I did this after discovering as you did that our boat had two halyard sheaves at the masthead. I was a little concerned about cutting a hole in the mast but the area where the halyards exit the mast is well outside the area where such modifications are strongly advised against. It has been a good twelve to fifteen years since I rigged the backup halyard and I’ve had no issues. As I remember, I drilled two appropriately sized holes at the top and bottom of the halyard exit slot, maybe one or more between and finished it off using a Dremel tool and a file. Good luck.
Hi,
Here’s a photo of my halyards on 30U. Both exit mast on port side, main one (light green) below choker, spare (white w/ blue fleck) just above. Note there is a smooth fitting (fairlead?) attached to mast at exit holes. Boat came this way when I got it two years ago, so I don’t know if this is original configuration, or added by a previous owner.
Mark, yes, when rigger was installing new lines, I asked him to put some extra chafe protection on the choker where the 2nd halyard crossed it. I’m not sure what he used, could be a specialty product for this purpose, or just the sheath of a larger diameter rope. I just send him a text message, will pass along his reply, when I get one.
I have a 2 sheave fitting on “Cheers” NS 22, #16. I have rigged it internally and have a “spare” halyard. I am considering using the spare as the topping lift and eliminating the SS cable, blocks and line of the standard topping lift rigging. Being a newbie I would like to hear the experts opinions on this idea. Thanks, Don in Puget Sound
A halyard would never come close to being as stiff as a steel cable. Also, a halyard would be slightly off to one side (left/right depending which one you connected to the end of the wishbone) instead of dead centre, which seems like a really bad idea.
But then you won’t have a spare halyard anymore. Having just gone to the expense of adding a spare halyard it hurts my brain to think of eliminating one. The spare can be used in case you sky your primary halyard or if the topping lift breaks. The first being more likely than the second.
Also, you will lose the mechanical advantage of the block and tackle adjustment of the current topping lift. I don’t know how necessary that is on a 22, but it has to be more pleasant than cranking the whole weight of the boom.
Finally, and probably most important, you lose the safety of the current setup. If you use the spare halyard for a topping lift and someone inadvertently lets that line go from a winch, the boom will fall into the cockpit. On my boat that would likely kill someone if the sail was not up. If your current topping lift is setup correctly, it has an additional piece of cable that bypasses the adjusting tackle. If someone inadvertently throws off the topping lift line in this arrangement, that safety strap will catch the boom before it falls into the cockpit. If you don’t have one, you might want to add one.
I must emphasize that I am also a newbie to Nonsuches! But I have recently been through a crash course in the rigging - including making the mistake of leaving off that safety strap at first because we didn’t know what it was for. So it’s pretty fresh in my mind. (Though I’m sure there’s still much for me to learn.)
Both Val and Brian make excellent points. I sail NS 22 “Moustaches”. Oh yes, you sure DO need that mechanical advantage (mine is 4:1) for the topping lift. And, for safety, a steel cable or Dyneema (and a solid safety “crash” cable). And, otherwise, having a built-in 2nd halyard is gift that I wish I had. I’d never blow it off.
Ernie,
can you lift the boom without a winch with the 4 to 1? With 3 to 1 and I have crew I actually lift the end of the boom by hand and have them take up the slack or if I am by myself I put it on a winch. The topping lift line seems to carry pretty heavy tension.
I am also wondering what can be done if you lose a single halyard setup?
I sure can lift the boom without a winch. But, I have made sure that the fiddle blocks that I use plus any other block that is involved with the topping lift have been cleaned prior to my sailing season and they’ve all had a shot of McLube Sailcoat dry lube. And, the long topping lift line has been washed over the winter. And, the entire setup has been done slowly making sure that there are no kinks in the line. And, the topping line only runs thru 2 little blocks as it goes along the boom - not 4 padeyes.
In short, I have made sure to minimize our arch enemy, friction. I’ve also figured out ways to keep the 2 fiddle blocks in the same plane to avoid the whole thing twisting and making it impossible to even move the topping lift.
I would bet (as a new Nonsuch owner, as you say), you haven’t had a chance to slowly perform an exhaustive search through all of your lines to understand where all of that needless friction comes from. I mean every line, not just your topping lift. I think that a LOT of the effort that you have to put into lifting your boom can be blamed on unecessary friction in your setup.
Otherwise, I am not exactly certain what you mean by “I am also wondering what can be done if you lose a single halyard setup?”
I wish that I had 2 sheaves at the masthead for 2 halyards. I have one and a smaller block mounted at the side of the top of the mast. I wouldn’t lift more than 5 lbs. with the smaller block. I would never, ever blow away the use of a 2nd halyard. You can even use a second halyard to help you retrieve the end of your main halyard if it escapes and roars to the top of the mast.
Your 2nd halyard is a gift. The only proper way to deal with our Nonsuch topping lifts is to take the time to set them up and to make good use of a system with lots of mechanical advantage, hence a 4:1 (or even more) setup. Work out what will enable you to lift the boom (with a heavy sail on it) with relative ease.
Have fun with your new fun boat. I’ve attached a few photos.
I am still thinking this thru. To start, the 2nd halyard is not eliminated. If I go with my idea of a Topping Lift/Emergency 2nd halyard it would mean the boom would have to be dropped to the cockpit, the topping lift would go to the head boards, and the sail hoisted. I tested this and dropped the wishbone clew end to the coaming around the mainsheet winch on a cushion. It was surprisingly stable there. I don’t think I would want to do this with a wishbone larger then the 22’s, but it is light enough that I am able to support it and move it as needed.
My discovery of the friction in the standard topping lift rigging that Ernie spoke to, is actually what started me thinking these heretical thoughts. With the Topping Lift/Emergency Halyard the only friction is the sheave at the top of the mast, which turns out to be in pretty good shape for lack of use in the past 40 years.
I’d be concerned that the working halyard could rub up against the “2nd halyard/Topping Lift”. Not all the time but if the boom was out to the side with the boat on a reach. If it was rubbing and you wanted/needed to adjust the tension of the working halyard or lower the sail or … anything, the whole schmozzle could get bound up.
With a standard 2-block topping lift, the blocks are reachable, grabbable right from the cockpit. They’re just over your head. You have more flexibility, etc. You could lower the boom, lube the blocks, do whatever. Your method has a critical, heavy, unwieldy, potentially dangerous piece of gear (the boom + sail) hanging off (your words) a 40-year-old sheave sharing the same pin as the working halyard, 34’ above your head. Even if, as you put it, “things are in pretty good shape”, I disagree with your idea.
I am very pro “let’s try something new”. Lord knows I’ve “broken some rules” and I’ll continue to do so. In this case, I feel that you making this change solely to circumvent friction in your topping lift. Sort of like fixing the leak in the bedroom ceiling by patching the ceiling and ignoring the roof. I see no other “advantage” to this idea. I have the same size boat as you and I can raise my topping lift with one hand using a standard 4:1 block and tackle. And, my topping lift is a husky, slightly overspec (thanks to Mike Quill) coated steel cable that ain’t gonna slip or crash down on someone and is totally independent of the sail or anything else (as per design of the boat).
The topping lift, as designed, is used by, I imagine, almost every Nonsuch and, barring friction (which is totally preventable), works perfectly. I would not abandon the system.
I am still thinking it through. Control and power to the TL/EH is with the halyard winch, stopper and designated cleat. It would be possible to drop the boom. I am working on a failsafe for that and think a knot on the cleat would work.
I have also been thinking about the arches the clew end of the boom is able to travel. On the vertical arch if the boom is raised too high, the foot of the sail could be over tensioned. The horizontal arch at the clew is enormous compared to the horizontal arch of the line at the masthead. I believe the 2 halyards could touch and I will check that out tomorrow. I don’t think they would bind in adjusting tension or reefing while luffing. The sheaves are housed quite tightly in the masthead fitting so jumping a sheave is pretty near impossible. I have thought about side tension on the sheave. The boom is seldom let out when the sail isn’t up supporting the boom and the topping lift would be eased so side tension is very low.
I think the pin or axle the sheaves turn on is 7/16 or 1/2 inch. The pin the cable attaches to is 1/4". 1/4" is strong enough for expected loads, but the sheave pin would be stronger and the load would apply differently with the sheave.
What has me stuck on this idea is the vision of a single line as a topping lift, which could be used as an emergency halyard and also thinking about all the rigging that would be eliminated by that single line is also appealing to my less is more nature.
I guess I will have to give it a try and I will post how it goes. Thanks for the conversation, and if anyone else has any comments I would like to hear them.
Don, Nonsuch 22 #16 “Cheers” in Puget Sound
I wish I had a second halyard to use as a safety line when I go aloft to attach/remove the wishboom each season. With a single halyard, my only safety is a leg-death-grip around the mast.
I used a 12’ extension ladder to get to the shackles on the wishbone cables. The top of the ladder leans on the mast and is between the wishbone booms. The feet of the ladder are set just forward of the hatch and lashes there. The ladder is a little bit steep and you have to be careful, but it can’t go sideways because it’s inside the wishbone. At the top of the ladder I first lash the top of the ladder to the mast , then I rig the main halyard to the front of the wishbone with a strap and lift it with the main halyard winch enough to take tension off the cables and shackles. I then disconnect the shackles, tape the cables to the mast and lower the wishbone to the bow pulpit with the halyard. I set 2 large fenders just forward of the hatch and lower the clew end of the wishbone with the topping lift and the wishbone rests on them. To go back up just reverse. I have done this 3 times and feel it is safe and secure enough considering the job to be done.
Don, Puget Sound, “Cheers” NS 22 #16
