505 Rigging Ideas
Updated May 30, 2005
by Alexander "Ali" Meller
Here are some rigging parts and ideas I have come across. Some of these Larry Tuttle explained to me,
others I noticed at world championships, or at work. In most cases I did not first think of these,
rather I am simply describing what some other 505 sailors and riggers have figured out.
Spinnaker Pole Stuff for the Long Luff Spinnaker
Raising the Topping Lift Lead on the Mast
The Long Luff Spinnaker (LLS) is 1000mm longer on the luff than the old 5 meter (5000mm) luff spinnaker, but the maximum spinnaker halyard sheave height is only 850mm higher on the mast. So as you might expect, the outboard end of the pole needs to be lower than it used to be. You could simply lower the topping lift to fix this, but then when stowed the forward end of the spinnaker pole would ride well below the boom, nearly on the foredeck.
A simple way to mitigate this is to raise the topping lift sheave on the mast. The Brits and Euros have been doing this for years, long before the LLS. An added benefit of raising the topping lift right up to the jib halyard, is that it makes it very easy to measure mast rake accurately, as it very nearly approximates forestay length.
 |
The block in this image is light weight
and non-ball bearing. It works well for
the topping lift. The Harken H404 can be
mounted with an RF615 shackle between the
R2851 and the H404 which may give the block
more freedom to rotate and line up with
the pole |
Larry Tuttle at Waterat figured out a neat and easy way to do this. Remove the old topping lift sheave box.
File the edges of the hole smooth. Acquire a longer topping lift line.
Run the new topping lift line through the slot where the sheave box used to be and up to an HAR404 Harken 16mm Air block (single) mounted to a single hole eyestrap, part R2851 with a RF615 shackle. Remove the lower fastener on the jib halyard sheave box and refasten it, but with the R2851 single hole eyestrap on the outside. Your topping lift now runs through a sheave just below the jib halyard, and through the slot back into the mast.
If you were rigging a new mast, you could do it the same way, only the slot that the topping lift goes through could be a little smaller, and a little higher, closer to the block on the single hole eyestrap.
While doing this, you may also wish to lower the spinnaker pole fitting on the mast a few inches. Prior to the spinnaker luff length change, the Brits and Euros tended to mount the fitting lower than US teams, so if you have a UK or Europe-rigged mast, the fitting is already a bit lower than on a US-spec mast as rigged for the 5 meter luff spinnaker. I measured a few Spiro/Proctor launcher fitting heights on boats in my fleet, and discovered they are 20" to 22" above the gooseneck band. I was measuring from the top of the gooseneck band to the rivet mounting hole on the Spiro/Proctor fitting (the rivet mounting hole is just about at the center of the fitting).
Moving the Pole Downhaul Lead Forward
The LLS lifts more than the old 5 meter luff spinnaker. Previous spinnaker pole downhaul systems may not work well with this greater lift. One way to mitigate this is to move the spinnaker pole downhaul (foreguy) lead forward or down, to increase the angle between the spinnaker pole and downhaul.
 |
Looking aft at the mast gate.
The topping lift is coming though
the small bullseye |
An easy way to do this is to lead it through a bullseye at the front of the mast gate. The downhaul will wrap around the mast ram strut on one tack, but this only becomes a factor when the pole is pulled far aft for sailing nearly dead down wind, which we only do in the 4-8 knot range, and in this light air, many teams lower the pole by easing the topping lift, negating the problem. You can also add an adjustable pole downhaul if you want to be able to ease the downhaul to handle this situation.
You could put the lead further forward to minimize the wrap around the ram tube on one tack. This would also get the lead further forward/down, but then you will have to either leave slack in the system, or ease uphaul or downhaul in order to pull the pole back when sailing low down the runs.
Raising the Spinnaker Pole Forward End When Stowed
Even after you have raised the spinnaker pole topping lift on the mast as described above, when the topping lift is correctly set for most spinnakers, the spinnaker pole will still hang below the boom. Find that annoying? Read on.
 |
 |
| Bead bearing for the 2nd shockcord |
A shockcord takeup on the topping lift |
 |
|
| A drilled out bead |
|
If you have a spinnaker pole launcher, the first thing to add is a second shockcord that deadends at the back of the boom, and runs through the boom, exiting near the front, goes through a block and is tied in a sliding loop around the pole. As the pole is launched, the loop allows the pole to slide through, until the pole is launched and the shockcord pulls mostly down on the mast end of the pole. This shockcord both helps pull the pole off the pole launcher fitting when the launcher line is uncleated, and helps hold the forward end of the pole next to the boom when the pole is stowed.
The sliding shockcord loop could also be a loop with rotating beads, or something else that will slide along the pole easily.
A third thing that helps is rigging a shockcord takeup on the pole topping lift. Recent systems have had a shockcord deadended at the back of the pole, running along the top of the pole and fastening to the bitter end of the topping lift, which then runs through a block on top of the pole at the outboard end and then up to the mast.
So the pole end of the topping lift is on a shockcord takeup rather than being fastened to an eyestrap on the pole. Another idea would be putting shockcord inside part of the topping lift so that the topping lift shortens under no load, raising the pole, but stretches to full length when the pole is launched.
Pole Ends
 |
|
| The ZSFE32 Z-Spar fitting |
A Mark Angliss fitting |
|
 |
| Another view of the Angliss fitting |
Z-Spar fitting modified by Ethan Bixby |
 |
|
| Another Mark Angliss Pole End |
|
A lot of people use the Z-spar fork end, which is available in two sizes to fit both of the pole end inner diameters our spinnaker poles come in. The first image shows a Z-spar fitting.
The next two images show alternative spinnaker pole ends. These were designed and built by Mark Angliss, who has built a number of these for 505 sailors to test.
The fourth image shows a Z-spar pole end that Ethan Bixby had customized. Stainless steel rings were used to extend the Z-spar forks.
The various Angliss fittings, and the Bixby fitting, are all trying to make it easier for the crew to jam the guy in between the forks. Burying the bitter end of the rod in the plastic makes it impossible for the guy to catch between the pole and the rod.
Trapeze T-Hook Alternatives
 |
| SM18 T Hook With Bail |
As soon as I started using spectra trapeze wires in 1995, I wanted to get rid of the trap T-hooks and the pair of holes in the mast they fit into. I switched to the SM18 T-hook-with-bail (a part that Larry Tuttle originally designed and had built by Swenson's for 7200 in late 1995/early '96 and which is now widely available). These worked very well for me until I decided to try trap twings to keep the upper mast straighter downwind while wire running. With the trapeze wires needing to go well above the shrouds, I was back to needing special T hooks that I could splice or tie hi-tech trapeze lines too.
|
| NG74003 | N74303
HA6180
LR0001 |
|
The standard fitting is the Gibb 74303. This has been available for years and works well. However it looks like it is sized for runners on a 40 footer, and weighs 1.1 oz. each.
Very recently Holt Allen developed a lighter fitting, the HA6180. This is smaller, neater, and weighs only 0.6 oz.
Before the HA part was widely available I discussed the problem with Lin Robson at North Sails Gulf Coast, and he developed an even smaller and lighter part -- it weighs 0.3 oz -- , I am tempted to give it the part number LR0001. It is available from Lin at North Sails Gulf Coast.
Jesse Falsone rigged a new mast without using the NG74003 T hook backing plates for the trap T-hooks. This makes sense, as the fitting is designed to handle something in excess of 1000 pounds -- we use the same fittings on our shrouds -- while most crews weigh quite a bit less than that. However the backing plate weighs only 0.3 oz., so a lighter T-hook with the backing plate is still lighter than the original fitting without the backing plate.
You could also simply rivet an eyestrap to the mast and splice or tie the trapeze "wires" to it. With a luggage tag splice the wires would be removable, but the eyestraps would still stick out.
Upper Trapeze Wires
While on upper trapeze wires... once you have the higher trapeze wires, you have to figure out how to have them pull from the new upper location while wire running, and revert to the old adjacent-to-the-shroud attachment height for upwind. I know of three ways of doing this:
 |
When pulled tight, trap twings pull the
high trapeze wires tight against the mast
wall at the old trapeze height, resulting
in an upwind rig very similar to what we
had before. |
 |
| Ronstan RFPNP54B and RF20711 |
Almost as soon as we started trying the LLS, a few people tried trap twings. This is relatively easy to do, but does result in another line going down the mast and another mast exit hole below deck. I suppose the line could also exit the mast and be cleated on an RF5 or similar flopper fitting, as some are using to cleat the "upper-puller" system. The trap twings are now the de facto standard on the British and European rigs. The load on the twing is surprisingly high. I use a 3:1 or 4:1 to tighten the trap twing. On the other hand if you pull it on before loading up the trap twing, you need no mechanical advantage.
Carl and Carol Buchan developed a really cool system such that pulling the kite up releases the trap twings and pulling the kite down pulls them on and cleats them.
Any trapeze twing system needs some way to get the trapeze twing line into the mast on either side. I have seen this done with additional NG74003 backing plates. They have a slightly rounded edge, and besides, if you were hooking your old trapeze wires in with them, they will already be there. Ethan Bixby used small RWO thru-deck bullseyes. They apparently work well for him, but when I tried them I found they would not stay seated in the mast wall. Ethan writes:
"On the twing grommets, I used stainless steel lined bushes that were very short, and have been perfect so far."
Nigel Lott told me how the trapeze twings on his mast were rigged.
"
I use the low system 'cos its there. We have a Ronstan PNP54B which I think
I put a 5mm drill through, inserted from the outside of the mast, and lined
up with the top of the sheave of a Ronstan RF20711 INSIDE the mast. The
RF20711 is packed off the inside of the mast with a 2mm Al spacer so that
the sheave clears the wall. All you see from the outside is the heads of
the 5/32 rivets holding the block and the black bush. Trim the end of the
bush a bit so that it doesn't foul the sheave and glue in.
I got the blocks inside the mast through the forestay sheave cut-out; that
system is now replaced with a filler plate and tee-ball, so if I did it
again I would have to do the long-string-with-two-knots trick over most of
the mast length ...
...
The concept of cutting holes in the side of the mast for a Ronstan RF20711 each side
on a low twing set-up gives me the shudders."
The system on Nigel's boat sounds really nice, but as Tony DeVita wrote me, perhaps all we really need is something like a grommet to take the twing line through the mast wall, and turn it down the inside of the mast. After all, we are not playing it upwind.
 |
 |
 |
The Hank Yank upper trapeze system.
The upper cleat is used to shorten
the upper trapeze wire when flying the
kite, so that it takes the load, rather
than the lower trapeze wire |
Another view of a Hank Yank |
Another view of a Hank Yank |
Henry "Hank" Amthor developed the Hank Yank, to avoid any more line in the mast, or cleats in the cockpit, and to put the entire system under the crews control. Basically, there are two trapeze wires on each side. The upper trapeze wires attach to the trapeze ring and have a cleat that allows the upper wire length to be shortened such that it takes all the load, leaving the lower trapeze wire slack.
One advantage of this system is that it RAISES the crew off the wind, something most crews prefer to do. Another is that it is entirely external and can easily be added or removed. A third is that it puts the crew in control of the trapeze wire, freeing up the skipper. A disadvantage is that it duplicates much of the trapeze system, increasing windage, and possibly the chances of a lazy "wire" snagging.
 |
|
The upper puller system |
I do not know who first thought of this, but I first saw it on a Pegasus Racing 505, early in the summer of 2004. The trap wire on each side is a sort of "Y", with one leg of the Y going to the old trap height, and the other leg going to the new upper location, except that the upper leg is turned into the mast, joins the other upper leg and comes down the mast. When the upper leg is slack, the lower takes all the load, you pull the upper on and if you pull enough, the upper leg takes all the load. If you try this system, you have two choices. The first is to go through some iterations figuring out leg lengths, the second is to draw a diagram and use some high school algebra to determine optimum leg lengths. I saw an Australian boat at the Worlds that had the trapeze upper puller coming out of the mast on a Ronstan RF5 flopper just like it was a pole launcher cleat. I guess the crew pulled it on before jumping on the wire, and either crew or skipper could uncleat it and let the crew down to the lower trap for going upwind. Some teams prefer the Harken parts as they are stainless steel and stronger.
Of the upper-puller system, Nigel writes:
"Most of our locals use the
high set-up, with two Ronstan RF20711 inserted into a cut-out in the mast."
And Trapeze Handles
 |
 |
Plastic tubing over the vectran
trap "wire" and a ball for a handle.
I have switched back to the disks |
Cover over a trap wire and a guy disc
for a handle.
Most crews prefer disk to ball. |
While writing about trapeze handles, here are some recent ideas. 470s were trying these a few years ago, but the earliest I have seen were half tennis balls on Larry Tuttle's own 505, in the 1980s.
Some long time crews do not like these handles and prefer a handle that allows them to keep their fist oriented horizontally rather than vertically. I wonder if this may be due to flexibility in the wrists, all the younger crews I know prefer the vertical orientation as used on these handles.
Vang Attachments
North American 505ers apparently use significantly more vang than UK and European teams. The vang attachment points on boom and mast are upgraded as a result.
Boom
 |
|
| The Proctor US vang fitting for the boom |
A white-painted Proctor US vang attachment
can be seen on this boom |
If you draw a free body diagram, and determine loads, you will notice that the fitting on the boom takes slightly more load than that on the mast, as the last parts of the vang tackle are not going to the mast.We use a much stronger-than-standard vang fitting on the boom. The Proctor US vang fitting is a T-section of aluminum which slides into the lower track and distributes the vang load over a large section of boom, almost from the gooseneck, most of the way back to where the mainsheet block is attached near the center of the boom. The actual attachment point is reinforced with two small stainless steel plates, riveted to the T-section. While sized for the track on the bottom of a Proctor 2633 boom, the Proctor US vang fitting will also fit a Superspar boom, albeit with a little filing and sanding. Though a Proctor (US) part, I believe this fitting was designed and developed by Larry Tuttle at Waterat, and adopted by Proctor US.
Mast
 |
 |
 |
The large Ronstan RF528 saddle
(Australian for eyestrap)
used as the vang attachment at the base of the mast |
SuperSpar M2 has a curved web |
Proctor D (upper) and
Proctor Cumulus (lower) |
 |
 |
| The Cumulus has a narrower flat portion of the web, than the D. |
Titanium shackle with a 3/16" pin |
Waterat used to make neat vang attachment kits that were just about perfect for the Proctor D which has a flat web. However the Cumulus and M2 have curved webs. Waterat no longer makes the kits.
Waterat now suggests a large Ronstan saddle RF528 (eyestrap), filed or ground down to fit the curved web. This is another heavily loaded fitting, don't undersize the eyestrap, and use 5/16" machine screws (bolts) to attach it. The lower bolt goes right through the mast section and out the front side. The shorter upper bolt has a nut AND A LARGE WASHER inside the mast.
I use titanium "D" shackles to attach the high load portion of the vang to the mast. These are way light, way strong, and way cool. I am also going to check if this shackle will fit the Proctor US vang fitting on the boom.
Ethan Bixby suggested using a strop.
"I think you could use an eyestrap on the front of the mast, and a sprectra loop around the mast. Carl did a nice simple thing like that, but it went through a bushing at the aft part of the mast, out the front, then looped around."
Transom Flap Hold Downs
 |
This surfboard part is perfect for leading
the transom flap closing lines close to the
cockpit floor |
OK, so this is not going to make you dramatically faster... I saw these on several 505s while at the Santa Cruz worlds. They lead the transom flap closing string close to the cockpit floor so the flaps are pulled mostly forward and slightly down, instead of mostly forward and slightly up. The flaps seat better and you get less water coming in while standing in the back of the boat putting the rudder on, or while launching on a ramp.
New Proctor Fittings
Proctor has redesigned most of their spar accessories. I believe this was primarily driven by wanting to use plastic rather than aluminum, so they can be used with both carbon and aluminum spars. Check a current Proctor catalog, or
the Proctor web site, for images. Several of the
fittings have changed in ways that are significant.
Goosenecks
The new Proctor 50826201 Gooseneck features a round pin that mates with a round socket on the new Proctor 50907101 boom inboard end. That means the boom can rotate on the pin slightly. The geometry of the gooseneck is slightly different and the socket in the boom inboard end fitting is higher SO THAT THE BOOM RIDES LOWER RELATIVE TO THE GOOSENECK PIN AND GOOSENECK. If you upgrade your current mast and boom with a new Proctor 52806609 gooseneck pin and new boom inboard end, you may well have the boom too low relative to the gooseneck band.
More details and photos
here
Boom Outboard End
The new Proctor 50007101 boom outboard end includes TWO built-in sheaves, one for the outhaul, the other for a flattening reef. This is a quick way to add a flattening reef to your 505.
Spreader Bracket
Proctor has
upgraded their spreader brackets again and has done away with the threaded angle adjusters and mounting pads. The new parts are Proctor 52214301 and Proctor 52214201 depending on whether you are using a D or a Cumulus. The new bracket is made of thicker stainless steel sheet, and has to sets of mounting holes so that you can get a wide range of adjustment for spreader angle with small increments between possible angles.
Spreader Ends
The new Proctor 50080101 spreader ends have two slots, one for 2.5mm (3/32") wire, the other for the 3mm (1/8") wire. You should not be using 2.5mm wire or dyform on 505 shrouds, it is not strong enough for windy sailing, and you will eventually lose your rig. Mount the spreader end such that the shroud is in the forward hole. The shrouds want to pull back on the spreader ends.
Running Rigging
Since I started working for chandleries in Annapolis, I have been annoying local riggers, with new ideas for "Way Cool" line, which seem to require ever more painstaking splicing.
So far we have:
Main Halyard
 |
 |
 |
|
Main halyard is one piece of vectran line |
start of three foot piece of cover
spliced and buried in |
Cleat on cover when halyard pulled up |
The lightest conventional halyard I have come up with is a continuous 1/8" vectran (Yale vectrus 12) halyard-and-tail, with a cover spliced in about at the middle, where the halyard is cleated. Many of the UK 505s have the halyard exit the mast ABOVE the foredeck. This makes it easy to hoist the main without needing to step into the boat. The lengths work out that the halyard can be end-for-ended to mitigate wear from the masthead sheave and main head shackle. Also if you use an eye splice around a shackle at the top, the eye splice can be moved from time to time, getting rid of the worn spot. A large knot or small stopper ball at the bottom of the halyard is a good idea so you don't lose it up the mast. This is not a halyard lock system. If you particularly want a halyard lock, a light weight tail can be spliced to a short piece of 3/32 (2.5 mm) flexible wire which has a stopper ball swaged on to it. APS can also swage a stopper ball onto a high-tech low-stretch 12 strand, but it has to be a slightly thicker line, as this can be done on 1/8" or thicker vectran. A similar 1/8" vectran halyard-and-tail with a cover could be used for a 2:1 main halyard system, though the cover will not be in the middle.
Spinnaker Sheets
 |
 |
|
An outer cover tapered (buried) into cover using Yale Cover Only over Yale Crystalyne (a vectran cored line) or Yale Aracom T (a Technora cored line) |
On the boat |
 |
 |
|
A conventional taper/bury, exposing the core, using 5/16" Crystalyne |
Tapers down to 3/16" |
While most people like the idea of tapered spinnaker sheets, making the tapers smooth enough to go through the blocks can be a challenge. I learned about "cover buries" from the riggers at APS. Spinnaker sheets can be made either by stripping back and burying the cover, exposing a low-stretch hi-tech core of vectran or Dyneema, or by adding a core over a line that already has a core, so that only the inner jacket and not the core is exposed. The cover buries on the latter are harder to do and are more prone to coming out. Some 505 sailors believe that the pole forks slide forward (on the hoist or the gybe) more easily when sliding over a cover rather than over a core. Others, including World Champions Morgan Larson/Trevor Baylis, think the 12 strand core is actually slippier than a cover.
Spliced Bridle Mainsheet
 |
 |
|
A spliced and tapered mainsheet |
Splicing, tapering and burying detail |
Fun with splicing. Once you figure out how to splice 12 strand single braid and how to bury one line in side another -- actually very easy -- making tapered bridle mainsheets becomes simple. The legs can be the thinnest spectra/Dyneema available -- generally 2.5mm (7/64"), and a couple of splices later you are up to a 8mm (5/16") or 9mm (3/8") diameter mainsheet where it goes through the ratchet block, the cleat, and where you hold it.
Rudder
1.5" Lower Rudder Gudgeon
 |
 |
 |
The 1.25" and 1.5" gudgeons.
Note the difference in material
thickness at the front |
The Seasure 1806 1.5" fitting mounted
on a 1.25" head with Seasure 1831 0.125"
packing pieces either side |
Another view |
Larry Tuttle pointed out to me that the Seasure rudder and transom fittings we are all familiar with are not the same.
The lower rudder pintles and gudgeons for the 1" (Seasure 1802) and 1.25" (Seasure 1845) thick rudder heads have less material at the critical forward corner (where they break) than the SS1806 1.5" size. So if you are currently using a 1" or 1.25" lower rudder fitting, remove it and replace it with the 1.5" version of the fitting, with two plastic shim plates of 1/8" (SS1831) or 1/4" (SS??) (as appropriate) thickness each. You really only need to worry about the lower transom fitting and lower rudder fitting, as they take a larger load than the upper fittings.
Titanium Tiller and Ram Pins
 |
The Titanium pin is longer than optimum
for the ram, so has to be shortened |
Concerned about weight in the ends? That 1/4" stainless steel pin holding the Waterat rudder and tiller together can be replaced with
a lighter titanium pin. Sure its amazing overkill from a strength standpoint, but its cool. And it only costs $3.00.
And these work for pinning the ram tube too, though you need to shorten them and drill a new hole for the split ring. After all, one does wish to keep the bow light, right? :-) However, Titanium is harder to saw and drill than stainless steel, so cutting and drilling will take some time.
Tillers
 |
 |
|
Waterat Carbon Tiller Tube |
Rudder Head End Closeup |
With the majority of racing 505s in North America using Waterat foils, you might as well use a tiller of the same size as a Waterat. Buying and selling rudders and/or tillers is much easier if you use the standard diameter tube. But to be way cool, use the carbon tillers from Waterat. These are lighter than the aluminum tillers and are not going to bend when you fall on them (you might be able to break it, but its going to take some doing).
Cored Carbon Transom Flaps
 |
 |
 |
Cored Carbon Transom Flap
A MUST-HAVE |
You mean you don't already have these? Really?
They are carbon AND CORED. Very light.
Available for rectangular and round drain holes, from Waterat.
Shackles
The Ronstan RF615, RF615A, and RF150, three awesome slotted pin (use a screwdriver to open and close) shackles. Shackles done up by hand may come undone. These you do up with a screwdriver, they are very strong, do not come undone, and do not snag lines. I use these almost exclusively on the 505. I do not use any stamped-shackles-with-pin-and-split-ring as lines can catch the split ring, and deform it.
New Harken Ratchet Blocks
 |
 |
 |
 |
The 75mm Carbo Ratchet Replaces
the old Hexaratchet II+2 and is
rather lighter |
The 57mm Carbo Ratchet Replaces
the old Little Hexaratchet and
is rather lighter and
LESS EXPENSIVE |
Another view |
The 57mm Carbo Ratchamatic cheek
block |
After bringing out the 57mm Carbo Ratchamatic blocks last year, Harken came out with conventional switchable ratchets in the carbo series in spring of 2005.
In my opinion, these blocks replace the old Hexratchet II+2 and Little Hexaratchet, are lighter, and at least in the case of the smaller one, are less expensive than the block they replace.
Some sailors will argue in favor of ratchamatics rather than switchable ratchets.
After discussing this with Larry Tuttle, I now believe switchable ratchets are better on the spinnaker sheets so that you get some drag on the spinnaker sheets while pulling the kite down, and reducing the risk of the corner of the sail blowing forward and being run over by the boat. But the ratchamatics are an excellent
choice for jib sheets and on asymmetric spinnaker sheets. I have used both the Hexaratchet II+2 and the Little Hexaratchet on the boom for the mainsheet,
but like the larger sheave Hexaratchet II+2 as it has more gripping power. The new 2670 has the same sheave. The Harken 2135 has a sheave very similar to that in
the Little Hexaratchet.
Available at Fawcett Boat Supplies.
Crewing Gloves
 |
| Very stick gloves for crewing |
The Ronstan RF615, RF615A, and RF150, three awesome slotted pin (use a screwdriver to open and close) shackles. Shackles done up by hand may come undone. These you do up with a screwdriver, they are very strong, do not come undone, and do not snag lines. I use these almost exclusively on the 505. I do not use any stamped-shackles-with-pin-and-split-ring as lines can catch the split ring, and deform it.