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Gennaker downhaul on CS27

3K views 14 replies 5 participants last post by  knuterikt 
#1 ·
I'm looking for creative ideas to attach the downhaul of a gennaker in front of my furler (see image below). I plan to use a ATN tacker above the pulpit and need a downhaul. My goal is to attach a turning block and lead it back to the cockpit through existing fair leads. Front is required because I'm hoisting on a spinnaker block which is forward of the jib furler.

My first thought was to use some kind of hardware to attach a block to the lowest part of the bow rail in front of the furler, but I'm not sure what hardware to use, nor what kind of a load this downhaul will create (and thus if its safe for the rail / fitting).

Any ideas from the nautical MacGuyver crowd? No gorilla tape solutions, please - I do have limits to creativity.

 
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#2 ·
By downhaul, are you meaning an actual downhaul for pulling on the head of the sail to get it down in higher winds, or are you meaning a strap for the tack in order to adjust the height of the tack whilst flying the sail? I'm going to assume the latter. You could probably get away with putting a pin through one of the holes in the furler mounting plates and attaching a strop to that with a block on the end. Or alternatively, do you use the rams horn fitting behind the furler? If not, you could probably move the furler back to that fitting and then you would have a free hole in the stem fitting to attach a block to. Shouldn't make much if any difference to the furler, might need to tweak the forestay a bit.
 
#3 ·
I definitely mean a tack strap to adjust the height of the tack - not really a downhaul. Sorry for the confusion. I was concerned that I might mess with the mast rake if I moved the furler back to the ram's horn position. I don't use the horn at all, so I wouldn't miss it a bit. Maybe that's the best plan...

I was also trying to figure out whether I could make some kind of a loop that goes on each side of the rams horn and around the front of the furler, then attach a block on it. I think there's too high a chance of it falling off though since the ram's horn isn't really captive.
 
#4 ·
Gotcha, so I'd maybe just put a shackle through one of the holes in the furler fitting and get an amsteel strap that reaches just above the furler, and then have a block on the end of that. Then run a line from the tack, through the block and back to wherever you want to adjust it from. The ATN should take most of the strain, the strap/block etc should just allow you to then adjust the height. That's going to be the easiest and is likely to be plenty good enough, I've seen setups where they just had a twisted line between the uprights on the pulpit and that worked OK.
 
#5 ·
Sounds like a plan. I think I'm going to try putting a pin through the holes in the furler tangs so I can have an even distribution of load on both sides, and then run a pennant off of that with a block on the end. Thanks!
 
#7 ·
Have a good look when you run that and see whether or not the tack line chafes on the furler drum.. if so that's not good or either.

One thought I had was getting one of those clamshell fittings that bolt around the pulpit stanchion down low, one that you can attach a shackle to (like a bimini bow attachment piece) or ideally something similar but a little more robust. I'd think that's a pretty strong location right near the base fitting, and gets your much more forward vis a vis the furler drum.
 
#8 ·
Faster, that's exactly what I wanted to do in the first place, but I couldn't quite find the right hardware - was hoping someone else knew of something that would work. I've seen the clamshell fittings for attaching a bimini, but then there's the whole "where does the bock go now?" question. I also saw a stanchion fitting from Harken that their blocks can go on, but I'm not sure it lets the block articulate enough to avoid straining the fitting's collar. So I'm back to wondering the best way to attach a block to that location!
 
#9 ·
add two tangs on the existing forestay pin and angle to match the pulpit upright. lash it to the upright and a soft attach tack block either forward or aft of the pulpit. the tangs will take the load and the lashing will hold it in place forward of the furler drum
 
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#14 ·
Wow - I love the custom mini-sprit! With a trip to a welder and some woodworking I coudl definitely do something like that in the future. For now I think I need to keep it a bit simpler, but I think that's going into my future projects list! Love the idea of carving the boat's name into that plate as well. Very classy.
 
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