RIGGING A SPRITE

[John]

I got an O'day Sprite as an "if you want it, take it". I have never sailed. I know someone who does but is unable to help me out. I've looked through books and online sites-- I cannot figure out how to rig this little sweatheart. There seems to be more hardware than line, yet even with extra line that I purchased I cannot make sense of this. Someone throw me a bone, please! I have had her for two weeks, never sailed, never been on a sailboat, and I can't stop thinking about her. I'm very anxious to get on the water. Please help.

 

[Harley Oday23]

rigging

I'm not sure what a sprite is.I would find a local small boat sailer to help rig the first time. Most rigging on a small boat is simple after you see it once. I could help but your question is to general. What part of the rigging is giving you a problem?

 

[Brian]

Rigging

When you say rigging, there are basically two kinds; standing rigging and running rigging. My guess is that you have read or seen the basics. Standing rigging is the cables or lines that hold up the mast, and running rigging is the lines(ropes) that control the sails. There should be two lines that run up the mast to a pulley system of some sort these are called halyards. One is used to raise up the jib and the other to raise the mainsail. The jib has two lines(usually one line that is divided in half by being tied to the sail or a snap that attaches to the sail) that extend back to the cockpit to control the jib. There should be a cleat on both sides of the cockpit to tie these lines called "sheets" to. The boom also will have a sheet or "mainsheet" attached to it. It is controlled by a line running through a pulley system. I have only seen one sprite and I don't remember exactly how it was rigged but I seem to remember it being set up with two pulleys on the cockpit floor and one on the boom. The mainsheet was attached to the middle of the boom down to the first pulley then up through the second pulley on the floor, then to the pulley on the boom. If your's is not set up this way, I would need a picture to figure it out. There is a link below that shows the rigging for the halyards and forward standing rigging. Hope this helps, but if it doesn't, I will need some more information on the hardware and it's location. Good Luck