I started work today on commissioning my E-30+ (purchased post-season last fall) for the new season. I noticed that the filament lines for the Dutchman system were in decent shape, but like many things, would eventually need to be replaced.
The problem is that I couldn't figure out how I would remove the topping lift. It seems like such a basic question, but if there was some exit for the wire or some line extension through the mast, I didn't see it. Of course, I could disconnnect the topping lift from the fitting on the boom by freeing the line on cleated on the boom, but the Dutchman has two clamps fairly far up the topping lift in the direction of the masthead that would need to be opened to insert the new filament.
At first, I thought that maybe the yard had disconnected the end of the topping lift that runs through the mast (I assume it runs through the mast and doesn't terminate at the head of the mast itself) when they shrinkwrapped the boat and that the bitter end got lost in the mast. That makes no sense, though, since (a) the Dutchman clamps weren't any lower than they were in the fall (i.e., the topping lift hadn't slipped), and (b) if there was an uncleated line outside the mast for the topping lift and since the topping lift didn't move much (if at all), there would have been some remaining line outside the mast.
So...can someone help me out here? What am I missing?
Many thanks,
Rob
The problem is that I couldn't figure out how I would remove the topping lift. It seems like such a basic question, but if there was some exit for the wire or some line extension through the mast, I didn't see it. Of course, I could disconnnect the topping lift from the fitting on the boom by freeing the line on cleated on the boom, but the Dutchman has two clamps fairly far up the topping lift in the direction of the masthead that would need to be opened to insert the new filament.
At first, I thought that maybe the yard had disconnected the end of the topping lift that runs through the mast (I assume it runs through the mast and doesn't terminate at the head of the mast itself) when they shrinkwrapped the boat and that the bitter end got lost in the mast. That makes no sense, though, since (a) the Dutchman clamps weren't any lower than they were in the fall (i.e., the topping lift hadn't slipped), and (b) if there was an uncleated line outside the mast for the topping lift and since the topping lift didn't move much (if at all), there would have been some remaining line outside the mast.
So...can someone help me out here? What am I missing?
Many thanks,
Rob