Jib halyard ends with a 4:1 block???

[village idiot]

Hi all,

I've been sailing low tech for several years (hobie cats and most recently a 19' mariner) and figured it was time to move up to a boat big enough for the family to weekend on. I was looking for some time, but recently found a nice '83 C+C 29. It's already out of the water and shrink wrapped for winter but, needles to say, I'm dreaming of warmer weather already.

My question is, the jib halyard ends not with a simple shackle, but with 2 blocks (and a separate line) that give a 4:1 advantage. It just seems strange having all that equipment way up at the head of the sail if I can just winch the halyard tighter. Am I missing something???

Thanks for any help

[rugosa]

Definitely not a C & C arrangement, would be a regular halyard with snap shackle. Probably something the owner made up, UNLESS it was used to fine tune lifting something aboard, like a dinghy? If you don't have a manual I have one for 1985 C & C 32, but there is a lot of detail covering the whole lineup, same with Barient diagrams.

[Faster]

There would not be a tackle at the head of the sail between it and the halyard.. even if you wanted some power how are you going to adjust it? - and there's no room there in any event.

Is the mast down? Could it be the halyard is connected to the cunningham tackle for storage?

[RobGallagher]

Originally Posted by village idiot

Hi all,

I've been sailing low tech for several years (hobie cats and most recently a 19' mariner) and figured it was time to move up to a boat big enough for the family to weekend on. I was looking for some time, but recently found a nice '83 C+C 29. It's already out of the water and shrink wrapped for winter but, needles to say, I'm dreaming of warmer weather already.

My question is, the jib halyard ends not with a simple shackle, but with 2 blocks (and a separate line) that give a 4:1 advantage. It just seems strange having all that equipment way up at the head of the sail if I can just winch the halyard tighter. Am I missing something???

Thanks for any help

Sounds like this is not the set up for sailing. Could be they just stuck the vang there for the winter. Maybe to tighten up the halyard so it won't slap against the mast and spreaders.
I guess it could be some crazy concoction to adjust headsail tension, but I sort of doubt it....is the line long enough to lead aft?...still crazy, but you never know what some people will come up with...then again...

[paulk]

We had an 8:1 "magic box" jib downhaul tensioner on our Soling. The possibilities are endless, but I agree, you wouldn't want the tackle up the mast (Weight & Windage!). You'll have to wait until Spring and the sails go on to see where things may fit together.

[groundhog]

Possibly it is used with the new high-tech low stretch lines that they are putting in the headsails. Also used with code-zero furlers?

From what I understand, you have to tension these sails that are not attached to the headstay really really hard. You are in effect tensioning the luff of the headsail like it is a headstay.

To do this you need more than 1:1 halyard and a winch. You need 2:1 or 4:1 I guess...
groundhog

[village idiot]

Thanks for taking time to help with this. The mast is up but it's shrink wrapped right now so I feel a little handicapped trying to figure out where all the lines are going. Even though I'm no closer to figuring out what the blocks/extra line is for, at least I feel better knowing that its not something super obvious.

Its not the vang (boom still attached with vang in place) and it sounds to me like it was just clipped to the end of the jib halyard for storage. I'm left trying to figure out what else would use a 4:1 advantage for up front.

Unfortunately the seller is unavailable so I'm a little on my own here. I took a picture of the brochure where the blocks seem to be clipped to the cabin top (just behind the shrouds) which makes me think it's a pretty standard feature, so maybe I'm misreading which wire is the halyard (curse that shrink wrapping!).

This is probably one of those things that will be apparent in 2 seconds come spring time, but it just bugs me I can't figure it out NOW.

[Peas]

It's the baby stay and the blocks are actually clipped to the deck in front of the mast, behind the forestay.

You will want the 4:1 advantaged to pull the mast forward when beating to windward.

Some other C&C's will actually have the baby stay come back to a cabin top winch for more power.

[Jeff_H]

It may also be the spinnaker pole downhaul or a jib cunningham. If it is the babystay tackle it would be several feet aft on the deck from the forestay.

[village idiot]

Thanks you Peas. Babystay tackle seems to make the most sense as to why I would need the mechanical advantage, and is a control I've never had to deal with. I saw the wire rope leading up the mast (through the wrapping) and just assumed it was jib halyard but that must be incorrect.

I'll sleep better tonight. Thanks again for all the suggestions.