<<What do you see here that could be improved?>>
Don't forget to have fun!
Accept the rigging and prep and take-down as part of the privilege of getting
to participate in something as enjoyable as sailing your own boat, under your
command and control.??Most days I can't believe I get to do this.? I told a
friend recently that I figured I'd have done my parenting job if my kids had
learned how to use a basic set of hand tools, learned to read music and play an
instrument, learned a second language with at least reading comprehension,
learned to swim -- and learned to sail.? My son is now in college at the U.S.
Merchant Marine Academy, so something about being on the water every summer for
20 years must have "taken."? I have to admit that I'm still working on my
daughter to make her a completely?self-sufficient sailor, though she loves the
boat (and owns a Nutshell sailing pram.)
Work out a compact to get some of those riders to help out and schlep stuff
around.? It does get tedious and resentment can set in if everyone else goes
"fishing" while the work's being done.? Assigning even a few minor tasks speeds
things up a lot, and gives everyone an investment in the activity.? I know, for
example, that I'll be able to just hand off the shroud adjusters and they'll be
pinned and the cotter rings set while I'm working on something else.? Once I
loosen the trailer tie-downs, someone other than me is perfectly capable of
unhooking them and tossing them in the back of the vehicle.? Hanking on the jib
is an easy job for someone to learn and perform, while I'm working on the
main.? You can do a quick inspection before?launch to?double-check things.
?It's all enough to shave a few minutes off the prep time.
Perspective makes a big difference.? If you think of rigging the boat as part
of sailing, rather than a discrete chore to be accomplished as quickly as
possible so the fun part can begin, it pays well.? Resolve to enjoy all of it.?
(I don't?ever want to do another gelcoat blister repair project, but even
preparing for it and carrying it out -- once -- has given some pleasure of
acquired knowledge and of accomplishment.? Just takin' care of my boat, as any
skipper would.)?People see your boat out there on the water in a breeze, or
even on a trailer headed for water, and they dream of being part of the
community of people who sail.
-----Original Message-----
From: Andrei Caldararu <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: For and about Montgomery Sailboats <[email protected]>
Sent: Fri, 11 Jul 2008 10:59 am
Subject: Re: M_Boats: First couple of outings
From what I hear here, no one seems to give the impression that
sailing the C-16, even part time, would be a viable option. So let's
say I stick with the M-17 for good. This leaves three options:
a) Boat on trailer, mast down, reduce rigging time. Has any one tried
anything like the Compac Suncat hinged mast (mast tender) option? This
is a system in which the mast is cut at a point above the boom, and
hinged there. The mainsail stays on the boom, boom stays in place for
trailering (sail is covered with a sail cover), the mast hinges back
and rests in a support on the back of the boat. My main concerns are:
how solid such a system is, and how hard is it to install it (seems to
require cutting a hole in the top of the cabin, since the bottom part
of the mast has to be secured solid to the compression post in the
cabin). The advantage is that all you have to do is raise the top part
of the mast (lighter), attach the jib, and you're ready to sail.
b) Boat on trailer, near water, mast up, fully rigged. I have some
hints on where I could find a parking spot near the water closer to
where I live, I'll have to research this. Obviously this would be the
best solution, if I can find the right parking spot.
c) Boat in the water. Clearly needing bottom paint, I'll talk to a
marina to find out what it would cost to put barrier coat and bottom
paint. Will research the price of this as well.
To answer some of the questions. Right now I have manufactured a rear
mast support from a 2x4 that has a roller on top, and which sits on
top of the rudder gudgeons. However, the way my mast is set up,
rolling it back until the spreaders hit the support is not enough to
get the mast bolt in, I need an extra 5 inches. Right now I was
thinking of modifying the mast support (this would already be the 5th
iteration in 2 weeks!) so that it sits at a slightly backward angle,
and thus give me the extra 5 inches. Any other suggestions?
What seems to take an awful lot of time is just the going b
ack-and-
forth. Here's how I do it now. I remove the bungees that hold the mast
at top and bottom. Hop in the boat, roll mast back to spreaders from
the front. Holding the mast to not balance backwards, walk back to the
rear support, lift mast up and move the spreaders past the mast
support (the extra 5 inches). Walk forward, put the bolt into the
hinge. Remove sail ties holding spreaders and stays. Open cabin, get
the mainsheet system. Walk to bow, attach one of the halves of the
mainsheet system to padeye on front mast support, the other half to
the forestay. Start pulling on the mainsheet, thus raising the mast.
This only raises the mast 2/3 of the way, walk back and push the mast
all the way. Prior to this need to check that spreaders are in the
right position, and the rear triangular bracket holding backstay is
straight. Walk forward and attach the forestay; tighten it. Remove the
mainsheet system, walk it back to the cockpit. Loosen the strap
holding the gunwales.
Get off the boat, remove the gunwale strap from the trailer, remove
the boom and rudder from their storage place underneath the boat, on
the trailer (I don't know if this is a custom system, or if some boats
were supplied with this system, but the rudder and the mast stay in a
support on the trailer). Walk to the back of the boat, remove the mast
support from the rudder hinge, put rudder on. Put boom in the boat,
put the mast support in the trunk of the car. Hop back in the boat.
Remove topping lift from where it is attached on the mast, attach to
rear of boom, insert gooseneck into mast. Attach the mainsheet to boom
and traveler. Attach the boom vang to mast and boom.
Remove sails from the cabin, take the foresail to bow, clip it on,
using the halyard to keep it up. Throw the sheets to the two sides,
run them through the blocks, around the winches, cleat them. Attach
the mainsail halyard to the mainsail, insert the head of the sail in
the track, loosely cleat the halyard. Bend the mainshe
et on the boom,
attach the clew at the gooseneck, tighten the outhaul, roll it twice
around the boom, strap it with a sail tie.
Take the tiller from cabin, attach it to rudder. Hang four bumpers on
the boat, attach bow and transom docking lines. Clean up the mess in
the cockpit. Get off the boat. Release the bow winch line. Finally
ready to back the boat in the water.
What do you see here that could be improved?
Thanks,
Andrei.
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