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Home. Association Forum Ships Store Cruising Racing Technical Tips Photo Gallery - New Boat Search - Updated Manuals & Brochures Swap Meet Links Officer Flag Line & Staff Bylaws & Constitution   Members Area Join the Association   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.	Not Yet! Internal Outhaul & Topping Lift The outhaul has a 4 to 1 purchase, mounted inside the boom. I had to cut a slot in the end of the boom to recess the exit turning block pictured. The flexible stainless cable in the picture is connected to the outhaul purchase blocks. The other line is an adjustable boom topping lift. Both lines run to the cockpit. Pull the topping lift and the boom will raise, so the main can be lowered to stow or reef. Ease the line slightly when sailing so it won't interfere with sail trim. I normally unhook the topping lift and keep it stretched down the backstay so it won't interfere with racing. When I go cruising, or if it's a very heavy air race, I snap it to the micro block in the picture picture below. The outhaul has an entry block under the boom at the Gooseneck, just like the exit block in the picture at the top of the page. The line runs thru two purchase blocks, one is bolted inside the boom, while the other floats freely. The topping lift enters the boom in the same double entry block as the outhaul, it exits the boom, goes up thru a harken micro block, and back down to the end boom fitting, where it's tied off. The other part of the topping lift connects to the same clevis pin that the backstay attaches to at the top of the mast. It comes to within a few feet of the boom, where it is connected to a snap hook, which clips on to the micro block attached to the other topping lift line. Your outhaul should have a minimum 4 to 1 purchase, If I had to do it again I'd go with 6 to 1. In heavy air conditions you need a strong outhaul purchase system to be able to stretch the clew hard enough to flatten out the sail, this depowers the sail, reducing heeling. Adjustable boom topping lifts are a good safety feature, you don't want to get stuck out in a hard blow and worry about the main crashing down when you lower it to reef. If an emergency required you to get the main down immediately, the topping lift, with our small mainsails, allows you to lower the main under any point of sail. Send comments or questions to: jp@kaiwan.com