Description

The Maui HookUp is the fast, easy way to rig today’s harder to downhaul sails.  Developed on Maui and introduced in 1996, the Maui HookUp, with its patented cleatless system, is being used by satisfied sailors all over the world.

What the Maui HookUp will do:

• Attach quickly and securely to your downhaul line.
• Give you a powerful two handed grip.
• Position and reposition so easily that you’ll want to take more pulls in your most powerful range of motion.
• Give you more control when tuning.
• Never break or wear out.
• Bright yellow grips make it easy to find and hard to loose.

What the Maui HookUp won’t do:

• Jam.
• Slip.
• Chew up your downhaul line.
• Why are modern sails harder to downhaul?

Increased downhaul effort can be attributed to the features and achievements of modern sail designs:

• Loose leaches allow heads that twist off and de-power in gusts.
• More tunable for increased wind range.
• A well formed pocket low in the sail contour for more power and control.
• Higher tack force is what makes these improvements possible.
• Tack forces in excess of 400 pound are not uncommon in today’s sails.

In an attempt to reduce the rigging effort, manufacturers are using three and four pulley system configurations.  While these configurations theoretically have a six to one and eight to one mechanical advantage respectively, a study in WindSurfing Magazine published in May 1996 showed significantly less mechanical advantage.  In testing, the study showed that regardless of the number of pulleys, the best of these configurations (a 6:1 with ball bearing pulleys on the mast extention and tack fitting ) only achieved a mechanical advantage of 3.3 : 1.  The worst configurations only achieved a 2.2 : 1 mechanical advantage.  The difference between theory and reality is the result of friction.  Friction accumulates as the line, under tension, is drawn around the pulleys, through the tack fitting, and in the worst cases through the cleat.  Pulling at an angle to avoid the cleat also increases effort.

What does all this mean to you?

Assume you downhaul a sail with 450 pounds of tack force a distance of 10 inches, using a 3 pulley configuration with a true mechanical advantage of 3:1 (a reasonable value).  You will be exerting an increasing effort up to 150 pounds and pulling it 60 inches (5 feet), a distance requiring several pulls.

Higher tack force, frictional inefficiencies and longer downhaul lines, all good reasons why using the Maui HookUp will give you the satisfaction of a well rigged sail and the certainty that you are getting the most performance out of your sails.