Hard Top as Boom Gallows

[thinwater]

Let's be honest; a topping lift is nothing but a nuisance, most of the time. It has to be slacked after every hoist, but tensioned before every drop. It chafes on the sail unless moved. It can hang up on battens.

It is useful for reefing underway. It is useful as a spare halyard. It is useful for securing the boom in very rough conditions, combined with the main sheet and an angled line.

But for usual work-a-day sailing, wouldn't a foam block with a slot for the boom and a strap to hold it in place be easier? The straps would be attached to the aft end of the bimini and the block would come out when not in use. I would apply some permanent padding to the bimini or boom for the times when I forget the foam block. The top seems more than strong enough, as long as the main sheet is not pulled hard.

Has anyone tried this? Is this practiced on any other cats with hard biminis?

[amytom]

My hard top has a plastic block running the width of the back end that the boom can rest on. I think it was meant more for protection of the solar panels but it could be used in place of the topping lift when the sail is down. I leave the topping lift on and tensioned so that when the sail is down the mainsheet pulls the boom down just enough to rest on the rail.