Hi members and new friends,
I am a new Nonsuch 26 owner, and had trouble rigging my topping lift on the weekend! Could someone please describe, or send me a simple diagram of how the topping lift is raked inboard and outboard? Does it follow the outboard 2nd reef from the deck to the front of the wishbone? How does it connect to the stay at the end of the wishbone?
Thank you,
James Lacey
Tomcat
Lac Tremblant
Welcome aboard James -
My NS22 is a bit smaller than yours (actually 4’ shorter and WAY smaller than yours). I’ve attached a PDF showing my Topping Lift. The line does, indeed, travel along the starboard side of the boom until it hits a double block (shared by the outboard or clew line of the 2nd reef) then down to another block at the deck (at the mast) and back to me in the cockpit.
To reduce friction and permit more flexibility, the line does not use the little cheek block and guides along the boom. It goes to a floating block and then through two little blocks THEN through the double block and down.
WAY less friction. You’ll find that you want to make it as easy as possible to raise or lower the boom using the topping lift. More friction makes this a nasty task.
Hope this helps. You are in a lovely area in the Laurentians BTW.
Ernie A. in Toronto
(attachments)
My Topping Lift.pdf (575 KB)
James,
Ernie’s picture is a great start.
You might also get some help from the Nonsuch New Owners Guide, which is easy to download. (Go to www.Nonsuch.org, login with your INA member email and password, click on the MEMBERS tab, select MANUALS, browse to New Owners Manual and click on it.)
A complete guide to rigging a Nonsuch starts on page 14 and runs through page 25. The part covering the topping lift is found on pages 22-23.
What you’ll see there is the idea that the fixed topping lift should be short enough that there’s room to set up a pair of blocks between it and the end of the boom. A second short safety line should also run between the eye at the end of the topping lift and the end of the boom, should the blocks fail. There’s a picture on page 22 which shows a turning block attached to a soft shackle routing the topping lift line to starboard to run forward along the boom. The picture on page 23 shows a different arrangement, where the turning block is a cheek block mounted on the outside of the boom on starboard.
The original topping lift adjustment plan had the adjustment tie off on a cleat on the boom, a foot or two forward of the cheek block you’ll see in the picture on page 23. The New Owners Guide recommends (and many owners have already switched to) a plan which routes the topping lift line forward along the starboard side, in parallel with the reefing line, to a hanging turning block at the front of the boom, down to a turning block on the mast collar, and back to a cleat or sheetstopper on the cabintop at the front of the cockpit. (If that’s not clear, the first picture on page 18 may help.)
– Bob
Me Gusta
Nonsuch 26U #233
Hello James
Attached is the lines layout I use and a photo of the adjustment sheaves and the safety line.
Regards
John Barbour
Nonsuch 26U Nature
Toronto
Hi Bob, Ernie and John,
Ernie, the sailing is beautiful up here on Lac Tremblant.
I got my topping lift sorted and wanted to thank the 3 of you for your input.
James Lacey
Tomcat
Lac Tremblant
C’est tellement beaux, le lac, James.
It’s a lovely part of the world. I grew up in Quebec and the Laurentians are wonderful. Enjoy the boat.
Ernie A. in Toronto
John,
I just looked at your topping lift photos (I know, I am slow). I was thinking that if you did not run the topping reef tackle through the first guide (bail) forward of the cheek block the angle on the line would not be as acute and it might reduce friction of the line running along the underside of the boom. Just a thought.
Mark Powers
Hello All,
My N26 has the topping lift line leading back to the cockpit. I’ve been entertaining going back to the original design of cleating off on the boom instead. Anyone still using the original design? any considerations?
My next question there is a handwritten notation in my owner’s manual which states the sail should never take the full weight of the boom. Is this a true statement?
Thank you
Kevin
SHUMAI
Kevin,
If the topping lift line is led back to the cockpit and you have multi-part purchase, then you can lift and lower the boom as needed underway to facilitate raising/lowering/reefing the sail.
If the line cleats off on the boom, you’ll find it very hard to adjust safely except at the dock. The boom always swings at least a bit underway, is located at about the height of most people’s forehead or teeth, and cleating a line on an object that is swinging around can be harmful to people’s fingers.
I wouldn’t want to comment specifically on the handwritten notation without knowing where you’re located and the history of your boat and its sail. This isn’t something I’ve ever run across before, myself.
The function of the boom is to provide a great deal of control over the shape of the sail by holding it down due to its weight and back (flatter/fuller) via the choker. if you check the attachment point of the sail to the aft of the boom, and find that the aft corner of the sail is somehow floating signficantly above or below the boom itself, then something needs adjusting.
– Bob
Me Gusta
Nonsuch 26U #233
Kevin -
Being a lover of good dim sum, I want you to know that your boat is well-named. My first keelboat, a Tanzer 22, was named Cha Siu Bau. But that’s not really what this about.
I completely second Bob’s comments. You want/need to be able to safely and easily adjust the topping lift underway. If your present setup does not allow you to do this (the boom is too heavy, there is too much friction, the blocks are stiff/uncooperative, etc.), THAT is the area that requires improvement, allowing you to comfortably raise and lower the boom.
Playing with the position of the boom is a basic, inherent part of sailing a Nonsuch. On most other sailing boats, one simply adjusts the outhaul to flatten the main (though most sailors end up never touching the thing in 20 years). A topping lift on other boats is simply used to “hold the boom up” when the sail is not being used, and is unclipped before going off for a sail.
The topping lift on a Nonsuch is also used to both “hold the boom up” AND is used, a lot, for sail control. Very personally (meaning that I have a thing about this), you should be able to pull on that topping lift line and be able to move that boom under darn near any circumstance. I fully support the idea of a minimum 4:1 multi-part purchase on the topping lift (and that’s on my little NS 22). On an NS 26, I’d be going 5:1 or even 6:1. Pulling that line should never be a strain.
One more thing - if that curious hand-written note (like the ones we all discover when we buy a previously-owned boat) says that that the boom shouldn’t bear the full weieght of the sail … well, what does keep the sail properly-shaped, etc.??
Curioser and curioser …
Ernie A. in Toronto
Kevin: I agree with keeping the others totally. If you sign your posts with where the boat is, you may get someone nearby to show you their rigging.
Joe Valinoti
S/V iL Gatto NS30U #221
Sea Harbour YC
Oriental, NC USA
To Kevin Kecy’s question about reverting to the original design of having the topping lift cleated at the end of the boom - it’s dangerous.
My boat came to me that back in 2004.
One day the wind kicked up and needing to reef the swinging wishbone nearly threw me off the boat.
I resolved that day I was going to change that to an over the cabin top system.
Herb G. Huber
MISTOFFELEES 30C#91 Bridgeview Marina, Sarnia/Point Edward, Ontario
Overwhelmingly, we agree that the topping lift should be operable from the cockpit, in safety. And, it should be operable, reasonably easily. So thoughts should turn to both mechanical advantage and a reduction in friction.
Ernie A. in Toronto
Thank you all for the comments.
My second part to the question is should the sail ever bear the full weight of the Wishboom?
Asking because I’ve been slacking the topping lift to the point where it literally does no work while underway.
Kevin
SHUMAI
Owls Head, Maine
Use topping lift for sail trim as wind conditions dictate
Cedric
Safe Sailing
Single Malt 26C #207
Chester Nova Scotia
You do not need the topping lift to hold the wishbone up if the sail is up. As someone mentioned, use it to shape the sail. Going upwind you should have it slack to tighten the leech and downwind a little tension to make the sail fuller.
Joe Valinoti
S/V iL Gatto NS30U #221
Sea Harbour YC
Oriental, NC USA
In a previous post Paul Miller mentions that he is using 8mm Marlow Double braid for his topping lift and I always pay attention to what Paul does. The smaller diameter line should reduce the friction along the boom.
I have always let the sail carry the boom when sailing (loose topping lift) except for light air when I take take the weight off the sail for a better sail shape. If I am wrong I would love to know.
Mike Jennings.
NSC005 Chancy.
Port Moody, BC.
What you are doing sounds right to me and it is what I do.
In light air the weight of the boom pulls the leech flat a little tension on the topping lift will put a curve into and give a bit of twist to the sail. Always try to make sure the topping lift is on the windward side. You may have to slacken the topping lift and flip it to windward after a tack.
Mark Powers
Kevin,
I was waiting to see if anyone else had general thoughts about the sail taking the weight of the boom, and the consensus seems to match my impression that – in general – it’s no problem.
One (likely) possibility about your handwritten note is that it’s simply wrong. Another possibility is that some previous owner knew something special about YOUR sail that makes it different from most. If you have any information about previous owners, you might try getting in touch with them and asking what they know about the note (and about the sail on the boat).
My personal opinion is that if your sail can’t handle the weight of the boom, then it probably isn’t in condition to last much longer.
As previously mentioned, if you’re willing to join the International Nonsuch Association, you can get a lot of the answers you’re looking for in the New Nonsuch Owners’ Guide.
– Bob
Me Gusta
Nonsuch 26U #233
Kevin: Another point is to make sure your halyard is tensioned so that you do not have any scalloping in the luff as this could hurt the sail.
Joe Valinoti
S/V iL Gatto NS30U #221
Sea Harbour YC
Oriental, NC USA