Gaff Halyards Trouble

[Dave R1]

I've been working on the running rigging for my Weekender and ran into a problem. The peak and throat halyards lead down from aloft to stand up turning blocks mounted at the front of the cabin roof and from there, aft to cam cleats near the aft edge of the cabin roof. The peak halyard comes down on the port side and the throat comes down on the starboard side. (I might decide I need to run them both down the same side to make them easier to work together.)

The problem I have noticed is that due to the rake of the mast and the location of the turning blocks, the halyards come down over the jaws at their narrow part along the gaff. This seems to prevent the gaff from swing from side to side as far as I think it should. Maybe it really shouldn't and I'm worried for nothing.

If it should swing, though, what's the fix? Should I move the turning blocks outboard toward the corners of the cabin roof? I'd appreciate any suggestions. Thanks.

[capt jake]

Though I have yet to hoist me gaff with a sail, I have done it several times without. I noticed the same thing while setting up the rigging. Mine 'seems' to work if I make a point of leading the halyards to the outside of the jaws on the initial hoist. From there it seems to act fine.

I used turning block on the mast that lead back to cam cleats on the cabin roof.

[Dave R1]

My halyards run outside the jaws, too. I attempted to run them inside the jaws last night while I was playing around with this but I don't like the chafe issue and besides, once I got the throat almost up all the way, the jaws were so tight against the lines that I couldn't really move the halyards.

Another strange thing I have happening is a twist in the peak halyard between the block at mid-gaff and the double block on the mast. I think a switch to a fiddle block might cure that, though.

[capt jake]

Sorry Dave, I walked away and then realized that we were talking two different things. I don't think that the tension of the halyard on the jaws will prevent movement when under sail.

As far as teh twist, is it in the line itself?? I have had to fun my lines through their paces several times to untwist them. Braided line doesn't like twists.

[Dave R1]

Yeah, the twist is in the peak halyard between the two blocks. The block on the gaff is a swivel but the double is not. Maybe I need to pull that line out and see if I can work out the twist before rerunning it.

[capt jake]

I was able to work the twist out while it was still in place. Just have to keep working at it!

[capt jake]

I was able to work the twist out while it was still in place. Just have to keep working at it!

[Fintan Murphy]

Dave,

if I am reading you right, you have the lines coming from the blocks on the top of the mast, to turning blocks at the front of the cabin.

I think others, and the Stevensons video, have turning blocks on the mast base, (level with the top of the cabin). In this scenario, the lines lead down the side of the mast, whereas in yours they come out from the mast, which is causing the problem you report.

You ask if you should move the turning blocks to the corners of the cabin, my suggestion is to move them to the side of the mast.

Hope this helps

[Arnie Eaton]

Fintan is right. Run the lines to a support fastened to the mast base, thru the turning blocks and then back to the cockpit over the cabin. Works for me.

[Richard Norman]

I used cheek blocks mounted on the mast at the same height as the cabin. Run the lines down the forward side of the mast (inside the gaff jaws but outside the retaining line) through the cheek blocks and over to guides on the cabin top.

[Frank Hagan]

I used stand-up blocks on the cabin top, but my mast is located just an inch and a half in front of the cabin top. The halyards are then led aft on the cabin top to cam cleats.

I would route both halyards down the same side of the mast. The amount of swivel/twist you need with the gaff at the mast won't be impeded by the halyards. They lie on the outside of the gaff jaws where they narrow to the gaff, and even when the halyards are tight, there's enough give for the gaff jaws to rotate either direction easily.