# Outhaul Rigging?



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Hi all,

Does anyone have handy pictures of their outhaul systems? I have a general idea of how to rig mine, but don't quite think I've got it right. Any help is appreciated. Thanks!


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

Here's a typical arrangement:










This will give adequate purchase for an effective outhaul in boats up to 35 feet or so... beyond that you'll need more power - preferably hydraulic!


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

If you're leading the running rigging aft, you can often get away without any outhaul block and tackle system, since you'll have a winch at the cockpit to tension the outhaul line. That's how mine is setup now. Maintaining the blocks in the boom can be a royal PITA.

BTW, Faster's diagram is showing two fiddle blocks, one with a becket and one without, and not four separate blocks.

















And it helps a lot to use a relatively low stretch line. StaSetX is an excellent choice for this purpose, since it is lower stretch and higher strength than regular polyester double braid, but relatively low cost. T-900 would be an even better choice, since it is even lower stretch and lighter too...but more expensive.


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## max-on (Mar 30, 2004)

SD, my outhaul is primitive too.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

LOL.... outhaul envy.... very sad. We'll get your boat up to snuff soon enough. 


max-on said:


> SD, my outhaul is primitive too.


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## jrutledge33 (Jan 13, 2008)

*big gear?*

holly cow, that's stout fiddle blocks for a 26 ft boat. 
I have micro blocks with 4 to 1 and 1/4 (or smaller) line running to a cleat a few feet down the boom from the mast (right over the front of the cockpit). everything is external. I would go all the way to the mast and back into the cockpit if it were a raceboat and expected frequent adjustments. since i cruise this boat, I set at the start of the day's sail and usually leave it.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

the photos were for illustrative purposes only, and did not imply fitness for the op's use in any way, but were to clarify the illustration Faster made.


jrutledge33 said:


> holly cow, that's stout fiddle blocks for a 26 ft boat.
> I have micro blocks with 4 to 1 and 1/4 (or smaller) line running to a cleat a few feet down the boom from the mast (right over the front of the cockpit). everything is external. I would go all the way to the mast and back into the cockpit if it were a raceboat and expected frequent adjustments. since i cruise this boat, I set at the start of the day's sail and usually leave it.


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## craigtoo (Aug 17, 2007)

My recommendation would be to attach a small block that can handle a wire line to the clue of your sail.

Buy an outhaul line that is StaSet (or X) that is spliced with 4 ft. of wire. If you have 4 - 6 feet of wire you probably won't need the the "X" type. But the wire will make it more expensive anyway because you have to pay for the splice...

Run the line (wire end) through the boom (from the mast) and over a boom end sheave, into the block which is attached to the slide at the clue of the sail, and terminate the end of the wire (which you had made with an eye) to the end of the boom.

Make sure that your sheave at the end of your boom can handle a wire-line. If not.. All bets are off...

You'll have a 2:1 advantage and not use up precious boom end sheaves.

I have a winch for trimming my outhaul.. but if I can avoid it.. I'd like to. Who wants to fish for a winch handle in the light Chesapeake air. (please don't ask why I have 6:1 mainsheet)

Also. I really hate hardware inside a boom. You can't easily (and therefore won't) maintain any hardware in a boom. (at least I won't!).. It will cause problems before you know it. 

craig.

Please note I've been traveling for 23 hours straight and am in a small town in Eastern Europe. God knows what the hell I'm doing on Sailnet.... I think I have a problem..


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

craigtoo said:


> ....I really hate hardware inside a boom. You can't easily (and therefore won't) maintain any hardware in a boom. (at least I won't!).. It will cause problems before you know it.


In our experience, Craig, because this tackle is inside the boom and out of the elements, problems are quite rare. Even when I recently had to replace the outhaul pennant (last part between tackle and clew) it was a relatively simple matter to pull the end cap off the boom and re-attach a new bit of spectra. (this will, of course, depend on boom design and construction....)



craigtoo said:


> Please note I've been traveling for 23 hours straight and am in a small town in Eastern Europe. God knows what the hell I'm doing on Sailnet.... I think I have a problem..


No problem worse than the rest of us... we all should be out sailing by now!!


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## craigtoo (Aug 17, 2007)

Fast,

Yeah... you're right... I'm just bitter because I spent an hour trying to get the end-cap off my 20 year old boom to no avail. Those screws hadn't been moved since day 1. And they ain't movin' now... not without drilling them out.

The internal blocks after 20 years had friction/jam... somewhere.. I don't know where. I may never know. I just re threaded the boom with a new outhaul as described above... now I know what I have and everything can be maintained from the outside....

stupid internal blocks...   (me=bitter)

craig


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Thanks for all the good ideas guys. Sure I can figure something out from that!


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## andydunbar (Feb 9, 2009)

*Outhaul*

Craig,

I picked up your post from googling 'outhaul' as I have a problem on my small 26ft yacht. The wire outhaul shackle that comes out of the aft end of the boom is jammed, the boom end is rivited on! I now have a general idea of how the system works in the boom, but as the boat is 20 years old I don't think I'll have much chance of freeing any thing up. I liked your idea about running the outhaul externally but you lost me in the 'sail speak' could you possibly explain it for a novice or provide a diagram. I have found the best way to learn about my boat is to fix bits - I'm learning lots!

Thanks

Andy



craigtoo said:


> My recommendation would be to attach a small block that can handle a wire line to the clue of your sail.
> 
> Buy an outhaul line that is StaSet (or X) that is spliced with 4 ft. of wire. If you have 4 - 6 feet of wire you probably won't need the the "X" type. But the wire will make it more expensive anyway because you have to pay for the splice...
> 
> ...


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## craigtoo (Aug 17, 2007)

Hi Andy,

Welcome to Sailnet!

I didn't run my Outhaul external.

Here's what I did. I cut the old outhaul out as best I could. I let the pulleys stay in the boom to rattle around and die...along with whatever wire I couldn't get out through either end.

I fished a new line with 4 ft. of wire spliced to its end through the boom. (From bow to stern)

I took the wire end out the end of the boom towards the stern.

I routed the wire UP through the sheave/pulley at the end of my boom.

I added a small metal single block (pulley) to the sail... and routed the wire end UP through the small block on the sail and terminated the wire at the end of the boom with a shackle.

To keep it simple, you could also just terminate the wire end at the sail and skip the block on the sail. Should be no problem for your boat.

Got it?

Good Luck!!!


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## craigtoo (Aug 17, 2007)

*Pic.*

Here's a pic.

The outhaul wire is run up through the pulley at the end of the boom.. (you can't see that bit) then through a small block on the car (triangular lookin' thingy) at the clew of the sail, then terminated at the end of the boom.

You could just run it up through the boom and terminate on the clew. Especially if you've got a winch to tension the outhaul already!


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