while puzzling over this little rigging problem, another question popped into my mind. Why do we need a 3/8" double braid dacron line for the main halyard, and then oppose that force pulling up with a little 3/16" single braid downhaul? If 3/16" line is strong enough for the downhaul, why have the more expensive and heavier halyard? This all seems even more odd when you look at the strength and lack of stretch in materials like Dyneema. Does anyone have an idea about the maximum pull you should put on the mainsail luff boltrope without damaging the sail?

kuriti
Posts:243
Joined:Tue Sep 13, 2011 12:48 am

Re: Boom Downhaul

Post by kuriti » Mon Jul 18, 2016 6:44 pm

I would guess the main reason is your hands. Putting a lot of force on a 3/16 line hurts. Also, just more life in the line as it wears.

Roamer
Posts:37
Joined:Tue Sep 08, 2015 6:00 pm

Re: Boom Downhaul

Post by Roamer » Fri Jul 22, 2016 3:44 pm

Just to close out this thread, I bought a cleat from sjsailboats.com that mounts in the groove of the mast, and it works great! Thanks to everyone for their advice.

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