[Public-List] Spinnaker block location

[Gordon Laco]

… further to the spinnaker halyard crane… I’ll send pictures to people who ask… it’s not pretty, and as I wrote below, it was only intended to be in place for a season, but it works.


Gordon Laco
www.gordonlaco.com
705-527-9612



> On Dec 2, 2022, at 9:09 AM, Gordon Laco via Public-List <public-list at lists.alberg30.org> wrote:
> 
> Back in the day, people used the spinnaker block hanger provided in the standard masthead casting… but of course nobody had heads’l furling back then
> 
> When I bought SURPRISE I noticed that the top bit of her Harken headstay furling extrusion was scarred through chafing on the aluminium.   I made a short crane by use of dinghy chainplate fittings - it’s not pretty and was originally intended to get me through a racing season till I came up with a better solution, but 18 years later it’s still in place and serves well.
> 
> We keep the spinnaker halyard’s hoist end with its swivel snap shackle clipped onto a ring I’ve placed centrally on the bow pulpit.  In that position it’s handy for the foredeck person to use.
> 
> The tail of the spinnaker halyard comes down to the portside halyard winch on the mast.   I’ve put an aluminium clam cleat on the mast something under seven feet up so when hoisting the mast man can bang it in and have it held after the main part of the hoist is done and it’s not going to run back out on him while he puts it on the horn cleat (or the winch if the sail filled before he got it all the way up).  
> 
> The bit of the halyard coming down from the block does contact the top of the furlers extrusion… but the extrusion is smooth so I don’t worry about it.
> 
> So… there I was at the jetty at the club drilling and tapping the holes in the mast to install the spinnaker halyard’s clam cleat.  The height was inconvenient and reaching over my head I found it difficult to press the drill and later the tap into the aluminium.    I called my wife to come up to the mast, and brace herself against the shrouds, facing outboard.  I braced my back against hers and found that way I could apply pressure.  There was some grunting as I pushed on the mast, and she braced against the shrouds.  The verbal commentary between us went something like ‘are you OK?’  ‘just a sec… yes, I’m OK, just get on with it.’ and so on.  
> 
> An elderly friend aboard his own boat we shared the dock with popped out of his companionway and called over ‘WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING OVER THERE?!’    We all three burst into laughter and it took some time to settle down again enough to finish the job.
> 
> Gordon Laco
> www.gordonlaco.com
> 705-527-9612
> 
> 
> 
>> On Dec 1, 2022, at 9:22 PM, Michael Connolly via Public-List <public-list at lists.alberg30.org> wrote:
>> 
>> Greg,
>> I would suspect that you might have to modify the masthead fitting with a crane to move the halyard bock further forward of the stay for the furler.
>> Michael
>>> On 12/01/2022 1:48 PM Greg Hounsell via Public-List <public-list at lists.alberg30.org> wrote:
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Afternoon all;
>>> 
>>> Have not flown the assym yet but did rig up the halyard this year. The
>>> issue I'm having is that with the halyard block at the front of the
>>> masthead piece, it is just above the furler by a few inches.
>>> 
>>> Where and how do people store the halyard when not in use? I found each end
>>> had to be pulled aft and tied to the bottom of the upper shrouds so they
>>> wouldn't rub/wrap on the furler.
>>> 
>>> Is a pic needed ?
>>> 
>>> Greg
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> 
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