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The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.
I'm looking at installing proper spinnaker rigging (by which I mean symmetrical with pole). Up until now I've only flown my gennaker, which I love. But at some point I picked up a used symmetrical, and at some other point a used pole. So now the missing pieces are the uphaul and downhaul for the pole. I understand I would need to add a block, say, a little above the spreaders for the uphaul. But I generally like to give things a dress-rehearsal before I start drilling holes, so I was thinking of lashing a block to the front of the mast AT the spreaders, just for a test run. Bad idea? My other question to anyone who has added this bit of rigging, is if you did add a block on the mast for the uphaul how did you attach it? Will a screwed in pad-eye do the job, or would you go for a "mast hound" installed with screws or even pop rivets? Thanks for any insight. -Steven
A pad eye with a swivel block should be sufficient. Recommend a block to handle 5/16" line. BTW, the line holding the spinnaker pole up is called a topping lift. since it is only holding up the pole, a pad eye will work, probably mounted vertical, but I'm not certain. Think about the stresses. you may want to use pop rivets. Do you have a mast light on the front of the mast? Is it high enough above the spreaders that you can mount a pad eye at the spreaders? If not, go just below the spreaders. Your spinnaker halyard should go through a swivel block at the masthead. If you do not have a spinnaker block bail at the masthead, you will likely need to move the forestay to the second attachment point on the front of the masthead. The spinnaker halyard block needs to be in front of the forestay. The spinnaker downhaul line should go through a block on the deck, preferably in front of the forward hatch. However, if you have the metal piece under the mast to hold several blocks, you might get by bringing the downhaul to a block there.
DavidP 1975 C-22 SK #5459 "Shadowfax" Fleet 52 PO of 1984 C-25 SK/TR #4142 "Recess" Percy Priest Yacht Club, Hamilton Creek Marina, Nashville, TN
Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ. The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.