I need to replace the black foam block under the main head shackle, but am not sure what this stuff would be called at the Home Depot.

Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Thanks,
Jeff.

I eliminated the black foam and installed a halyard to raise and lower the main on my boat. I got tired of raising the main only to lower it again because the foam wasn't positioned correctly for the ring to lock onto the hook at the top of the mast. Sometimes it would hook on okay but would not unhook so you would have to tip the boat over on the beach to unhook it. For me, the halyard was the way to go and I just have to live with the little bit of extra weight that I carry aloft due to the halyard.

Jennifer Lindsay
Taipan 4.9 #262

I agree, get the halyard system. [censored] loads better and what ? 200 gram extra weight aloft ? BIG DEAL.

Otherwise I saw a Taipan sailor use a thick piece of neoprene off an old wetsuit. Seemed to work just as well (or badly) as the old rubber.

And I always wondered is a little sping (used the stand up blocks) couldn't be fitted up there and last for ever.

Wouter

Hi Jeff,
I used a peice of rubber cut out of a broken thong (hope thats what you call basic beach footwear) for the top of the main on Altered. You can choose the high density bits, just cut it very tight to fit your shackle. I love my push up mainsail wouldn't go back to a halyard if you payed me. Worth the bit of fiddling to get it right sometimes takes a couple of goes to hook up but found this with some halyards, comes down real easy.

Regards Gary.

Some of us have looked into the situation around halyard vs push-up more closely and we found the following.

A-cat sailors with carbon masts love their push-up sails.

Taipan/Blade sailors with alu masts hate the push-up sails

The difference seems to be caused by the differences in mainsail luff round and mast bend (prebend)

Of course Gary, you are using an old carbon A-cat mast and so you fit in this distinction very well as as good as all others.

So my advice to alu mast sailors (AHPC superwing) is to have a halyard. Push-up sails seems to work alright for a short while when the sails are still new and then the trouble start.

Wouter

Jeff-
Just got a whole load of stuff from Aus including a bunch of these! Send me your address and I'll send you one. I've been using the "pushup" on my sloop mast for years and halyard on my cat mast last year (I have a cat rig main with a rope luff for this sail so can't be "pushed" up) and I LOVE the "pushup"- No halyard to tie on/off or worry about losing/fraying/tangling/etc. I've even raised/lowered on the water (not easy though but can be done).
There are some "tricks"- The foam should be situated under the shackle of the ring/loop so there is more projecting to the rear- only enough in front of the shackle to keep it there. It should be very snug and centered over the masthead plate and hold the ring straight up. I always sort of "force" the ring forward as far as it will go before raising the sail (look at the hook at the top of the sail- it does not project out far and the ring must lie close enough to the mast it "catches" on the hook). Sometimes the ring will not seem to want to catch on the hook, it appears to be held off to the side - I just make sure the sail is all the way up and then "flick" the mast slightly side to side and it will usually catch then. You also need to make sure your luff tubing is not broken and is relatively "straight" (it will tend to take a "roll"- carefully sort of flex other way before raising). I still have my ORIGINAL Kevlar/mylar Goodall sloop main from 1997 that has been repaired and it catches just fine- sometimes even with the dang mud-dobber wasps making a home at the top of the mast groove! I have added non-slip on either side of the mast on my front beam and always stand straddling the mast, grab under a batten with fingers on each side and slide up, if you have quite a bit of prebend it will get tough at the end- so get that last batten a good hold and slide it all the way up. Another Aussie trick is to use your tiller (another reason they like them long and easily removed!) under the highest battencap you can reach to get it all the way up. Make sure the boom is not attached to the sail when raising or lowering, the boat is DIRECTLY into the wind and the mast is free to rotate.
Coming down is easy- take downhaul off, remove boom, straddle mast, push up as far as can, hold there, rotate mast ~90 degrees quickly (it sort of "pops" the ring out) and pull down. Other way is to use tiller to push up from tramp then rotate quickly and drop. Remember too to remove the luff from below the slot first so it can come down and out of the mast- I usually sort of "flake" the main as it comes down, using one hand to provide some tension so it doesn't just fall down.
The foam you want is very "closed cell" (ie dense)- I have used stiff syrofoam in a pinch but "flip-flop" or old black wetsuit material would work fine. Upholstery or "sealing" foam is generally too spongy and not stiff enough.
Hope this helps-

Kirt

Kirt,

I've never had any issues with the push up method, but the foam block that I have has split in two several times and there is just no more saving it.

I appreciate your offer to send me a block...nothing like OEM to make for a fast boat. I've sent my address to you via PM.

Jeff.

Jeff-
I'll try to get out this week! I also got a whole bunch of goodies- New Goodall snuffer mouth and bag, Dacron main, upgraded mast base and upgraded downhaul and my new spi designed to tack between the bows.
I can take some pics of the new mast bases if anyone is interested (and the snuffer hoop or whatever else you want).
Not sure when I'll be able to get the spi up- it's gotten sort of cold here lately but really looking forward to it!

Regards,
Kirt

Please include pics and pricing info for the snuffer hoop and bag...my Guck snuffer is almost dead.

Thanks,
Jeff.

Wouter

Kirt,

The foam arrived today. Thanks for helping me out.

Jeff.