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Mystery halyard

HerbertFriedman

Member III
I am having the rigging replaced on my E34 and I discovered several faults; sheaves frozen, spreader paint failure, etc. But I see there is an empty sheave between the upper spreader and the mast top, and an empty halyard exit plate near the bottom. Any idea what this (missing) halyard should be used for?

There is spinnaker gear, which I never use. There are two halyards on the forward side of the mast run through sheaves at the mast top. I presume one is for a spinnaker halyard and the other for a spinnaker pole topping lift. Both halyards are substantial, at least 3/8, maybe 7/16 so using one of these lines for just a topping lift seems like overkill.

There is also a pole mounted on the deck which could be used for a spinnaker but since this pole is extendable, I presume it is a whisker pole. It is my understanding that a spinnaker pole is solid, i.e. no extendable, but maybe it could be used as a spinnaker pole if not extended. This pole has a ring fitting (hose) clamped on the upper side of the outboard end for a topping lift but all the spinnaker poles I have seen have a bridle so that the topping lift attaches at the mid point of the pole not the outboard end. The outboard end fitting has a spring loaded catch so that once cocked, when the fitting hits the spinnaker or genoa sheet, it snaps closed. The inboard end fitting is just spring loaded and attaches to an adjustable ring on the forward side of the mast. Any thoughts on this pole arrangement?
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Sheaves and Poles

I am having the rigging replaced on my E34 and I discovered several faults; sheaves frozen, spreader paint failure, etc. But I see there is an empty sheave between the upper spreader and the mast top, and an empty halyard exit plate near the bottom. Any idea what this (missing) halyard should be used for?

There is spinnaker gear, which I never use. There are two halyards on the forward side of the mast run through sheaves at the mast top. I presume one is for a spinnaker halyard and the other for a spinnaker pole topping lift. Both halyards are substantial, at least 3/8, maybe 7/16 so using one of these lines for just a topping lift seems like overkill.

There is also a pole mounted on the deck which could be used for a spinnaker but since this pole is extendable, I presume it is a whisker pole. It is my understanding that a spinnaker pole is solid, i.e. no extendable, but maybe it could be used as a spinnaker pole if not extended. This pole has a ring fitting (hose) clamped on the upper side of the outboard end for a topping lift but all the spinnaker poles I have seen have a bridle so that the topping lift attaches at the mid point of the pole not the outboard end. The outboard end fitting has a spring loaded catch so that once cocked, when the fitting hits the spinnaker or genoa sheet, it snaps closed. The inboard end fitting is just spring loaded and attaches to an adjustable ring on the forward side of the mast. Any thoughts on this pole arrangement?

Sheaves that do not want to turn can be freed up with some torque and some MacLube. Usually.
Have not heard of paint on spreaders. They are usually anodized aluminum. Your boat (unless it was re-rigged) likely has a spar system very similar to our Kenyon system. Some Ericson's did have painted spars - black or white - and yours might be one of them. Is there paint on your mast section? Is it bubbling around the fittings ?

Sheaves at the mast head would be for halyards. Our spar has three on them facing forward -- one for the jib and two "wing" halyards for hoisting a spinnaker on either gybe.

There is very likely a sheave box and smaller sheave on the face of the spar, up somewhere above the lower spreader. It is for the pole lift. And, yes, it has a an exit slot somewhere near the goose neck.

You are right about your pole & limitations. Extendible poles are for holding out the genoa for sailing wing and wing. Those poles will collapse under the greater forces of a spinnaker.
Having a ring in the middle of the *spinnaker* pole works pretty well for boats under about 22 feet LOA, with smaller loads, where they are less likely to kink the ($$$) pole under a reaching load. For spinnaker work you do want a pole with double bridles. Does your boat have a swivel block mounted on the fore deck somewhere for leading a line aft for the pole downhaul?

Gotta say, the 'trigger' end on the pole is a nice feature. Our boat came with a spinnaker pole with this fitting on each end. Being from a salt water environment, (SF Bay) and suffering much neglect, both pole ends were frozen solid. I spend some time cursing at and refurbishing that pole... and it still works fine. :)

There are a number of Ericson 34 and 35-3 owners that will be checking in and should have relevant information for you. Your boat sets a good-sized chute and will be fun to sail with one.

Note that if you are sailing in a venue where you can avoid sailing DDW, you can also use an asymmetrical chute and bypass the need for a pole.
"Choices and Options" as the saying goes.
 
Last edited:

bgary

Advanced Beginner
Blogs Author
For spinnaker work you do want a pole with double bridles.

Agree with all of the above, but would add: pole configuration for a symmetrical spinnaker depends on how the spinnaker will be gibed.

If doing end-for-end gibes (do-able on up to about 35-foot boats), there will usually be a symmetrical bridle for both the topping lift and the foreguy so that the pole "works" with either end attached to the mast.

On larger boats, for symmetrical spinnakers, the "dip-pole" gibe is more prevalent. In this case the spinnaker pole often has a dedicated "mast" end and a dedicated "outboard" end. The fittings will be different (only the outboard end generally has that trigger-operated fitting). And often the topping lift (and foreguy) attach directly to the outboard end.

Bruce (ahhhh, memories of my mis-spent youth on the bow of IOR boats...)
 

HerbertFriedman

Member III
thanks all for the information. Regarding the sheaves at the mast top, the jib sheet appears just to be "frozen", when you loosen the jib halyard, you cannot move the sheave with your finger but it appears to be OK. The sheave for the main halyard is worse. There is a plate on one side of the mast that appears to have the axle for the sheave welded to it. But on the other side of the mast, there is a hole and looking into that hole, you see the end of the axle not in the hole but about a half a hole diameter shifted, so it appears that the axle is not well supported. This could account for the high friction I feel when trying to hoist the main. I would have thought there should be a fitting, probably stainless steel, that the axle slips into but there does not appear to be any such fitting, just a hole with the axle displaced. Strange?

Regarding the pole, from your description, it appears that the pole was set up for dip pole gybing since there is a trigger fitting only on the outboard end and the ring for the topping lift is only on the outboard end of the pole. One problem with the trigger fitting, it is great to set the pole since once you set the trigger, it only needs to rest on the sheet to engage. But when you need to gybe or remove the pole, you have to go to the outboard end to pull the short lanyard to release the trigger. Maybe the solution to that problem is to rig a thin wire connecting both end fittings with a ring near the mast end so that by pulling on the ring in either direction, you can disengage either end of the pole. Do you agree?

Turns out I do not have a swivel block on the foredeck for the downward line (after guy?) so maybe this pole was used only for a whisker pole not a spinnaker. In any case, I plane to put a thin line through this mystery sheave and mast exit fitting since now that the mast is down, its pretty simple.

Again, thanks for your great help.
 

bgary

Advanced Beginner
Blogs Author
...so it appears that the axle is not well supported... a fitting, probably stainless steel, that the axle slips into but there does not appear to be any such fitting, just a hole with the axle displaced. Strange?

The "sheave box" built in the top of a Kenyon mast is a set of vertical aluminum plates welded into the masthead. The axles for the sheaves are supported by holes in those plates.

The axle itself doesn't turn (in fact, it can't, because that "cover plate" is welded to it) - the sheaves have to be able to rotate on the axle. And the axle isn't supported on either side by the walls of the mast itself - all the load is carried by the "sheave box" inside the masthead.

If there is a hole in the masthead on the opposite side of the mast from the cover plate, it probably means someone had to remove an axle at some point. When I pulled mine, Buzz Ballenger told me that if the axle is stuck in the masthead, about the only way to get it out is to drill a hole in the opposite side and tap it with a punch - pulling on the cover plate will probably only cause the cover plate to break off (it's not structural)

Bruce
 

Christian Williams

E381 - Los Angeles
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
It sounds like you do have all you need to wing out the genoa.

Put a bridle on the whisker pole and use one of the spare halyards. All there is too it.

It really only comes up if you have a distant destination dead downwind.

The pole ends usually need cleaning and dry lube, and the pins sanding if they don't get used much. No grease, it might get on sails.
 

HerbertFriedman

Member III
Bruce, thanks for clearing up the mystery. I will have the yard pull the sheaves to a make sure they are well seated in the aluminum plates and also to make sure they turn freely.

Christian, So I can use the spare halyard as a topping list, but as long as the mast is down, I will add a lighter line for the topping lift using that spare halyard sheave and exit plate.
 
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