what stopper knot halyard-ring ?

What stopper knot should be used to attach the 1/4" halyard to the ring to hoist the main ? I'm pretty sure it is a double overhand from the factory but I'm not sure.

I use a bow-line knot

This has never worked for me as the knot reaches the top of the mast before the hook can grasp the ring in place. I have used the figure 8 before but somehow I remember seeing a double overhand from the factory when I assembled the boat long ago. Can someone confirm this ?

Definately not a bowline knot because as you say, the knot will bottom out at the sheave before you can get the ring hooked. I tie a simple overhand knot. The important thing is to have this knot facing away from the mast when you hoist the main so that it is not in the way when you're attempting to "hook the ring". Don't forget to pre-load the halyard with 4 or 5 clockwise twists (facing aft) to allow it to twist back towards the hook at the masthead.

Tom

Overhand knot on the end of the line.

You may want to "mushroom" the end of the line with a cigarrette lighter, too.

Then a clove hitch around the ring.

The overhand knot keeps the line from slipping through the clove hitch.
Have the overhand knot facing aft when attaching the halyard to the sail.

BTW, this is the way to tie "Can't Miss" / J & H style trapeze rings/handles to the adjustment lines.

I have a bow-line on mine but I use dyneema cored line for the halyard so maybe its smaller diameter allows the bow-line to work. I like the clove hitch idea, but on the trap handles? My J&H handles would be long gone tieing them that way, its too easy to un-tie. My boat sits on the beach and has tourists on it most every night, I tie down or remove everything!

Once the knots are set (when you trapeze), you need a knife or pliers to get them apart. If someone wanted your trap handles, they'd just cut the line anyway - they aren't going to screw around with untying knots.

You would think that but what I have found is that they sit on the boat and mess with things. Un-tieing this or that, pulling a pin or removing a ring. Its not that they want the stuff, it must just be fun for them. They have used my port covers as frisbees, used my sidestays as swings, you name it I've probably encountered it. Over 30 years I've really had little issue leaving the boat on the beach, in the past 5 its gotten worse. I now anchor the boat perpendicular to the dunes near a streetlight, the combination seems to keep most folks off.

I still find it amazing that people think they have the right to sit/stand/lay on someone elses property!

I have encountered the same problem when I leave my boat on various beaches overnight. I've caught people allowing their children to use my trampoline for just that, a trampoline! I've found sandy footprints all over my boat....I even found a pair of panties on my boat one morning at Lake Tahoe! It's amazing to me as well that just because our boats are sitting on public property that people think the boat itself is now public property!

Tom

That stuff can be pretty hard to cut,i would put your initials on with an engraver on all parts and if its taken there is a chance it will turn up sooner or later,and then you can introduce yourself

The best knot I found is a single half hitch held on with a simple overhand stop knot (figure 5 in mbounds' post above). Dip the stop knot in epoxy if you like. The stopper knot keeps the single half hitch from pulling loose. The single half hitch keeps everything away from the hook except the ring. By doing it this way there is no line on the hook side of the knot to even bump on the hook. Before attaching the ring to the sail, let the halyard hang free until all the twists are out. Twirl three twists in it so that the ring automatically turns back to the side of the mast that the hook is on. Make sure you put the stopper knot towards the side of the mast away from the hook. This may or may not work as well with the welded together rings as it works better if the ring can swing a little, but makes the separate ring and shackle the easiest to hook the sail with.

Squeeze the jaws of the sail feeder together until the sail will just go in. This will keep the boltrope inside the feeder no matter what and the sail will go all the way up without having to do any hand feeding. Any hanging up in the feeder is the boltrope getting jambed up between the feeder jaws.

Doing these two things makes the sail easy to raise and latch.