DaySailer.org Forum

As a relatively new owner of a 1974 DSII, I am confused about the downhaul or cunningham. Here are my questions:

1) Are the two words identical in meaning?
2) The hole on the gooseneck is on the bottom, and it looks like I just run the line to the cleat on the mast. Is that right (can't see clearly enough the rigging image for the manual)?
3) I am thinking of adding a small block to the hole in the gooseneck to make it easier to haul down. Has anyone tried that?

Thanks a lot!

Jerry

The way you have it rigged now, it is called a downhaul, because it only holds the boom down against its stop.

The gooseneck is springloaded, so you can pull it out and turn it right side up so that the hole is at the top. A line is anchored to this hole and run up through the cunningham crinkle, THEN down to the cleat. This gives you a 2:1 purchase on the lower half of the sail, AND keeps the boom down against its stop. (you won't need a bolck) You will get a flatter luff, one part of the settings needed for a flatter sail for windy conditions. The other controls to help give you a flatter sail are the clew outhaul, boom vang, and mainsheet.

That makes sense, thanks.

I had seen a post of yours, I think, talking about going up through the crinkle, and that didn't fit what I saw on the boom.

Now back to the water--great boat!

If the line is run up through the cringle and back down to the cleat, doesn't it just pull against the halyard tension and pull the boom up? I dredged this up as my boat has 2ft or so of line hanging from the hole on the gooseneck fitting and I was wondering what to do with it. I figure it must have something to do with a downhaul or Cunningham application.

Some people have fixed goosenecks, some have sliding ones with a stop.

If the latter, you have a downhaul that pulls the boom down to the stop and keeps it there. It's a convenient system because it's easier to tension the sail by pulling the boom down against the halyard.

Then there's the Cunningham that attaches to a cringle 6" above the boom. You use it to stretch the luff. You can cleat that on the boom or below the boom. If you cleat it on the boom then the boom downhaul would have to hold the extra Cunningham tension as well, of course. You can't tie to the boom, if you didn't rig a downhaul and don't have a fixed gooseneck.

Have we forgotten any scenario?

My cunningham is rigged with a Harken 40 mm pivoting lead block with cam cleat, Harken model#2156. It is attached to the side of the mast below the cunningham cringle. A cunningham hook goes through the cringle.

When you come on hard with your vang you will get scallops on your luff. The cunningham will remove the scallops and move the draft of the sail forward.

I also use the cunningham when I reef. It gets the luff real tight which flattens the sail. I used to use the reef hook but I couldn't get enough tension with the halyard to get the sail flat. Also I had a hard time getting the reef cringle into the reefing hook with a new sail.

Happy Sailing, John

Got it, thanks. Looks like mine is the downhaul variety with the non-fixed gooseneck.