Running lines to Cockpit and other ideas to make sailing easier

[Sheppie62]

As my boat is without a topping lift or boom kicker, the sail is only thing that holds the boom up. I have my wife turn into the wind, I clip the boom to the backstay and quickly pull the sail down. I guess my question is what’s better a topping lift (clipped, or lead back to cockpit) or a boom kicker/ boom vang? Obviously a boom kicker/ boomvang setup is more expensive is it worth it?

[leefrankpierce]

I added a lazy jack which holds the boom up while it is catching the sail.
Just needed some rope and time.
To me, the topping lift got in the way of the sail.

[topcat0399]

As my boat is without a topping lift or boom kicker, the sail is only thing that holds the boom up. I have my wife turn into the wind, I clip the boom to the backstay and quickly pull the sail down. I guess my question is what’s better a topping lift (clipped, or lead back to cockpit) or a boom kicker/ boom vang? Obviously a boom kicker/ boomvang setup is more expensive is it worth it?

I can't speak for a boom kicker, my vang is mere tackle.

But until you decide what is best for you,
I urge you to pull down the main completely with the boom end
just dropping into the cockpit before hooking up that backstay pigtail.

It is way safer, and if anyone has to do it alone that is what they MUST do.

That pig tail can be a real hazard, as convenient as it is....

[green]

I have a 2002 26x. I my opinion, in order of importance, the most useful things to make sailing easier and more enjoyable, especially single-handed, over long distances or in challenging weather, are:

9. If you don't already have one, also recommend putting a halyard block at the top face of the mast (essentially a spinnaker block) so you can run an additional line from the mast to the bow pulpit. While it doesn't make sailing easier, it potentially makes it safer. Having your mast fall unexpectedly into the cockpit seems to be the most common catastrophic failure.

I'm curious to learn more about this setup. Would this type of block work?

[NiceAft]

I ran my lines to the cockpit in as simple a way I could.

I ran three lines down the mast (only 2 in photo), through the triple block. The mast is down so ignore the lines going aft.


From there, through the organizer.


And finally…



The three lines are for the Main, the Topping Lift, and the halyard in front of the mast.