Topping lift

[Chuck]

Hi, my 23 came with a furling headsail so I have a spare halyard which I was thinking of turning around so that it can be used as a topping lift.  I get a little concerned when the boom is tied to the pigtail in the backstay if wind is strong and I want to lower the main or reef.  Has anyone tried this?, and what are the pros and cons of this?  Any feedback would be appreciated.  Thanks, Chuck

[brackish]

I did exactly that, used the spare mast head sheave, but I saved the larger halyard to use for my asymmetrical and made up a topping lift with 1/4" double braid with an eye splice and a very small shackle.  There is very little weight on the topping lift and the smaller the topping lift line the better (less line weight flopping about when you have it slacked). Initially, I used the lead blocks, organizer and spare clutch on the port side, but plan to use that for the spin haylard and am in the process of installing a stand up block and cheek block to lead it back to a new jam cleat on the starboard side.

topping lift eye splice:

[bmiller]

I use a boomkicker. http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|118|319697|311639|2611|311599&id=96724

Works great and you still have that halyard for something else. Just make sure you use a vang with it.

[Bob23]

Chuck:
   My  23 also came with a furling headsail and I've used the spare halyard as a topping lift with no problems. In addition, when my boat's moored, I fly a steadying sail which the topping lift supports. I tie it pretty tight since it needs to stay flat in order to work correctly and I've had no problems with that old halyard, which looks to be original vintage 1985.
   If I were to fly a spinnaker, I'd follow Bracks lead.
Best, Bob23

[newt]

Ok guys, its time to educate me. How do you get the jib up the furler without a halyard? I only have two halyards, one for the main and one for the jib...

[brackish]

Ok guys, its time to educate me. How do you get the jib up the furler without a halyard? I only have two halyards, one for the main and one for the jib...

CDI FF2 furlers normally specified for the 23 have their own internal halyard to install and remove the sail.   The halyard runs inside the furler foil extrusion.  You use a messenger line if you want to remove or change headsails.  If you have a different furler that might not be the case.  Page two and three of the manual show how it works.

http://www.sailcdi.com/sailpdf/FF2%20manual%207_06.pdf

[Bob23]

Brackish speaketh the truth. My CDI is the same. Thus freeing up the original jib halyard. For whatever.
Bob23

[Craig Weis]

"I get a little concerned when the boom is tied to the pigtail in the backstay if wind is strong and I want to lower the main or reef."  

I have my boom hung from the back stay with a Q/D and occasionally reef her in with the factory Jiffy Reef system. The head sail is on a Harken '00' furler. Over many years never a problem. Of course reefing is done prior to it being necessary. I have no lazy jacks nor boom kicker. I do have a boom vang. I turn into the wind to lower the main so wind is not a concern.

So how come you ended up with a 'spare' head sail halyard using a CDI furler? I need the halyard to hold up the top 'business end' of my Harken.

skip.

[brackish]

Skip asked:

So how come you ended up with a 'spare' head sail halyard using a CDI furler? I need the halyard to hold up the top 'business end' of my Harken.

The CDI is installed with the existing headstay inside the furler luff extrusion.  There is no raising or lowering the furler itself, It comes down when the mast comes down.  The link I provided above is to the instruction manual, if you read the installation instruction you will see more clearly than I can explain.

[Craig Weis]

"The CDI is installed with the existing headstay inside the furler luff extrusion.  There is no raising or lowering the furler itself, It comes down when the mast comes down.  The link I provided above is to the instruction manual, if you read the installation instruction you will see more clearly than I can explain."

So is my standing rigging installed within the harken furler. But the part at the mast head that remains stationary but holds the sail up and allows the entire body of the furler to spin on the head stay requires a haylard.  So it'sUp at the beginning of the season and down at the end of the season with the mast..