[Rhodes22-list] Pop Top Connection

Thu Sep 10 10:21:50 EDT 2020

Roger: Thanks for the thorough response. It all makes sense. I wonder why I didn't have that ring installed on my boat. A second option I am considering is to install a mast step organizer such as the one that Peter Nyberg installed on his boat. I don't have a Cunningham on my boat. I would be interested in seeing what others have installed if anyone has pictures.

Graham Stewart
Agile, Rodes 22, 1976
Kingston Ontario

-----Original Message-----
From: Rhodes22-list [mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org] On Behalf Of ROGER PIHLAJA
Sent: Thursday, September 10, 2020 8:15 AM
To: The Rhodes 22 Email List
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Pop Top Connection

Graham,

Although, at first glance, the present pop top slider design may look sort of crude, it’s actually pretty elegant.  Remember, there are 2 pieces of tackle that have their lower anchor points on the pop top slider, the boom vang and the Cunningham.  The snap shackle for the Cunningham actually attaches to the eye strap and the snap shackle for the boom vang actually attaches to the ring.  This way, the force from the Cunningham, which is vertical directly up the mast, is kept as close as possible to the mast.  The force from the Cunningham on the two machine screws attaching the eye strap to the pop top slider is almost entirely shear, which is the most mechanically efficient way to load a threaded connection.  In addition, by attaching the Cunningham to the eye strap vs. the ring, the clam cleat on the block automatically faces aft, thus facilitating ease of use from the cockpit.  Similarly, attaching the snap shackle for the boom vang onto the ring vs. the eye strap, automatically positions the clam cleat downward and moves it aft slightly, both of which help prevent the two pieces of tackle from getting fouled up on each other and makes the boom vang easier to use from the cockpit.

If the ring were simply welded onto the pop top slider, I think it might interfere with the pop top raising and lowering process.  i.e.  When the pop top is raised, the 1st step is to raise the aft end of the pop top up on its support arms until the spring loaded detents lock into position.  In this position, the front corner of the pop top might interfere with a fixed welded ring on the pop top slider.  The present design, with its eye strap and ring, automatically folds down out of the way.  Even with the present pop top slider design, it’s not the eye strap and ring that’s in the way if you attempt to raise the pop top with the boom vang and Cunningham in place, it’s the two pieces of tackle and all the associated line.  Similarly, it’s not the eye strap and ring that tend to chip up the front corner of the pop top, it’s the lower blocks and snap shackles on the Cunningham and boom vang that do the damage when they start flopping around.  A welded fixed ring wouldn’t change that.

Finally, if the ring is welded onto the pop top slider; then, that will be a critical weld.  There will be a lot of force on it.  I hope you are, or have access to, a certified welder.

Even after all these years, it’s fun to critically exam Stan’s ideas and designs that were so multifunctional.  He was way ahead of us all in anticipating and solving problems.  My boat is in its 44th season and it’s been sailed hard.  The pop top slider hasn’t given a bit of trouble.

Roger Pihlaja
S/V Dynamic Equilibrium

Sent from Mail<https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for Windows 10

From: Graham Stewart<mailto:gstewart8 at cogeco.ca>
Sent: Wednesday, September 9, 2020 10:32 PM
To: 'The Rhodes 22 Email List'<mailto:rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Pop Top Connection

Roger:
I am thinking that it might be worth getting the ring welded to the plate at about a 30 degree an angle rather than having it flop around in the strap eye. Do you see a reason why that might not work?

Graham Stewart
gstewart8 at cogeco.ca

-----Original Message-----
From: Rhodes22-list [mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org] On Behalf Of ROGER PIHLAJA
Sent: Wednesday, September 9, 2020 5:24 PM
To: The Rhodes 22 Email List
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Pop Top Connection

Graham,

The slider is held in its various positions by a hair pin clip that inserts thru holes drilled thru the mast track.  I always keep the hair pin clip in place to hold the slider down no matter whether I have tension on the boom vang &/or Cunningham or not.  S/V Dynamic Equilibrium came rigged with the boom vang and Cunningham downhaul when I purchased her.  I don’t know if a previous owner drilled and tapped the pop top slider for the eye strap.  Or, maybe back in 1976, Stan might have offered a “performance mainsail package” that included a boom vang and Cunningham.  There is also an eye strap drilled and tapped into the underside of the boom for the top anchor point on the boom vang.  It all looks pretty professional if they are homemade and they both serve their mainsail shaping functions perfectly.  Both the boom vang and Cunningham must be removed to raise the pop top.  With snap shackles, installing and removing them is not a big deal.  A word of caution, all this hardware on the leading edge of the pop top can chip the fiberglass if they get to banging around.  I solved this problem by epoxying 10 gage SS sheet metal to the sides and the top of the pop top near the pointy end where it attaches to the pop top slider.

Roger Pihlaja
S/V Dynamic Equilibrium

Sent from my iPhone

> On Sep 9, 2020, at 4:13 PM, Graham Stewart <gstewart8 at cogeco.ca> wrote:
>
> Roger:
> My 76 has the same bracket except that it does not have the ring or eye
> strap. I wonder if that was added by a previous owner. Do you have a track
> stop to keep the pop top down when the boom vang or Cunningham is in use? If
> it works well I might copy that.
>
> Graham Stewart
> Agile, Rodes 22, 1976
> Kingston Ontario
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Rhodes22-list [mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org] On Behalf Of
> ROGER PIHLAJA
> Sent: Wednesday, September 9, 2020 1:32 PM
> To: John Carlson; The Rhodes 22 Email List
> Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Pop Top Connection
>
> Hi All,
>
> I've attached a picture of the pop top slider connection on my older (1976)
> standard (i.e. non IMF) mainsail Rhodes 22.  As you can see, it's a simple
> weldment.  The bent sheet metal slides up and down in the mast slot.  The
> bolt attaches to a pair of brackets on the leading edge of the pop top.  The
> ring is the lower anchor point for the boom vang and Cunningham downhaul
> tackle.
>
> [cid:image003.jpg at 01D686AD.A5678F20]
>
> Roger Pihlaja
> S/V Dynamic Equilibrium
>
> Sent from Mail<https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for Windows
> 10
>
> From: John Carlson via Rhodes22-list<mailto:rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, September 9, 2020 10:36 AM
> To: The Rhodes 22 Email List<mailto:rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
> Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Pop top connection
>
> The front of mine is quite rough as well. I have a picture, but it looks a
> lot like yours (and I use a Mac).
>
>
> --
> John.
> 2004/12 Rhodes 22
> Waco, TX
>
>
>
>>>> On Sep 9, 2020, at 9:26 AM, Mark Whipple <mark at whipplefamily.com> wrote:
>> New question: I'm looking at the piece that connects my pop-top to the
>> mast, and it looks unfinished on the forward end, like it may have been
>> broken at some point. I realize there are many small differences between
>> our boats but do yours look like this? (Sorry for the blue tape in the way
>> - I removed it but then forgot to take another picture.)
>> Mark
>> --
>> Boston, MA
>> 2000 R22 *Luna Mia*
>> 1987 Nimble 30 *For Sale*
>> 1982 Com-Pac 16 *For Sale*
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