highfield lever

[Walter]

I recently took down my mizzen mast on an Ed Monk Sr. 42' trysail ketch. I am replacing all wire standing rigging with swaged 316 though the castlok fitting where in good order. I have sailed the boat for a year and did not have any real complaints about the highfield levers on my running back stays. Yet I see a lot of negative feedback on these lever systems. Now that I am about to put this rigging back up, can anyone explain to me thier negative views on highfield levers?

[Ian McColgin]

My personal major objection and why I got rid of them on my old Alden schooner is two-fold:

The lesser was that all the strain was more point localized, even with deck beam spanning backing plates, than I could easily make with a tackle at the end of the wire.

The larger issue was ease of setting up. To get the slack runner away from the sail if at all off the wind meant that a bight of the runner had to be lifted off that turning block. That in turn meant that to set it up someone had to leave the cockpit to retrieve it. A good hand could do that, drop it on the turning block and then spring the lever. But even a mediocre hand could trim up the three part tackle, drop it on a winch for snugging and then belay faster and without leaving the cockpit. And a good hand was even faster because he or she could give a heave just as the forestay unloaded in the eye of the tack, no need to winch at all.

The length of travel on Goblin's Highfields was not very long and the turning blocks were located such that if you didn't get the wire over while the rig was a bit slack, if you were late and the jib had filled, there was not enough slack to get it there without running the Highfield's end screw down.

Also, everyone stubs their toes on the things.

But Highfield lovers are not deterred so do what you find comfortable.

G'luck

[Walter]

thank you for your perspective. I am interested in hearing of experiences like yours and the modifications that were put in place. I will probably stick with the toe stubber for now. At least until I understand a better alternative.