Boom topping lift

Last Saurday I launched my boat for the first time and raised the mast and all the rigging connected to that. However it seams that the boat has no boom topping lift (seems to be the name in English for the line from the masttop to the end of the beam. Is this a common situation or am I missing a part of  the rigging?

Henk

Hi Henk,

nlaheka wrote

Last Saurday I launched my boat for the first time and raised the mast and all the rigging connected to that. However it seams that the boat has no boom topping lift (seems to be the name in English for the line from the masttop to the end of the beam. Is this a common situation or am I missing a part of  the rigging?

I believe you are missing part of the standard rigging. While the early Reedcraft Rigging Instructions make no mention of a topping lift, my father's boat which was delivered new in 1973 was supplied with one. Although not ideal for the purpose, the photographs showing my boat on the site's Rigging Page show mine.

The last photo in the first "Reedcraft" section on the page, shows my mast head with the topping lift passing through an eye on the port side of the mast, while the second photo on that page shows the cleat two which it is secured. On the same page in section detailing the Main Sheet you will see how a shackle on the top part of the swivel at the end of the boom secures the other end of the topping lift.

(When uploading images it can be helpful to use both the "Center" and "Big" (750px) options on the dialogue. This ensures your photo will fit the page without overflowing the space available. I've also cropped and played with the colours of the version below.)

Hi Greg, trhanks for your prompt reply. Stll not sure if I understand you
right. I see only two lines going up, one for the jib and the other for the
main sail. Should there be a third one?

Hi Henk,
I don't know which brand mast we have on our Seahawk - inside the mast are lines for the main and the jib, and on top is an extra extension  (welded, so might have been added later) with a pulley for the 'kraanlijn' goes through.
I will try to take a picture later today, having a hard time with my muscles the last week.

Cheers
Rene

nlaheka wrote

Hi Greg, trhanks for your prompt reply. Stll not sure if I understand you
right. I see only two lines going up, one for the jib and the other for the
main sail. Should there be a third one?

Hi Henk,

As Rene says, the main and jib halyards run inside the mast. Topping Lift and burgee are external lines. See the marked versions of the images from the page I mentioned below:

Red = Main Halyard
Green = Jib Halyard
Blue = Topping Lift

Also shown below:
Yellow = Burgee Halyard
(Not present in the photo, but the mark indicates where the halyard goes. At the bottom it would be secured on a similar cleat on the starboard side of the mast, to that which is shown for the topping lift on the port side)

These images are for my SSS mast fitted to a Reedcraft boat. Most Moores boats have Holt Allen gear, but the only significant difference is that the main and jib halyards emerge from the base of the mast on top of each other rather than side by side.

Hi Henk
My SSS mast on Mustang, an early Reedcraft boat (Sail number 178), has exactly the same fittings as Greg's, including a topping lift.  I found that the lift chafed on the masthead eye so I fitted a single block (pulley) on to the eye.  No more chafing and the lift is easier to use.  
Brian

I was able to take a picture, ours is definitely different:

Hi Rene,

Your mast is certainly different. Looking at other photos of "Whisper" I realise she is one of those I call a "crossover" boat. I first referred to these boats in a Post in 2012. These boats have a mix of the original Reedcraft style cockpits and Moore's rigging. Up till now I have tended to talk of boats in the range #340-#350 as being of this type, but it seems I should extend that to include Whisper.

Here I blow up part of the photograph of Wintin (#344), seen on the Sails Page. I now notice that she has the same arm on the top of the mast as your boat. Later Moore's boats do not have this feature, which I have always associated with boats that have an aft stay.

It may be that it was just a handful of boats that were to form the export order mentioned in my 2012 post were supplied with the arm. It could also be that Holt Allen assumed that SeaHawks had an aft stay which would have been the norm on most new boats of the period. They might have supplied masts with the arm when they received their first order from Moore & sons and the specification was only corrected later.

With the exception of the mast head arm, I suspect that your mast is the standard Holt Allen model fitted to the vast majority of Moore's boats. It probably also means that you have a standard boom and, as I say on the Rigging Page, I would welcome some good close ups of all the features of both the mast and boom that I can add to that page.

There's one more thing that I must show complete ignorance about and the is the fitting with the spring clip that you have at the top of your mast. Do you, or others, know if it is intended for a light, aerial or even burgee?

I think the spring clip is for attaching a Hawk wind direction indicator, but any indicator with a straight shaft will fit.  I have a Hawk on Mustang - excellent indicator.

Yes, it is indeed for a wind indicator.

Greg, when we are ready to use the boat I will make some close ups of crucial parts of the mast, boom and attachment points. I don't think the straight part will contribute much ;)

Yesterday I added the boom topping lift and as you can see, it now looks "normal".
I also found the build number on the mainsail, it is 358.

Hi Henk,

Yes that does look more normal!

It's difficult to see on such a small image, but I think I see Reedcraft type cockpit lockers, so it seems that I should alter the information on the site and say that "Crossover" boats are in the approximate range, #340-360 and not #350.

I still can't see the top of your mast, but I guess it may look like Rene's? as the indication seems to be that all "crossover" boats had the arm that his has.