Advantages to Adjustable Topping Lift

[seandepagnier]

I went ahead and rigged my topping lift to run down the mast so I can adjust it from there. I could adjust it with a prusik knot without this, but not when the sail is up.

Since I am not the first to try this, there must be advantages. The ones I thought of:

Tightening the topping lift under sail to depower the sail to move slower. This could have advantages maneuvering in tight areas.

Tightening under very light winds to catch the air better.

Any other possible uses?

[nautical62]

For me, it's the addition of a bimini that is the big issue.

The only way keep the boom off the bimini and have good sail shape when sailing is to adjust the topping life each time the sail is raised. Leaving the topping lift taught results in very poor sail shape, at least for upwind sailing. if I didn't have the bimini, I could just leave it so that when the sail is raised, the boom would no longer be on the topping lift.

I really wish boat designers would just plan for biminis in the first place.

[delmarrey]

Here is all the things I've done with the topping lift;

1) Hoist the generator from off the hard and into the cockpit.
2) Lowered and raised the rudder thru a block attached to the back stay.
3) Rigged a boom extension from the back of the main boom to mount the Monitor windvane.
4) Fly the Ensign behind the mainsail.

It's also a back-up if the main halyard should happen to brake and it holds the boom off of the dodger/bimini when the mainsail is being flaked.

[roverhi]

It's way easier to reef if the leech of the sail doesn't have to support the boom. You can get a decent setting reef without the need for a winch. Hoist up the boom with the topping lift, tie in the reef, loosen the topping lift till the leech takes the load.

My topping lift is adjustable at the boom end. Makes it easier to reef as all my lines are led to the cockpit.