The original main that came with my Boyer A cat has a ring attached to the head of the mainsail which engages a hook at the masthead. The small black foam block provides enough forward tension to allow the ring to move aft slightly as it hits the hook, and spring forward as it tops the hook, to engage. Works well. The sail is then forced up the luff groove(no hlyd), and the mast is rotated 90 degrees, and the sail pulled down to disengage from the hook. Pretty similar to many beachcats. The newly acquired(used) sail has nothing to provide that slight forward tension. The ring hits the hook on the way up, is pushed aft, and stays there, not engaging the hook. I need a way to provide that small amount of forward pressure for the system to work properly. Ideas?
Dave
-- Have You Seen This? --
Re: Technical assistance requested
[Re: davefarmer]
#182310 06/18/0901:38 AM06/18/0901:38 AM
If you don't have a halyard, how do you "force the sail up"? Isotopes have the same ring-and-hook design (which we call the "Howard Hook") and we tie the halyard on the ring at the clevis (where the black spacer block is on the first picture). That way, the pull on the halyard keeps the ring forward against the luff track.
Regards, Eric
Re: Technical assistance requested
[Re: davefarmer]
#182329 06/18/0907:29 AM06/18/0907:29 AM
Think of the steps to lower the sail, push up, rotate away from the ring, pull down. Now do the same to hook the sail, rotate away from the hook, push up the final couple of inches, and rotate the hook into the ring, pull down onto the ring...
Re: Technical assistance requested
[Re: Isotope235]
#182338 06/18/0908:43 AM06/18/0908:43 AM
If you don't have a halyard, how do you "force the sail up"?
i was shocked when i first saw this myself... you simply feed the sail into the track.. and slide the sail up with your hands (pushing both sides of the sail). There is enough stiffness in the boltrope/sail to work...
Re: Technical assistance requested
[Re: ]
#182357 06/18/0910:09 AM06/18/0910:09 AM
Is the ring magnetizable? If it is a small magnet taped to the hook should do the trick... 316 is not magnetic, but who knows, if the sail maker cut some corners and sew in some 304, it may be.
And you can always superglue another magnet to the ring itself.
Easy-Hooking: Here is the real deal. Forget the sponge and wood bits. I have been very happy with Goop on my ring's shackle: it is polyurethane glue with solvent, like ShoeGoo but much softer. The trick is to put Goop in place on the shackle so that it cannot fall over sideways, and the ring is held in the correct position to hook properly. THUS: Put some on and let it get a bit stiff (10 minutes), keeping it in place with a little masking tape. Then put the sail up, tipping the A-cat over if necessary to hook it, and go sailing. When you come back in- the sail is MAGICALLY in the correct position for unhooking and rehooking for some months. Goop shrinks a little, so put a bit more on to restore Easy-Hooking. Goop does not really need to be permanently stuck to the sail's grommet
Last edited by dacarls; 06/18/0912:23 PM.
Dacarls: A-class USA 196, USA 21, H18, H16 "Nothing that's any good works by itself. You got to make the damn thing work"- Thomas Edison
Easy-Hooking: Here is the real deal. Forget the sponge and wood bits. I have been very happy with Goop on my ring's shackle: it is polyurethane glue with solvent, like ShoeGoo but much softer. The trick is to put Goop in place on the shackle so that it cannot fall over sideways, and the ring is held in the correct position to hook properly. THUS: Put some on and let it get a bit stiff (10 minutes), keeping it in place with a little masking tape. Then put the sail up, tipping the A-cat over if necessary to hook it, and go sailing. When you come back in- the sail is MAGICALLY in the correct position for unhooking and rehooking for some months. Goop shrinks a little, so put a bit more on to restore Easy-Hooking. Goop does not really need to be permanently stuck to the sail's grommet
The prescribed method is for halyard-less main (ie push-ups)?
