Knots & Lashings & Whipping Cord

[Ron Hotchin]

This is a very small question, but like a stone in your shoe,sometimes it doesn't have to be very big to bother you. I've tried lashing my balanced lugsails to the yards and booms with spiral and marlin lashings, but these are a bit of a pain: (1) if I want to remove the sails for storage; and (2) adjusting the tension at the clew and peak is almost impossible after lacing because the lacing grabs the spars. I'm interested in trying robands, but find with the small 3/16" lacing, any knots seem very bulky for what they have to do. I'm wondering if simply overlaying the running ends and seizing them together with whipping cord to form a loop would be appropriate? The same is true for the downhaul/uphaul on the rudder where 3/16" line loops through an eyebolt, and even a bowline appears bulky. Is this another place where whipping cord would be strong enough to secure a bight? I'd prefer not to use metal crimpings. Any other ideas for "traditional" methods that are strong enough and a bit more pleasing to the eye than ungainly-looking knots?

[Dave Hadfield]

Yes: toggles. I used these and they work fine on a 10ft sailing dinghy. Take 15in or so of 1/4in 3 strand line. (I used manilla, since this rig doesn't gets used every day, and manilla is easy to splice.) Splice an eye in one end. Pass the other end through the eyelet on the sail. Then bend it around a wooden toggle and seize it to the standing part with tarred marline or tarred nylon.

Make sure the eye is big enough to allow the toggle through.

This "button on the sail" idea works well and looks good.

[Ian McColgin]

You'll want seperat bits at the throat and peak to adjust the tension.

The main attachment to the spar, which will allow removal or pushing to one end for furling up, is deceptivly like a spiral.

Start from the peak grommet and pass the line over the spar starboard to port. At the next grommet, don't spiral. Rather, come back so the pass is port to starboard. At the third gommet you come in from the starboard, through grommet, and back over spar starboard to port. Etc.

Or, rather than toggles, assuming the spar is smooth, make up nice regular rope grommets - coits - that you can pass the spar through.

G'luck

[Dave Hadfield]

Now that I re-read it, I see that you were asking about yards and booms, not masts. The toggle idea is more aimed at being an alternative to hoops around the mast.