Nearly busted a cheap screw drive getting my old race sail rigged.
Anyone got any nifty ideas to get this job done without slipping a disk?
I just ordered a downhaul pulley, today at the beach one windsurfer told me that is a great tool. It is available for euro pin and us pin either.
Get yourself an old boom, cut a section out around 30cm.
Drill a decent size hole right through just off centre or big enough to easily slide your downhaul rope through.
get a small cleat (Clamcleat) from ship chandlers or windsurfing shop, drill 2 holes approx 8-10cm from hole for rope using the cleats holes as a guide. Pop rivet cleat onto section of boom.
When downhauling thread your line through hole and then cleat off. You can throw in a couple of half hitches before you cleat off if needed for added security of punching yourself in the head if rope slips 
.
Most important, use your leg muscles and push the rig away from you thus saving your back.
Or just buy a rig winch
The only way to Haul Big Loads.
Before one of these I needed a winch on race sails 7.8 and above, not anymore.
Comes with Formuline as standard and now available in carbon also.http://www.neilpryde.com/rigs/extension/extensions-overview.html
Scotty you need to get some formuline rope , I had the same issue with my old prydes the difference is amazing.
race sail ? only ever seen you on wave gear, you looking at doing some speed on the long weekend as well.
Hello, Scotty,
Irrespective of the line used, when you downhaul using brute force you are compressing your spine, so you need to be careful.
Chinook offer these :http://www.chinooksailing.com/products/index.php?cPath=6_66&osCsid=8ntrnnmf89a5td0d9q0evmihk3, available from any windsurf shop that sells Chinook products. Some of my friends even use them to tension wave sails.
Having a daughter who has chronic back problems has made me a bit more aware of how debilitating an on-going back problem can be.
Hope this helps.
Got several of those winch handle thingys free with some gear from glasscraft auction they are just rusting in the shed - pm me if u want them scotty Maris can pick them u next time he is over
.
I got one of these and it's been good for formula sail downhaulinghttp://www.surfsailaustralia.com.au/showProduct/Windsurfing/Windsurfing+Accessories/cl262/Clamcleat+Power+Grip+No+2
Under $30 and two handed so you get a balanced pull, I'd also advise pushing with you feet...
I have both the NP MXT and North Power XT and really both easy to downhaul, seeing as the north is a ratchet and the mxt i use by pulling power on my RSR EVO's.
Thanks for the tips, rekon i can solve it with a couple of those.
Cheers.
Yep Jimbob,
Might make a few runs on the lake on the oct weekend if the surf is not up.
Don't be expecting any fast times but.......me and my gear are all pre this century
I have used one of these North Power XT's for the last 18 months, from 7.5 Koncept down to 4.2 Blade.
I still have my regular extensions, with down haul tools etc, but never ever use them anymore.
The XT is awesome. I often add and take off downhaul tension in seconds, on the water. It's fantastic.
I love my XT also.
They have some idiosyncrasies that take a bit of getting used to, but once you get to know your XT it's great.
Scotty you will be surprised the speeds the old 90's slalom boards still do, I pull out an old torquay 9'2 occasionaly and have done 37's a few times on it but it only has a powerbox so can't run my best fins in it plus it scares th crap out of me, I can lend you a few good tuttle fins to try they really make a difference, 
what board do you still have can't remember if you had windtech or strappers back then but I think I remember you riding cavemans from the guy at north haven marina.
the windtechs where so light way ahead of there time.
Caveman's Jimbob,
And a couple of old naish stealths which are great cos they rig on my RDM wave masts. Zachery going to help me out with a tool, what a champ.
Yer good point on the screw driver but grabbed what I had close, good ones were locked in the car.
Enjoyed it, going to crack it out again.
Learn to tie a bowline.
Then you can use just about anything that's round, or your harness hook
www.apparent-wind.com/knots/bowline/
Keef I thought you would just pump up your guns and rip that downhaul on destroying all mast bases regardless of how reinforced they were lol
Hi Scotty, Given that my back has been out of action since April due to a muscular problem, I have had heaps of time to come up with the best way for me to downhaul my sails with the least amount of effort. Here is what I came up with. An electric winch (12 volt) with a 3m cable which will plug into my accessory socket in the car or trailer. It has a momentary toggle switch on it for more or less tension, suits any single pin configuration and just needs the last piece which fits onto the key way to complete it. Some people call me a lazy bastard but I think it is will make my day much easier. I often rig multiple sails due to giving lessons and think this will save lots of effort.
Alternativly I have always used my old harness hook in the past. Cheers Moondo
Simo my man,
that machine has just confirmed that you are one lazy mother f*cker.
although.. if you were to attach the base to the opposite side, and ran a couple of solar panels off your helmet, you could have flick of the switch, foot operated, downhaul during a run.
Rich.
