Some success today as we had the main on for the first time. The bad was discovering the fore halyard was jammed in the mast and we couldn't free it. Another masthead trip needed.


Anyway looking for some advice. At the end of the boom are two lines going to the masthead. One is the Topping Lift. Whats the other and what purpose does it serve? I can't see any obvious connection but I think its like the backstay goes to the masthead and then back down and attached to the end of the boom.

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nickic said..
Some success today as we had the main on for the first time. The bad was discovering the fore halyard was jammed in the mast and we couldn't free it. Another masthead trip needed.


Anyway looking for some advice. At the end of the boom are two lines going to the masthead. One is the Topping Lift. Whats the other and what purpose does it serve? I can't see any obvious connection but I think its like the backstay goes to the masthead and then back down and attached to the end of the boom.

Perhaps lazy jacks halyard and its not finished
Here one off the net

Perhaps a short, quality video of the rigging would give more insight!?

Hi Nickic

Just to clarify

A backstay will normally be fixed to the top of the mast and then run in one piece to the center of the stern of the boat or split at about boom height and go down to either side of the stern but it is not attached to the boom in any way

It can be either a fixed or adjustable in length

The topping lift is either a fixed or ajustable length rope or wire that goes from the top of the mast to the end of the boom to hold the end of the boom up when the main sail is not hoisted or holds the boom up when you are reefing the main sail

Once the mainsail is hoisted it will normally be loose as the main sail lifts the boom higher than the topping lift does

If it is adjustable it will normally run down the mast and cleated off at the mast at around boom height

I don't suppose you can post a photo of what you are describing

Regards Don

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nickic said..
Some success today as we had the main on for the first time. The bad was discovering the fore halyard was jammed in the mast and we couldn't free it. Another masthead trip needed.


Anyway looking for some advice. At the end of the boom are two lines going to the masthead. One is the Topping Lift. Whats the other and what purpose does it serve? I can't see any obvious connection but I think its like the backstay goes to the masthead and then back down and attached to the end of the boom.

just perhaps and this is a very wild guess the other halyard on the boom is the correct halyard for the fore halyard with a photo as sirgallivant its very hard to say

Thanks Don. So the backstay and the topping lift are as you describe. The Topping lift is obviously attached somewhere at the masthead and goes over a sheave at the end of the boom, down the boom and out to a cleat close to the mast making it adjustable.

This is a third line come from the masthead which is shackled to the end of the boom. About 30 cms up from the boom there is another shackle attached which I can't see where it would go. Its wire like a stay and I cant see anywhere on the mast or boom where it can be adjusted.

i would say the fixed wire is the topping lift and the halyard you think is the topping lift is actually your mainsail halyard?

If you have a adjustable wire or rope inside the boom that runs around a sheeve at the rear of the boom and that is cleated off near the front of the boom it sounds like a outhaul that attaches to the rear of the foot of the main sail and allows you alter the tension of the foot of the main sail along the boom

I don't think it should not be attached to anything that is coming from the top of the mast

What other photo's of you boat can you post that may let us see how it is set up

Regards Don

Its not the main halyard. The halyards are both rope and we have both ends. We hauled the main up fine today. I think the jib halyard is jammed because of a sheave problem at the mast head.

Thinking of what Don said could it be an inner forestay thats been attached to the boom when not in use for convenience. Both shackles are clip shackles. The bottom one could clip to the bow and the second one up is to clip the foresail on.

Thanks Don. Not the outhaul. Thats on a sheave slightly further in from the boom end and runs down the other side of the boom from the topping lift. Having tensioned and slackened the Topping lift I know its not connected to this third line.

I guess since we have to go to the masthead anyway this will be something else to look at. What's connected to what up there.

How many sheeves are there in total on the boom and roughly where are they located

Regards Don

Hi Don

I should have taken a picture of the boom.

Right at the end of the boom is a sheave which has the topping lift running over it. Next comes a U shaped fitting which is riveted to the boom. Then inside this is another sheave which is for the outhaul.

The outhaul is on a slider track. The outhaul line is tied to the slider, comes from the slider back through the U fitting and into the sheave. As I put the main on today I had to use the outhaul and that all runs fine. Same with the Topping Lift.

This third line has a clip shackle which is attached to the u fitting. Then as per the photo there is a second clip shackle about 30 cms up which is not attached to anything.

So my husband just tells me that there is a chainplate on the foredeck just in front of the forehatch which has nothing attached to it and he knows this because when he on the boat and it rained it was leaking slightly and he resealed it next time he was on board.

Next time onboard we can see if this third line can come forward and attach to the chainplate as an inner forestay. Not sure how you would tension it.

When you buy a boat the previous owners never sailed its a journey of discovery.

I know what you mean my previous owner was on the couch and Ive never raised a sail yet in 2 1/2 years this parts going to be fun One thing at a time hey Nicki

Where are you moored? In Sydney? Where?

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nickic said..
Hi Don

I should have taken a picture of the boom.

Right at the end of the boom is a sheave which has the topping lift running over it. Next comes a U shaped fitting which is riveted to the boom. Then inside this is another sheave which is for the outhaul.

The outhaul is on a slider track. The outhaul line is tied to the slider, comes from the slider back through the U fitting and into the sheave. As I put the main on today I had to use the outhaul and that all runs fine. Same with the Topping Lift.

This third line has a clip shackle which is attached to the u fitting. Then as per the photo there is a second clip shackle about 30 cms up which is not attached to anything.

It is unusual for the topping lift to go over a sheave at the end of the boom. The topping lift would normally attach to the end of the boom ( the U fitting) and then go to masthead and straight back down the mast.

Sheaves on on the end of the boom are typically for outhaul or reef lines.

And, the outhaul would go to the sheave at the boom end, a sheave or turning block further in along the boom, would be for a reefing line, though it is better for the reefing line to go to the end of the boom to ensure enough foot tension when reefed.

Hi Sir Gallivant

Yes we are in Sydney. Betts Bay.

Thanks FreeRadical. I agree.

Today was the first day we put sails on since buying it 5 weeks ago. My hubby is not a sailor and I learned on dinghes extensively, moved up to yachts as a student/young adult where I got as far as Day Skipper practical and then nothing. Whilst not revealing my age we have been together 19 years this year and I have never sailed since I met him. That said, this morning while pottering round getting ready I said to him "I have been thinking about the Topping Lift and there are only 2 lines coming down the mast so I dont know how we'll adjust it". He looked at me blankly. So before putting on the sail we had a play with the main halyard, outhaul and topping to see how they all run and found that the topping actually ran the other way and down and out of the boom. Its actually quite neat in that the mast is quite uncluttered but would be a pain if going single handed.

There are some sheaves fitted on the outside of the boom which I think would be for reef lines.

Heavens HG02. Rather you than me figuring out all that rigging. Hope you have better luck than us.

Thinking about it and re-reading through this thread again, if the wire is fixed length from the masthead (rear side) to a length about 30cm above the boom, then it might be a topping lift meant to set with a turning block like the following picture.

If you didn't have the block system as above, and just had the topping lift connected to line that ran around boom sheave and along boom, then you would be putting all the compression force along the boom. The block arrangement ensures the force is applied in what you actually want to do, raise or lower the end of the boom.

Thanks Free Radical. Maybe. Wonder why someone would go to the hassle of putting another fixed rope line on when there was already a wire one there. Given the size of the boat the boom is only just over 2.5 metres long and isnt particularly heavy so it doesn't look like there is undue compression with the existing Topping lift arrangement. All its effectively doing is shortening the line by pulling through the cleat which in turn lifts the end of the boom.

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FreeRadical said..
Thinking about it and re-reading through this thread again, if the wire is fixed length from the masthead (rear side) to a length about 30cm above the boom, then it might be a topping lift meant to set with a turning block like the following picture.

That is the way the Ranger 33 is rigged, you have all the lines you need back in the cockpit for hoisting, reefing etc. Only disadvantage I can see is you miss out on an extra rope for going aloft.