Where do I find online instructions for setting up the boat for sailing (installing mast, boom, sails)? Some of the owners reviews state that it is a two-person job. How hard is the 170 to set up and sail solo?
- Status
set up
its not hard to set up by yourself its just alot more fun to sail with someone. All you really need is something to hold the mast up while you rig it, I use a line from the front cleats around the gooseneck and I always start on the side the cast leans away from.
its not hard to set up by yourself its just alot more fun to sail with someone. All you really need is something to hold the mast up while you rig it, I use a line from the front cleats around the gooseneck and I always start on the side the cast leans away from.
Use a winch..
Estel,
Setting up the mast is not hard at all. I added a winch to my trailer and use the winch to raise my mast when I sail alone. It is quite simple. I can send some pictures of how I do it if you want. Just let me know.
Tim Hayes
Estel,
Setting up the mast is not hard at all. I added a winch to my trailer and use the winch to raise my mast when I sail alone. It is quite simple. I can send some pictures of how I do it if you want. Just let me know.
Tim Hayes
Is to set up !
Use your trailer winch to raise and lower the mast, be sure you have the tie downs on the rear of the trailer and the safety chain secured to the eye bolt on the bow of the boat.
You can stop raising the mast at any point to adjust the shrouds, some times they get tangled.
very safe and easy to do by one person. take down is just as easy, just make sure tie downs and safety chain are in place.
Glenn
Use your trailer winch to raise and lower the mast, be sure you have the tie downs on the rear of the trailer and the safety chain secured to the eye bolt on the bow of the boat.
You can stop raising the mast at any point to adjust the shrouds, some times they get tangled.
very safe and easy to do by one person. take down is just as easy, just make sure tie downs and safety chain are in place.
Glenn
Winch set up
Jim, I actually had two winches.
The trailer winch is the one I was refering to for raising the mast.
I added the second winch at the top of the vertical riser (thats the post at the bow) to use to raise the mast.
I didnt like the boat wanting to rock back and forth when I moved to the stern to slide the mast into the mast step postion. by leaving the bow secured to that post with the bow strap nice and snug, it did away with all that movement.
I have some pictures of the winch I could send you, I'm not very good at posting pictures on this site.
The second winch at the top of the verticle post I got from Wal Mart for about $9:00. really a good investment for rigging by you self.
If you send me an e-mail at glenn.basore@medtronic.com I will forward you the pictures you are requesting.
Glenn
Jim, I actually had two winches.
The trailer winch is the one I was refering to for raising the mast.
I added the second winch at the top of the vertical riser (thats the post at the bow) to use to raise the mast.
I didnt like the boat wanting to rock back and forth when I moved to the stern to slide the mast into the mast step postion. by leaving the bow secured to that post with the bow strap nice and snug, it did away with all that movement.
I have some pictures of the winch I could send you, I'm not very good at posting pictures on this site.
The second winch at the top of the verticle post I got from Wal Mart for about $9:00. really a good investment for rigging by you self.
If you send me an e-mail at glenn.basore@medtronic.com I will forward you the pictures you are requesting.
Glenn
I set up my 170 single-handed all the time; my personal best setup time is 12 minutes 35 seconds.
For mast stepping, this is what I do:
Attach the jib and the lower stays to the mast while it is on the carrier.
Uncleat the furling line.
Remove the jib's lower pin from the furler.
Lift the mast.
Once the mast is vertical, hold it up by pulling forward on the jib.
With tension on the jib, swing it out to the furler and insert the pin.
That was the old way. This weekend, I watched someone rig a Capri 18 using the main halyard to support the mast during stepping and unstepping; I think I'm going to practice some alternative methods. I've also been considering leaving the stays connected to the chainplates when the mast is unstepped. I'm physically able to do it the "hard way", but someday I won't be ... 8(
Fair winds,
Frank
For mast stepping, this is what I do:
Attach the jib and the lower stays to the mast while it is on the carrier.
Uncleat the furling line.
Remove the jib's lower pin from the furler.
Lift the mast.
Once the mast is vertical, hold it up by pulling forward on the jib.
With tension on the jib, swing it out to the furler and insert the pin.
That was the old way. This weekend, I watched someone rig a Capri 18 using the main halyard to support the mast during stepping and unstepping; I think I'm going to practice some alternative methods. I've also been considering leaving the stays connected to the chainplates when the mast is unstepped. I'm physically able to do it the "hard way", but someday I won't be ... 8(
Fair winds,
Frank
Pretty tough if the stays are properly tensioned as it's not easy to get the mast base in place without assistance. The Boat Modification page for the 170 offers the following tip by Rusty S. and discussed a few times:
If you trailer sail and want very quick setup, install four Small Johnson Quick Release Shroud Levers and install one Quick Release Pin for each one.
I've been meaning to do this myself but have recently been able to leave the boat rigged.
From your comments above, I assume that the shrouds are attached before lifting the mast. I saw it done that way a few days ago. However, before I saw that demo, I tried to step the mast the same way and I couldn't get the mast back far enough to get the pin on the lower end of the mast into the slot. I think the mast was about 1" to 1.5" too far ahead of getting into the slot. So I ended up disconnecting the shroud hinges, stepping the mast and then reattaching the shroud hinges. NOT A GOOD WAY TO GO as there is nothing to support the mast until at least one shroud on each side is reattached.
At the moment, my boat is moored on a buoy, but I'm taking it down in about a week for the winter. Before I haul it away, I'm going to try to restep the mast with the shrouds connected for practice for next April.
UPDATE: When I pulled my boat out of the water last week, I unstepped the mast with the shroud lines connected. The mast easily pulled out of the "stepping block" when lowered to the horizontal position. For practice I reinserted the mast back into the stepping slot without any problem. Don't know why I had so much trouble the first time I did it. With the shrouds connected, its a very easy job to finish stepping the mast. I'm looking forward to doing it again next April.
Last edited:
- Status