MacGregorSailors.com

Is Brian seahouse? I wish he would read this post - are you using his rotatating goosneck thing?

Have you tried it out in heavy wind and sea yet? Maybe Brian will let me test one (I hope) I could buy one from Brian and take it out for a test drive in the breakers.

Oh, and hey Matt, I already have my topping lift modified to it connects to a freely rotating trapeez on the end of the boom making the rolling movement hassle free (I unclip the main sheet block and clip it to the bottom of that trapeez and then the entire boom is free to rotate. But it can't do a reef because I don't think the trapez is strong enough to take that kind of pull at that angle.

BOAT wrote:So you have the bolted main working well with a feeder, eh? You can do that from the cockpit??

Yep, the spinlock sail feeder solves most if not all of the mainsail feed problems. And it bolts right into the track, no holes to drill or anything. Works great, if you have a bolted mainsail, you need one period.

BOAT wrote:How do you store the main on the boom? I mean, what do you do so that the bolt rope feeds properly without helping it?

I have to unroll the mainsail as I'm hauling it up, which is why I lead the halyard aft. It's not a smooth process yet with one person, but with two it's easy. Basically I'll unroll it a bit, haul it up a bit, and repeat.

BOAT wrote:Does your setup work well when it's windy?

Nope. It's a hassle just like any other kind of raising the mainsail in winds is a hassle. Like everything else you have to keep the helm pointed directly into the wind. I've torn the head of my mainsail hauling up at the mast base in high winds.

BOAT wrote:Is Brian seahouse? I wish he would read this post - are you using his rotatating goosneck thing?

He is, and I am.

BOAT wrote:Have you tried it out in heavy wind and sea yet? Maybe Brian will let me test one (I hope) I could buy one from Brian and take it out for a test drive in the breakers.

I recommend raising the mainsail in any conditions inside the harbor in Oceanside. Leave the mainsheet slack and don't unfurl the jib until your out. Too difficult to raise the main in 3ft. swells and 15 knot winds of Oceanside IMHO.

BOAT wrote:Oh, and hey Matt, I already have my topping lift modified to it connects to a freely rotating trapeez on the end of the boom making the rolling movement hassle free (I unclip the main sheet block and clip it to the bottom of that trapeez and then the entire boom is free to rotate. But it can't do a reef because I don't think the trapez is strong enough to take that kind of pull at that angle.

As much as I'm not a fan of topping lifts, I'll have to do this as well with the rolling boom. What I'm thinking for reefing is a standard bail at the end of the boom, and then using two mainsheets to keep the boom from rotating.

Matt

Okay Matt, thanks so much for so much help - I greatly appreciate it.

I will get the spinlock. As for the rotating goosneck - I will contact seahouse and see if he can help me.

Maybe he is reading the blogs.

Sorry BOAT - I'm trying to follow but can't post as frequently as I would like- leisure time has been minimal- I've been overloaded with work lately. Several interesting threads going on now too, so I would really LIKE to come out and play .

Briefly, I was hoping to take advantage of economies of scale for the pivot, but if you want one I'd be happy to make one for you for $90. Send me a PM through your control panel in this forum. If anyone else would like one too, drop me a PM.

Although the construction and materials are very strong, any fitting at this location can be damaged by the considerable leverage of the long boom if force is applied when the boom orientation is out of line with the direction of pivot. The topping lift effectively prevents damage from happening by maintaining the angle, but whenever you deliberately pivot the boom upwards it's just a simple a matter of being aware of it.

- Brian (One of several Brians at these forums).

Thanks Brian - I'm taking a trip to Minnys in Newport this weekend to talk to them about my issues and I might buy another sail while I am there - at the same time I am going to visit the Doyle Sail Loft because it's right next dooe to Minnys. After I talk to them and see all the hardware they have to offer I will get back to you. The whole rolling boom idea is giving me a lot of pushback from advice I'm getting from sailors, lofts, and boat yards - not because it's not a godd solid idea, but because of the ROTATING MAST - even the factory struggled with this issue and gave up because of the rotating mast twisting and adding an extra geometry to the stress angles under sail. I thing I bent my swivel during a jibe. I can't avoide rough water - it's just common here because of the location of my home port.

Your mod is a good deal at any price - I just don't know if I am going to give up on the rolling boom yet.

Thanks greatly fro getting back to me.