Halyard block for stays'l help

[Joe Nelson CS#35]

Can someone give me a visual on the attachment of the halyard block on the top of the mizzen WITH SLEEVE LUFF sails? With the nylon strap going over the mast top, I am having a diffucult time deciding how to attach it. Should it be located fore/aft? I am wondering if some kind of nylon strap would be a good idea (like for attaching the snotter)...since screws going into the plywood plug might not hold real well under high stress.

My CS20 is loaded on the trailer and heading for the Depot Bay Wooden Boat Show this weekend. Working on last minute details. There is nothing like a deadline to get your boat done! I will get some good pics and post after the show. She is being blessed in a ceremony along with other new boats. Jamie Orr is coming from Victoria BC and will play his bagpipes during the ceremony. I'll bet with Graham's recent victory at Watertribe that the boat will get a lot of attention.

[JeffM]

Joe, I drilled holes angled across the (okume) end cap, poured in a little epoxy, then screwed in waxed #10 by 2" ss screws. (They're a pain to get in and out, and probably overkill, so this season I've shortened them some.) After the epoxy was well-set, I took out the screws, put on the sail, then screwed them back with the eyestrap as shown. (This is for show--my block still needs to go on the eyestrap.) They're on the front of the mizzen, since the stays'l has to set equally on either side. Because of the tightness of the space, the edge of the luff sleeve does get pinched a little under the edge of the eyestrap. Since I've only sailed six times, and only used the stays'l once so far, jury is still out on how much damage that will do. That one time the stays'l worked fine.

[Joe Nelson CS#35]

Thanks Jeff. I am looking for a solution that requires less rigging. I may have to result to your solution though. I am thinking of a sewn nylon strap of sorts, that would slip over the top of the mast with the block attached???

[JeffM]

Do you have your sails? On mine, there is no length of luff sleeve above the head--anything wrapped around the masthead would have to fold the leach against the mast and spoil the sail shape. If you wanted an attachment that would avoid the plug and stay with the sail, I suppose you could sew a webbing loop to the existing webbing loop from one side to the other and hang a block from that. The webbing is strong enough, but I'm not sure I'd trust the sail's stitching to take the load. I suppose that, with the halyard doubling as stay, most of the load on the loop would be downward, taking advantage of the existing webbing's strength. Hmmm...