Rigging for travel

[oldiesrocker2001]

I have been sailing a V21 for a couple of years now, having upgraded from a 17ft O'day "knock-off" which took 30-40 minutes to rig singlehanded. It still takes me either alone (except for the actual mast raising)or with a helper a full 2 hours to go from arrival at staging area to launch-ready and nearly as long to prepare to travel again. While It's likely that my homemade mast raising pole and rigging may take a bit longer to attach than the factory system,I'm wondering if I'm adding too many steps/safeguards, or is it really normal for this operation to take that long. I travel with the shrouds,halyards & backstay attached, mast tied only at pulpit and rear crutch and bungee cords for shrouds. I use the original jib halyard and a 4:1 block on opposite ends of the raising pole, and have found that leaving a bungee cord on the mast just above the attachment points for the baby stays which are chain, helps hold the jib furler and messenger rope in place while raising. On another "tack" I have been traveling with the jib off the furler(CDI)and stowed with the main. Even though the jib, which is new, has a sunbrella built in for furling, my sailmaker is emphatic that i should not trailer the boat with the jib furled(which I did once and saved me about a 1/2 hour). Is he right, or is he "all wet" on this matter? While I usually only need to rig and de-rig once per season, this year I towed all the way from Jersey to Florida (both coasts) and back, which required a total of 4 times for rigging in 3 weeks.  So what say you, trailor sailors? Are these hours spent rigging too long, or am I obsessing with how slow it's going?

 

[Keith Nuttle]

Mast

I have a V-21 also. It takes me about 30 -45 minutes to rig or un-rig my boat.I don't use a mast raising system but let the mast pivot in the tabernacle and walk the mast up from the stern. I am in my early sixties and have done this since I got the boat in 1970. With this method of mast raising, triple check everything before you make the first lift of the mast. I move the mast to the stern and place the bolt through the mast and tabernacle. I run out the rigging and make sure that they are untangled. I make sure the stays will not snag when the mast is being raised. Make sure the attachment to the mast will be in the proper orientation when the mast is raised. When I install the halyards I take special care to insure that they will be in the proper position relative to the stays when the mast is upright.The forward stay has a turnbuckle. When lowering the mast I unscrew the turnbuckle as far as it will go, then unfasten it. When I raise the mast and fasten the turnbuckle I then tighten it so there is the proper tension in the other stays.The biggest problem I have is tying up the rigging. Depending on how I do it, it can take longer than getting the mast down. I would welcome ideas from other trailer sailor on how they handle this problem.

 

[synchronicity]

Bungee Balls

"The biggest problem I have is tying up the rigging."A ten pack of bungee balls from the camping section at wallmart makes quick work of securing the standing rigging. Sidestays and rear stay remain hooked up. Start at the top of the mast, pull all lines except the rear stay tight to the mast add a ball about 3' from the top. Repeat every 3' or so until you get to the spreaders. (I leave my spreaders fitted - they rest nicely on the lifelines). The rear stay is now coiled to an appx 12" loop and is bungeeballed to the mast crutch. The sidestays and forestay are formed into coils and end up at the spreaders where they are bungeed in two places - the spreader and the mast, to prevent "flipping in the wind". Bungeeball on down in about 3' jumps and add additional as necessary. Cheap, fast, and secure.That took longer to type than it does to do.I figure an hour to rig up or down, and I work at a casual rate. My mast raising system is also home brew and slow to rig, but I don't have a furling jib.

 

[oldiesrocker2001]

Thanks for the input so far..

Thanks for the input so far guys. I use less bungee cords than you, Synchronicity, so that's not a deciding factor in time. I also leave the halyards, stays, etc.. positioned and ready to go as stated in my original post. Keith, that time frame includes bending sails as well(I would have to take my headsail furler apart to adjust length temporarily)? When walking the mast forward manually, what do you do when you get to the cabin hatch? I'm 6ft with long arms and when I get there the mast is barely at a 45 angle and there's no way to reach the halyard cleat to tie it off while I move to the cabin top. Having hip replacements has slowed me up some, but I'm not sure if I would have been able to hold the mast in place at that angle while climbing up to the cabin top before then either. More power to you!

 

[Kieth Nuttle]

Beyond 45

The 30 -45 minutes includes bending the sails. I don't have a headsail furler.To raise the mast, I move the top part (sliding) of the hatch forward. I start in a standing position in the cockpit. I place the mast on my shoulder and step first to the winch support, kneel on the hatch cover and then stand up, all of the time keeping the mast on my shoulder. By the time I am in a standing position I can push the mast into its upright position. (Remember I said to have all of the rigging so that if falls into position. That position of the forstay is hanging down the front of the mast.) I take the forstay in one hand and the mast in the other and work out on to the fordeck. When I am stretched out like a cross, I slowly work down the Forstay until I am at the fitting on the fordeck. (When possible I always position the car and trailer going down hill as the mast in an upright position leans toward the bow.)With the furler could you attach a temporary forstay at the spreaders? Securing the temporary stay and then attaching the furler.

 

[Steve Paul]

Gin Pole really makes this easier

I had the mast raising system. Using the Gin pole at the base of the mast, I attached the furler end to the Gin pole end. Crank up the mast and you're practically done.Using the mainsheet block and tackle or a boom vang to raise the mast makes this a very safe operation, adding little time as you can stop at any point in the mast raising.Steve P.

 

[gord17531]

shrouds hanging up?

my shrouds and every other line used to get caught on the the aft corners of the hatch as well as on the corners of the pop top. now i run a single long bungee cord between the lifelines and up tight against the aft of the cabin so that my shrouds etc just slide over the bungee as i raise the mast...no more hangups. i use a home made mast raising system with a gin pole and am usually on the water in 45 minutes or less. same with packing up at the end of the day.

 

[Al]

shrouds

Hey, I use vecro straps that I bought at Menards for a couple of bux to coil up and tie my shrouds to the mast while trailering...

 

[Keith Nuttle]

velcro

Velcro? I have thought about using it but was afraid that it would not hold up. How long can do you use it before it wears out?

 

[Al]

velcro reply

I have been using those velcro straps for 2 years now...My boat is stored outside under tarp (even through Winter)...i see no sign of wear. Plus Menards is a half a mile away from me ..I can go get more any time.By the way, I use the black ones that are about one inch wide and have a plastic buckle on one end...i think, it was c99 a piece.On e-bay and in some electronic stores they sell velcro cable ties that are about 6-8 inches long, I use those too to coil shrouds up.Hope, it helps.Al

 

[oldiesrocker2001]

Results are in...

Well guys, according to the rigging times turned in by most viewers, I really am taking a bit longer than usual to rig my V21. Although in my younger years, I had a tendency to try to do everything fast-perhaps from time spent working on my car in the pits in between rounds at the track-and am compensating now by being overly cautious. In my younger years, I also had to perform the same task more than once after something broke the first time..As to the velcro idea, I've used similar straps in my recording studio to the ones that Al mentions. I'm not sure of their holding power if soaked(I drove through some really incredible rain storms with the boat this summer)though.