[C320-list] Outhaul

[Mark Seyler]

I’m having trouble trying to pull the outhaul farther out of the end of the boom on my 320.

When taking the main off the boom to prep for Hurricane Ida, my helper apparently pulled on the outhaul at the forward end of the boom, and the outhaul now stops 2 inches from the clew of the (non-furling) main. I can’t get the outhaul to pull out of the boom to meet the clew, presumably because of friction in the multi-part purchase inside the boom.

I have tried using a 4 part block and tackle to get more of a pull on the end of the outhaul, and alternately pulling and releasing the outhaul at the forward end of the boom. I can’t really see into the boom to see if anything else is blocking the outhaul.

Any suggestions?

Mark Seyler
Sent from my iPhone

[P.F. Ross]

Mark,

Take a look at the Charleston Spar C320 Manual found on the website

https://c320.org/filemgmt/viewcat.php?cid=8

It shows how the 3:1 outhaul purchase is arranged and I believe the blocks
are just loose inside the boom. Perhaps they have gotten twisted around.
I have heard of others reaching in with a long wire to try to loosen them
up. Or you could try just energetically jostling both ends of the outhaul
to see if something loosens up.

Diff subj: How did you do during Ida? We were thinking of you!

We are frequent visitors to NOLA since our son went there to college in
2001 and is still there. Got to see how Katrina affected him as well as
the region.

Regards,

Frank Ross
"Beta Wave" #206
Naples, FL

[Mark Seyler]

Thanks for the quick response. It’s one of the things I love about this group. But it turned out the missing element in my efforts was patience.

I set up a block and tackle pulling the outhaul toward the mast by a nylon dock line, stretched the line as tight as I could get it, and tied it off to the mast, then tried pulling the outhaul on and releasing it, over and over. Nothing. So I posted on the list, and switched to another task. About 20 minutes later I give the outhaul one more yank, just out of frustration, and it loudly pops loose. Go figure.

Frank, I personally came through Ida pretty well; a few shingles off the roof, a little piling rash on the boat, but nothing too bad. The biggest immediate inconvenience in most of the New Orleans area was downed power lines, trees and limbs, and the resulting loss of electric power, potable water and reliable sewer service. But those things are restored in almost all of the New Orleans area now, and the most common complaint now is that garbage pickup is very slow.

But Ida was an honest Cat 4, and many folks “down the bayou” (closer to the Gulf of Mexico) got clobbered, flooded, or both. Many homes and businesses were destroyed, some areas still don’t have power and many people are displaced. I would encourage folks to support the charitable organization of their choice.

Mark Seyler
Sent from my iPhone