Boom rubbing on deck, gooseneck sliding downwards

nickspacek

New Member
Hi folks, I picked up a new-to-me Sunfish last fall. I replaced the sail and attempted to set out today, but had a hard time getting the sail positioned properly. The more I raised the upper spar, the more the spot where the boom and upper spar meet would dip toward the deck. I tried to raise the boom and gooseneck up the mast and put some tension on the main sheet but it slowly slid back down.

As recommended elsewhere, I have the halyard tied between the 9th and 10th sail clips. I may have shifted the gooseneck when I was replacing the sail. I found a variety of measurements about where these things should be positioned but nothing seemed to mention this problem.

Any help appreciated!
 
When fully raised, is the boom (meaning, the lower spar) level?

It was not level, and the more I raised the less level it got. I had originally been following the instructions to tie on between the 9th and 10th sail clips, however the replacement sail I had (a Christmas gift) is not a Sunfish brand and I'm wondering if it might have fewer clips with larger spaces in between, making the 9th/10th position too high. I ended up using some measurements instead (specifically, the "day sailer" position of 74" from the end) and at that position things are much better and just right for a beginner like me!

Sorry for the late responses, but thanks very much for the suggestions (and confusion)... the responses actually led me to really investigate the position that I had tied the halyard since that seemed to be what everyone was questioning!
 
Nick - Sounds like the knot on your halyard is slipping. Put some tape (duct tape works best) just past your knot and that will keep it from slipping up on the spar.

Good luck.
 
Nick - Sounds like the knot on your halyard is slipping. Put some tape (duct tape works best) just past your knot and that will keep it from slipping up on the spar.

Good luck.

Thanks, it was slipping with a clove hitch initially even with the tape. Now that I've changed the position and switched to a rolling hitch I haven't had any slippage.
 
I would review a few of the various Sunfish rigging guides out there to make sure you have it set up correctly.
I have a blog post with links to several of them here: sunfish rigging guide(s)

A couple key dimensions (from Starboard Passage Sunfish)
Halyard location:
106"-107" measured upwards on the upper spar starting at the point where the black cap meets the upper spar on the bottom. Lowering halyard location raises the height of the boom above the deck.
Gooseneck:
You can set the gooseneck between 12" and 22" but I recommend starting at 14" or 16” from the point where the black cap meets the boom at the front.​
 
I don't know what others do, but I wrap electrical tape before I put the gooseneck on, and don't tighten the gooseneck all that firmly.
 
I used hockey stick tape. Twist it some as you wrap around and it will make a hump that won't slip over. My experiance with electrical tape like the manual said is that electrical tape degrades in heat. I would have used duct tape but I had the hockey tape handy. As a noob, I found it useful to set things up on dry land and practice rigging and verifying your goosneck is in the desired position to get the angle on the mast you want so you can tack in comfort.
 
Halyard is tied to gaff most often at two locations. 54 inches for recreational use and 74 inches for racing or somewhere in between. Goose neck is adjusted so that boat points into with slight rudder correction. Use tape of
your choice on both sides of where you tie the boom-hitch knot to the gaff to keep the knot from slipping up the gaff. Proper sail setup will give a boat that tracks nicely when tacking or close-hauled.
 

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