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Boom, reefing lines & outhaul questions

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Initially Posted - 06/03/2007 : 15:53:57

I've been trying to fish a tape through the boom to run my second reef line with no success, I kept hitting something. I finally removed the aft boom end cap so I could get a look down the interior. On the port side is my current reef line, and pretty much down the center is my outhaul. About two feet from the end is a 1/4" or so pin with C-clips holding it in place (one C-clip is missing) perpendicular to the length of the boom. I can't exactly tell, but it looks like my outhaul is tied to this pin. There's certainly a wad of line around it. It's the same color as my reefing line, but the reef line runs free below it. The outhaul is the same type of line, so it's almost certainly the outhaul. It's so bright outside that I can barely see down the boom even with a very bright flashlight. Does everyone have this same pin? It's about 9" forward of the main sheet attachment, and bisects the groove in the boom extrusion. My outhaul has never worked properly, but it was tight so I wasn't overly worried about it.

Here's a photo down the boom, now that I can see better, it looks like a block is attached on the right side, but the line is tangled maybe? It would make sense to have a block in there to give you more mechanical advantage, maybe the pin is supposed to be through the block's attachment point? Dunno. Actually, the block would have to be free to move, so it can't be pinned in place, otherwise it'd just be a sheave, no mechanical advantage, and there's a sheave 2 feet away. Maybe it's fouled on the cable to 3/8" line splice? What is the purpose of the pin? Does anyone know?

The pin I'm talking about is a the far right of the boom just before the sail covers it up again:

If the outhaul is tied to it, there would be no way for it to be adjusted, it would be a static length to the end of the boom, around the sheave & back forward to the outhaul cringle. The rest of the outhaul comes out the port side of the boom about 1/3 of the way back after wrapping around a sheave at the forward end of the boom. From it's exit it runs through a clam cleat then back to a turning block making a splice along the way to a piece of 1/8" bungee, which is wrapped around a the turning block and then gets confused with the topping lift controls.

Here are photos of the aft port side of the boom with the turning block, and one clam cleat, and then forward where the outhaul exits the boom & it's clam cleat (cam cleat?). The dark blue 1/8" or so line is supposed to attach to my topping lift (not shown), I think. Notice that the turning block's only attached at one end, need to get the Dremel out and remove the screw (other end can be seen in the first photo sticking into the boom). The 1/8" or so white w/ black line is the bungee the outhaul is "spliced" to.

Here's the outhaul exit, just forward & port of the boom vang (and yes I know the fiddle w/ cam cleat is supposed to be down):

I notice there are a number of sheet metal screws holding the turning block, clam cleat, etc. at the aft end of the boom. They all have very sharp points which doesn't seem like something a factory would do. <s>I'll go take some pictures so you guys can see what I'm talking about and edit the post with them. I'll try to take one down the interior, I think my camera's small enough to get the lens & the flash attachment inside at the same time. </s> Dunno.

<s>Film at eleven (or when I get back in a few minutes...)</s>

Thanks for any advice, help, you can offer. I need to figure this out.

David
C-250 Mainsheet Editor

Sirius Lepak
1997 C-250 WK TR #271 --Seattle area Port Captain --

Edited by - delliottg on 06/03/2007 16:28:16

britinusa
Web Editor

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5404 Posts

Response Posted - 06/03/2007 : 19:10:09

David, I would take a dremel to those screws! the thread is already cut, so just shorten them and blunt them off.

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Arlyn Stewart
Master Marine Consultant

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2980 Posts

Response Posted - 06/03/2007 : 19:54:19

The pin through the boom is the termination point for the outhaul line as shown in the following pic.

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Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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3704 Posts

Response Posted - 06/03/2007 : 23:06:54

David, check out the thread on reefing. Conventional wisdom on the forum is that you can't run a second reef setup using the internal boom lines because the angles don't provide for sufficient leverage.

Edited by - Nautiduck on 06/03/2007 23:07:38

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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4479 Posts

Response Posted - 06/04/2007 : 16:25:45

Arlyn,
Thanks for the diagram, that helps a lot. Now I know why there's a block in there. Do you know how long the outhaul cable is supposed to be? It looks to me like that block should be free to travel the 2' or so of the aft part of the boom, but mine seems too long, and the block is snubbed up against the pin and the outhaul is already pretty tight. It would seem like there should be some slack (shorter cable, block closer to end of the boom) so that pulling on the outhaul would tighten the foot.

Does your outhaul connect down the boom to a turning block like mine does? I've looked at your other diagrams on your site regarding your 4:1 & 8:1 outhaul arrangements (thanks to Tom for sending me the link in email), and it looks like they both would just go to a clam cleat. Judging by the non-standard block (Harken I think, instead of Garhauer) and the sharp pointy sheet metal screws that sort of hold it on, it's an artifact of either the PO or PPO.

Randy,
I've been following the reefing thread quite closely. I think I've figured out a way to do it using the 3/16 sheave built into the boom's end.

My plan is to re-route the first reef using 1/4 high tech stuff, I'll strip the last nine feet of sheath or so off of it, exposing the core only, that's a bit less than 3/16. I bought stuff that has UV protection on the sheath & core so you don't have to worry about UV exposure. That nine feet will be tied around the end of the boom, then up to a double block on the reef cringle, then down to the sheave & from there routed normally to a single block on the forward reef cringle. Beginning at the other side of the sheave, the sheath will still be on.

The second reef will be routed exactly as the first reef currently is (exactly to spec from the manual) with the addition of blocks in the cringles. These blocks will be on the same side as the first reef, the after block will be routed down through the double block that made up the after part of the first reef. This becomes it's turning block. I plan to tie down the first reef cringle when taking in the second reef so that the block is secured to the boom. This should give the second reef enough purchase to even out the down & aft pull necessary to make a successful reef as the first reef roughly splits the difference between the end of the boom and the second reef cringle's position on the boom when taken in.

That's my plan, there are some obvious caveats, the first reef's aft cringle must be tied down to secure the turning block for the second reef. The second reef line will need to be tightened up after the first reef is taken in because there will be slack at the boom end. I figure this is of little consequence and is easily dealt with after the first reef is in. Most likely the second reef line will be dangling into the cockpit so there's a built-in reminder. I also had to use 1/4" line all around to accommodate the smaller block necessary for the stripped line. I don't think that's going to be a big issue, but I won't know that till the first time I have to use both reefs.

Edited by - delliottg on 06/04/2007 16:32:46

Tom Potter
Master Marine Consultant

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Response Posted - 06/04/2007 : 16:32:32

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by delliottg
Does your outhaul connect down the boom to a turning block like mine does? <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

David,
Our boats are close(both 1997's TR). My outhaul runs to the clam cleat on the boom, thats all.

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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4479 Posts

Response Posted - 06/04/2007 : 16:34:03

Hmmm..thanks Tom (and for sending the link earlier). I wonder why mine was made up like this?

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zebra50
Captain

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408 Posts

Response Posted - 06/08/2007 : 19:56:17

Mine is a 1998 250 wb and the outhaul is on the port side of the boom about midway in a clam also. On the opposite side of the boom is the topping lift line also into a clam

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