Topping lift on a Gunter rig?

[GregH]

My Acorn Skiff is fitted with a Gunter rig. I like it, except for one thing- since the boom is supported only by the sail, whenever the sail/gaff is lowered, whether for reefing or stowing, the boom comes down also. So I end up with sail, gaff and boom all lying in a heap the length of the boat. I'd like the boom to remain in place. So I've been thinking of adding what would amount to a topping lift- running from the top of the mast to the aft end of the boom. It would only need to be a light line- maybe 3/16"- and with just enough slack in it to allow the sail to fill. Also, both ends would be fixed, as I don't see any need to make it adjustable- or complicated. An alternative might be lazy jacks. A few more lines, but they would accomplish the same task as a topping lift for the boom, and they would help contain both the gaff and sail as they are lowered. Any thoughts?

[Garth Jones]

That would work fine. My Ness Yawl is gunter gaff rigged and I added a topping lift for the same reason. Mine goes from the end of the boom to a block near the mast head, down to a cleat on the mast (it's adjustable). When I want to move the yard for reefing, I only need to adjust the throat haliyard and the boom stays put while I do it.

Cheers,
Garth

[Ian McColgin]

Most lazy jacks, especially the expensivly over-engineered stuff sold in catalogues, are laid out backward. Around here I've gotten people to use what are locally called "LazyIans" but might be better known as "LazyLifts" since the basics go back to LFH and beyond.

Nutshell - cheekblocks up near the top of the mast. A line leads down from each block passing under the boom just a bit forward of where the spar lays down on the boom. It's kept from shifting forward by a fairlead under the boom or a pair one on each side. The fall on each side ends in a thimbled eye hanging about half way from the mast blocks to the boom. A second line is reeved through the thimbles coming down to a loop under the boom 2/3 of the way from the tack to the outer line, and terminating at the boom about 1/3 back from the tack.

Once set up, the lazy jacks will lay against the curve of the lee side of the sail and not floppydoodle slack on the weather side. When you tack, the LazyLifts are shifted by the sail pressure giving slack on the old weather side and trimming on the new weather side.

The leverage is such that most of the lift power is at the outer loop.

When the halyard is slacked the LazyLifts will contain the bunt of the sail and prevent the spar from flogging about while you reef or strike the sail.

This thing can be made of very light dacron cord for this small rig.

G'luck

[Woxbox]

I set up lazyjacks -- a single line on each side -- on a sliding gunter rig. It worked fine. I ran the line from a strap eye on one side of the boom, up through a fairlead on the back of the mast fairly high up but not to the top, and back down the other side to a jam cleat on the other side of the boom. That way I could easily adjust the tension since the cleat was in reach right over the cockpit. So it acted as a topping lift and would catch the bunt and gunter spar when the sail was dropped. This was on an 18' pocket cruiser, and I never saw a need to improve on it.

[GregH]

Just what I wanted to hear! Thanks for the tips and encouragement guys! First thing tomorrow, I'm off to purchase some light line.

[Thorne]

You REALLY want to make them adjustable! I have a topping lift on my gaff-jaw boom and play with the adjustment all the time. It is particularly handy for dropping the sail, raising the boom and sail enough to quickly row into shore - but being adjustable is what makes that option work.

So spring for a small block and twice the length of line. You can also tighten the mainsheet to keep the boom from moving around, handy for beaching and anchoring -

[Woxbox]

I second Thorne's motion. Sometimes you just want to hike it up -- in a small boat so that you can row without getting bonked, and in a bigger one so that you can stand in the cockpit.