Get Rid of My Topping Lift?

[jdaltonpe]

I run without a topping lift or a boom vang. My Lazy Jacks are fixed at the spreaders and support the boom via the stack pack when I am reefing. Folding Boom Crutch is used when the main sail is down. I do attach the main halyard to the end of the boom when in the boom crutch and keep the main sheet tight for extra mast support when flying only head sails.

[Over Budget]

I’ve had a topping lift fitted at the mast head ever since I bought my boat almost 25 years ago. I unhitch it from the end of the boom whenever I hoist the main. I run the end forward and attach it at the base of the mast with a bungee cord. It ain’t fancy, but keeps it out of the way and off the main until it’s time to douse the main. This arrangement does require going forward which can sometimes be a bit dicey.

[MJH]

Originally Posted by Roniszoro

I have a topping lift but one that cannot be used as a halyard in an emergency. It is fixed at the top of the mast and its length is adjustable at the end of the boom. I have a 1st class rigid boom vang to hold up/control the boom. Is there any reason for me to not just get rid of the topping lift? All it does is flog the main from time to time. The vang hold up the boom when the boat is on its mooring and the main is in its lazy craddle. The vang also holds up the boom when I have taken a reef.

You thoughts are apprciated.

My new-to-me boat (2007) came with a topping lift and gallows for the boom which is almost 17' long and heavy. The control line is oversized at about 7/16". I could use it as a halyard if needed. I considered getting a strut but some club forum comments changed my mind due to their offshore failures...I prefer KISS.

I haven't experienced any of the issues others have mentioned here.

~ ~ _/) ~ ~ MJH

[SV_Sweet_Ruca]

No topping lift for us...we don’t miss it.

[GRIT]

Originally Posted by dougweibel

Is your vang truly rigid or does it incorporate a gas strut, like a Seldon RodKicker? If you have a gas strut you want to keep your topping lift. If you need to motor in a seaway with the main down and don't have (or use) a topping lift the boom will bounce up and down on the gas strut. This will wear the strut out in short order.

I'm not sure if you mean me. I'll answer anyway. Our vang is a Selden RodKicker. When we want to keep the boom from bouncing about, we tie a preventer from the boom end to the end of the track, and move the car away from the preventer, thus loading the spring and taming the boom. The spring keeps it up, and the preventer and sheet keep it from moving athwartships. It's quite still, that way.

Lifting the boom in light winds just means we let out the sheet. It's not kept rigid at that height, as boat motion may induce some vertical movement in the boom. It's not been a problem so far, but it's not perfect. A small trade off, to get rid of the topping lift.

One could, if needed, increase the tension on the lazy jacks, being sure to have a thick enough line to take the pressure. Though we haven't yet found the need.

Cheers.
Paul.

[t-3400]

And t3400... the forespar has a spring inside. You want to unload the spring t when not sailing. We loosen the vang and use topping lift, Main halyard or even lazy jacks to hold the boom up.

[Nico Domino]

Originally Posted by GRIT

We installed a selden boom kicker on our new build, for the exact reasons you describe. I always disliked the topping lifts on our old boats. As everyone knows, they get in the way, chafe the sail, and are a real pain in the butt when gybing a full bellied sail, or even tacking a taught one.

We're very happy with our "topping liftless" setup. The kicker lifts the boom, and mainsail, well up to take pressure off the leech when sailing in light winds; and supports the doused main and boom quite well. We adjusted the kicker length, such that if the spring were to fail, it should not affect our solar panels, or drop onto the pilothouse.

We have no vanging ability, as the boom wouldn't handle the pressure so close to the mast, but that's not an issue, as we're only interested in the "kicking" feature.

Cheers.
Paul.

Interesting comment. how do you control your boom and main depth I any point of sail other then beating, without a vang. ( when your main is over the lenght of traveler)

[Don C L]

If I were in your shoes (boat) I'd probably go with lazy jacks for sail control and back up in case the vang fails and ditch the topping lift. The boom will drop some amount on the lazy jacks if the vang fails but at least it shouldn't fall to the deck. That said, I don't have lazy jacks because for ME, on my current boat, they would be more trouble than they are worth. On my buddy's boat they are ok but I'm not a big fan. I am not a fan of topping lifts either though! I'd like to have (but haven't sprung for it yet) a boom gallows. But even with that I'd still have either TL or lazyjacks just in case the boom falls when it is away from the gallows. So I guess it boils down to which is the bigger pain, the lazyjacks or topping lift, but that is just me.

[barnakiel]

When the boom is supported and it height / angle can be adjusted without a lift, then the lift is an optional extra. And on some boats it can be used as a spare halyard (and on some, cannot).


b.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

When the boom is supported and it height / angle can be adjusted without a lift, then the lift is an optional extra. And on some boats it can be used as a spare halyard (and on some, cannot).


b.

Ahh of course that is true. I wasn't thinking. I don't adjust my sail shape with the topping lift though I know some do.

[DeValency]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

When the boom is supported and it height / angle can be adjusted without a lift, then the lift is an optional extra. And on some boats it can be used as a spare halyard (and on some, cannot).

b.

And I had to go through the entire thread expecting your post, my friend

Since getting a new (US Spar) spring loaded vang last year, I was asking myself the same question but opted (for now) for better boom control and support by keeping both. Unlike others here, no issues witch chaffing the main’s luff or buttons, as the kind Contest Selden rig comes originally with an in mast furling. So the topping lift is there, almost always fixed at the same tension and at most times we do not even remember it’s there.

Another reason is that we use the boom as a crane for the dinghy’s mighty 15HP outboard lifting and lowering using the mainsheet. It feels better having the right geometry on top.

No topping lift at the Farr; the backstay is just enough of a PITA already. When the main is down we use the main halyard to lift the boom to the right height as the vang is designed for a lower angle for all kind of racing reasons.

I would still recommend keeping a topping lift, especially for large main/long boom

[Eder]

I use my topping lift to support my boom when i lift my dingy & motor out of the water for the night.

[GRIT]

Originally Posted by Nico Domino

Interesting comment. how do you control your boom and main depth I any point of sail other then beating, without a vang. ( when your main is over the lenght of traveler)

We have a cat with a 14 foot long track. By the time the car reaches the end of the track, I have to sheet in on the main, or it'll be laying on the shrouds.

Cheers.
Paul.

[StuartSailor]

I have a rigid vang and don't know whether I need my topping lift. I use it primarily to keep the boom out of banging my head height at my slip. Every time I go for a sail I remove it and attach it to a cleat on the mast. I put it back on after I douse my main.

[Locquatious]

We had a chainplate break that held an upper mast stay. The mast stayed up but in waves at the wrong angle, it looked like the end of a fly rod when catching a fish. Even though we managed to lower the sails and run the motor, we could not point to the nearest island, and the next island was a day away over more open seas.

We attached both the spare and main halyard to the side rail on which the chainplate broke in an attempt to substitute for the lost stay. This helped but the halyards had too much flexibility. We gained more angle to the waves, but not enough to reach port.

We brought the main boom over to the side and prevented it down to the rail. This gave the mast enough stability for us to take a greater angle into the waves and make it to port.

We had both a fixed vang and a wire/rope adjustable topping lift. Were it not for the topping lift and prevented boom, we might have lost the mast.

We elect to keep our topping lift. Besides the adjusting line from the end of the boom to the mast is great for hanging sheets to dry.