DS 1 topping lift

[TC]

In May last year I bought a nice 20 year old DS1, but haven't been able to get it in the water until this summer. Today, I "rigged up" in my drive way for a test run to see if everything worked and all the fittings were there. Went well until I mounted the boom............no topping lift and no place for one that I can see. There's no backstay either, but that appears to be "as designed". When the sail is up, the boom is supported, of course, but not when the sail is down. Can I/should I add a topping lift or build a boom brace? It seems I've seen a wooden boom brace somewhere, but can't remember how it was built. Anybody have a suggestion or a photo of a boom brace on a DS1?

[kokko]

I added a topping lift to Surprise. There are a lot of pics and discussions of such on this site. I put an eye at the top of the mast, and a turning block and clam cleat at the end of the boom.

[swiftsail]

If the main halyard is long enough, you can attach it to the outhaul and cleat it creating a topping lift.

[TC]

Thanks, kokko and swiftsail. I saw a "boom crutch" on the D&R Marine website; easy to make one myself. If that gets to be a nuisance this summer, I'll add a topping lift.

[TIM WEBB]

The thing about using the main halyard for a TL is it kinda defeats the purpose: the TL keeps the boom from going boom when you lower the main. To use the halyard, you have to lower the main first ...

Do yourself a favor and just put a TL on. Don't mess around with a boom crutch - just one more thing cluttering up the boat. Heck, the TL doesn't even need to be adjustable - mine's not. It's a set length that is just a wee bit longer than it would need to be when the main is fully tensioned (vang and/or mainsheet full on). If I need it to be shorter (setting up boom tent, etc.), I just give it a couple wraps around the aft end of the boom. It's passive, meaning I attach it when I ramp rig and detach it when I de-rig. Stays connected while sailing and doesn't interfere with anything ...

[seandwyer]

I have both topping lift and boom crutch. I tend to use the boom crutch to hold the boom beneath the tarp when parked on the trailer and the topping lift when I'm using the boat. I feel like the crutch / main sheet setup is more stable should a big storm come through. However--I also use the boom crutch if I am going to do a lot of motoring rather than just sailing away from the dock. When motoring and the boom held down by the main sheet firmly in the crutch, I like to stand in the boat holding onto the boom with one hand and the tiller in the other. It's a habit I formed early on. Once, I had the boom on the topping lift, stood up, reached out for the boom and...well, I didn't wind up in the drink, but should have. Back to the crutch.

[bnnauti]

I am very new to this and need some real clear help or some show and tell. The 17' Spindrift I just purchased (mid sheet boom arrangement-no traveler, no boom vang) has neither a crutch or topping lift. I would like to try the topping lift but aren't even sure how or where to attach it to either boom or mast to keep it out of the way. Could someone help a beginner?

Thank you!

[Alan]

topping lift swivel block - closeup.jpg (215.47 KiB) Viewed 14854 times

Topping lift at top of mast.jpg (138.05 KiB) Viewed 14854 times

Topping lift at boom.jpg (181.77 KiB) Viewed 14854 times

My setup has the topping lift line attached to the aft end of the boom with a carabiner, running over a cheek block at the top of the mast, and down to a swiveling block/cam cleat on the mast. I used it last week for the first time and I'm really happy with it. Most of my topping lift adjustments happened while I was also doing other stuff at the mast, so having the cleat there is convenient.

You can pull it tight and also pull the mainsheet tight when the boat's rigged but not sailing - that way the mainsheet and topping lift will pull against each other and hold the boom in one place. When you sail, you loosen it a bit so it doesn't interfere with the mainsail shape.

(My boat is a DSII, but that doesn't matter for a topping lift.)

[bnnauti]

Thank you for the clear, detailed images. Your description makes more sense to me now and it seems a perfect addtion.

[kokko]

I did it differently. I mounted an eye strap at the top of the mast, then a cheek block and a horn cleat at the end of the boom

[GreenLake]

Kokko's variant and all that are designed on a similar principle eliminate the line running along the mast.

[Alan]

Full credit where it's due: My basic setup design is borrowed from Roger Conrad, author of the DSII book on this forum, who wanted to be able to adjust the topping lift when the aft end of the boom was out to one side or the other, out of reach from the cockpit. All of my adjustments have been made from within the cockpit, so I can see his point.

The bowline at the aft end was done in haste, along with a lot of other stuff on the way to a longtime pre-arranged vacation. It works pretty well, but I'd really like to find a way of adjusting the topping lift from the aft end of the boom as well.

As soon as I fix the centerboard trunk leak, and, and...

[GreenLake]

Kokko's setup can be improved upon by running the line from the cheek block along the boom to a cleat further forward.

You'd be able to adjust the topping lift even when the end of the boom has swung out, but you'd need less line overall, there would be less weight aloft, and you'd avoid whatever drag and aerodynamic disturbance was caused by running a line along the mast.

Alan's setup can be improved by replacing the bowline with a rolling hitch (or one of its cousins). That would allow some adjustments to be made while standing at the end of the boom.

I'm still trying to figure out why the topping lift has to go the very top of the mast. Because the way the DS main is cut, it will extend past any straight line from tip of the boom to top of the mast, meaning that you couldn't sail w/o the topping lift having lots of slack anyway. So why not, then, save more line, weight and drag, and mount the eye-strap only 15' up?

[jeadstx]

My topping lift was made from a section of a O'Day Mariner backstay (3/32" SS cable). I put a SS tang on the masthead and bent the end of the tang an angle to line with the transom. I attached the old backstay end section (with a clevis pin) to the tang. The other end I attached a ring with a carbineer snap hook. it came to a point about two feet from the end of the boom (where the boom would sit with the sail up). I then attached a line to the end of the boom, ran the line thru a small block and then thru a cheek block on the end of the boom. I put both a small plastic horn cleat and a clam cleat forward of the cheek block. The small block attaches to the snap hook on the end of the old backstay segment. When sailing the line is loose so the topping lift will not interfere with the sail. When at dock or motoring, I can pull in on the line to raise the boom out of the way.

Topping Lift - Boom End.jpg (36.83 KiB) Viewed 14627 times

John

[seandwyer]

I used to have diamond stays on my mast. When I removed them, I left the tangs in place. Well, one day when pulling the main down in an emergency, in my haste, I caught the sail on one of the lower tangs and ripped a pretty nice slit in it. So, off came the lower tangs. But the upper ones looked like they were out of the way and could possibly be used for something. That's where the topping lift comes in.

I just hung a bullet block from one of the upper diamond stay tangs. Greenlake--this isn't nearly as low as you suggested, but certainly isn't at the very top either. I can tell you that it works fine, and from the way things look, it could be a bit lower even. If I had my choice I'd like to mount it in a manner so that in no instance did the topping lift come in contact with the sides of the sail, but that's not possible given the angle we're dealing with, so you may as well make it short and then give it some slack when sailing.