Sorry about the confusing description. I’ve never heard of a defrapilator,
but I think you may be on to something. In your view, does pulling the
masthead forward with this contraption increase speed enough to warrant all the
messing around? Stated another way, isn’t just relieving the backstay and
letting the chute pull the masthead forward good enough?
From: Dennis C. via CnC-List
Sent: Tuesday, September 25, 2018 1:34 PM
To: CnClist
Cc: Dennis C.
Subject: Re: Stus-List New topic: wire lead on the bow
Had to read your description a couple times. I hope I am visualizing it
correctly. The snap shackle is on the end of the wire that leads forward??
The thimble end leads aft??
OK, here's my best shot: it's a "defrapilator". Well. that's what we call a
similar arrangement on Touche'. The sailors in the Chesapeake area call it
something different but I don't recall the name. No, I'm not making this up.
:)
It is used to pull the masthead forward when flying a chute to get a bit more
projection on the chute. Here's how it works.
Once the chute is hoisted, the foredeck (bowman) hauls the headsail down
completely, re-feeds it through the pre-feeder and feeder and clips the
defrapilator snap shackle to the snap shackle on the head of the headsail. The
pit person takes the slack out of the halyard.
Now, I'm assuming there was a line attached to the thimble which ran aft to a
winch or something. Once the slack is removed from the halyard, the
defrapilator is tensioned to pull the masthead forward. Before the leeward
mark, the defrapilator snap shackle is blown and the headsail is hoisted.
On Touche', our defrapilator is a 3-4 foot length of line with snap shackles on
each end. It simply attaches to the bow stem plate and we pull the masthead
forward by tensioning the halyard.
Dennis C.
Touche' 35-1 #83
Mandeville< LA
On Tue, Sep 25, 2018 at 11:13 AM Matthew L. Wolford via CnC-List
<cnc-list@cnc-list.com> wrote:
Listers:
There is a wire lead, approximately three feet long, that runs through a
block that is integral to the forestay fitting on my bow. In addition to
holding the forestay, the fitting holds two snap shackles (port and starboard)
and has a wire lead turning block in the middle. The wire lead has a small
thimble on one end and a shackle on the other. The configuration (snap
shackles and wire lead block) is original to the boat, so it pre-dated the
roller furling unit and was undoubtedly used in conjunction with raising a
lowering sails while racing (like reducing from a No. 1 to a No. 2 without
going bare).
Two questions: 1) does anyone know what the wire lead was used for; and
2) can anyone think of a good reason not to eliminate the wire lead now that it
appears to be obsolete (and would rub against the roller furling drum if I
attempted to use it for anything)? Thanks in advance for your replies.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
_______________________________________________
Thanks everyone for supporting this list with your contributions. Each and
every one is greatly appreciated. If you want to support the list - use PayPal
to send contribution -- https://www.paypal.me/stumurray
_______________________________________________
Thanks everyone for supporting this list with your contributions. Each and
every one is greatly appreciated. If you want to support the list - use PayPal
to send contribution -- https://www.paypal.me/stumurray
