Mounting of outhaul and Cunningham
- Thread starter winever
- Start date
beldar boathead
Married to Primat Boathead
Most people put the outhaul cleat on the starboard side of the boom. That way it is easy to loosen it as you round the weather mark and head off on the reach or run. Starboard also works best when you take the long tail of the outhaul, bring it forward around the mast, and tie the end to the daggerboard handle. That permits you to pull the outhaul in from the deck as opposed to reaching to the boom. That's handy after you round the leeward mark on port and have to get the outhaul back tight!!
I am not sure if there is a "standard" for the cunningham. BB
David Loring likes placement of both on the port side of the boom for easy access when rounding marks on port. In his words at that rounding he likes to "pop those suckers" for max sail draw on the reach or downwind. Recently much has been written about locating them on the bottom. I am going to move mine to the bottom because our club has frequent starboard roundings and this would make them accessible
from both port and starboard. I'll let you know how this works out. dbstoner
matias
Member
I absolutely don't recomend you put the outhaul on the bottom of the boom, the mainsheet is going to break your rivets with strong winds
beldar boathead
Married to Primat Boathead
If they are on the port side and he is rounding marks to port, how does he pop them? Is he double-jointed?
Also agree holes thru bottom of boom are not a good idea. BB
Have to agree with BB. Visualize the following scenario:
Leaving the upwind mark to port, the boat will be on starboard tack. Then you want to bear off and increase the power in the sail by loosening the Cunningham (if necessary) and the outhaul. To get to the cleats, they better be on the starboard side of the boom...
Laser folks loosen the controls one or two boat lengths before getting to the windward mark.
Leaving the upwind mark to port, the boat will be on starboard tack. Then you want to bear off and increase the power in the sail by loosening the Cunningham (if necessary) and the outhaul. To get to the cleats, they better be on the starboard side of the boom...
Laser folks loosen the controls one or two boat lengths before getting to the windward mark.
moms hooked
New Member
My booms came to me with port side mountings. I read somewhere that you should pop them on the last port tack prior to the windward mark, so that on the last starboard tack you could concentrate on hitting the layline and making the rounding. Sounds like the advice of someone who approaches on port most of the time!
I wonder if putting them on port is intended to facilitate trimming back in to prepare for upwind when you round the downwind mark? That is often a port side rounding. I guess it depends which is more important to you--ease of popping them loose for downwind or ease of trimming back in for upwind.
I wonder if putting them on port is intended to facilitate trimming back in to prepare for upwind when you round the downwind mark? That is often a port side rounding. I guess it depends which is more important to you--ease of popping them loose for downwind or ease of trimming back in for upwind.
Saltybones
Member
I believe what dbstoner said must have been a mis-understading. David Loring, and most racers put their cleats on the bottom or on the starboard side. Since the majority of roundings are to port this makes the most since.
I recently moved my cleats to about the position Loring uses. I had both of them mounted on the bottom somewhere in the 50-55 inch range +/- 5inches. I had trouble reaching them at this position. Part of the problem was also the purchase system i had.
Now mine are about where Loring has his.
Cunningham: 41inches from the spar apex mounted on the bottom
Outhaul: Just a few inches forward of the front boom block mounted on the starboard side
I am also using Loring's purchase system (check out his video), but with a few modifications of my own. I love the Outhaul; Even if i forget to loosen the outhaul rounding the windward mark I can pop it loose as I gybe without missing a beat. The Cunningham isn't quite as easy to use but it works pretty well. I am working on making some mods of my on to this system.
I recently moved my cleats to about the position Loring uses. I had both of them mounted on the bottom somewhere in the 50-55 inch range +/- 5inches. I had trouble reaching them at this position. Part of the problem was also the purchase system i had.
Now mine are about where Loring has his.
Cunningham: 41inches from the spar apex mounted on the bottom
Outhaul: Just a few inches forward of the front boom block mounted on the starboard side
I am also using Loring's purchase system (check out his video), but with a few modifications of my own. I love the Outhaul; Even if i forget to loosen the outhaul rounding the windward mark I can pop it loose as I gybe without missing a beat. The Cunningham isn't quite as easy to use but it works pretty well. I am working on making some mods of my on to this system.
Port tack approaches to the windward mark can be a thrill, but usually end up in disaster for me
, especially when the windward leg is short and there are no holes to tack into.If I do approach on port, I will try to tack onto starboard a few boat lengths away from the mark.
moms hooked
New Member
I'm with you there Wavedancer. Starboard layline for me every time.
Starboard seems to be the consensus. Interesting comment about not putting holes on the bottom of the boom. Is that because the holes could weaken the boom when it is tensioned into a curve by a tight mainsheet? Some folks at my club are still considering the bottom of the boom so that they can get access from either tack.
Starboard seems to be the consensus. Interesting comment about not putting holes on the bottom of the boom. Is that because the holes could weaken the boom when it is tensioned into a curve by a tight mainsheet? Some folks at my club are still considering the bottom of the boom so that they can get access from either tack.