Rigging & De-rigging in a Club environment

Last Saturday was a sad day, we put the boats away for the winter.

So we got talking....are there better ways to do certain things. Like for the H16's, at the end of a sailing session, we typically lower the main and jib, loosen the downhaul, undo the mainsheet from the padeye and clear the traveler, clear the gooseneck assembly from the mast so we can remove the boom with the mainsail still attached. Then we roll up the main with the blocks and mainsheet, then the jib, and carefully stuff the whole mess into a sailbag.

Some have suggested that we might remove the mainsail from the boom, and leave the boom, blocks and mainsheet on the boat. The idea is that the wet mainsheet would prevent mould etc in the sailbag. This also means that we save a bit of rigging the next time re the tail of the mainsheet, similar to a H18.

putting the sail back on doesn't seem any harder than what we're used to do with other types of boats; granted it's not as simple as the H18s, but not particularly harder than rigging an Albacore. I think I'd suggest following procedure:
* hoist the sail up without the boom (should be easier than with)
* take the main block off the cross beam so that the boom can move reasonably freely
* slide it onto the sail
* slide the gooseneck assembly into the mast
* reattach the tack of the sail
* put on the outhaul
* reattach the mainblock.
* the boom and main sheet always stays on the boat, it reduces opportunities to loose shackles and other parts.

Any opinions out there?

_________________
2015 H16, with spin,
SOLD 1989 Hobie SX18 Sail # 1947 "In Theory..."
'Only two things are infinite, the universe, and human stupidity. But I'm not sure about the former.'

Why not just un-shackle the upper main block from the boom and leave the boom connected to the mainsail?

Personally, I wouldn't want to leave my main blocks on the boat unattended. They're an expensive piece that's easily stolen. Plus the sheet and blocks will get fried in the sun.

Regardless of what you do, you're only talking a couple minutes rigging time one way or the other, so it's not like you're looking at a significant time savings.
If you're able to leave your mast up and rudders on, you're only looking at what, 10 to 15 minutes rigging time max? Hoist the two sails, rig the sheets, clip on your hotstick and you're done.

sm

sm

What do (northern) cat sailors do with their boats during winter....?

We typically remove tramps etc, store the mast in the rafters of the club house, then park the hulls in the Club parking lot on tires, 3 or 4 high, enough to keep the keels out of the snowpack. Bows have an extra tire, so rain etc will run off. Sails are stored in the sailbags in the sail room.

Found out this morning that our neighbours at Nepean SC leave their cats 'on the hard' mast up.

How many others do that?

(My concern is freezing rain.....and please, no wise comments from folks down south, we have to drive in this stuff.)

_________________
2015 H16, with spin,
SOLD 1989 Hobie SX18 Sail # 1947 "In Theory..."
'Only two things are infinite, the universe, and human stupidity. But I'm not sure about the former.'

For winterizing I remove all blocks, wires, lines and tramp. I just have two bare hulls on the trailer with the "vent ports". The bare mast gets hung under the deck next to the spare mast. The wings, boom, sails and everything else get put on top of the garage. The small stuff is put into a plastic tub so I can find it all in one place in the spring. Cat Trax go into the travel trailer, my 8' x 30' winter storage unit inside a pole building. Off to go take my boat apart and then help my friend get his 16 off the beach.

Sad day.......... Now the honey do list begins.

_________________
1989 Hobie 18 Worlds Boat, Magnum Wings & Spinnaker
1987 Hobie Holder 20 #273

dale.vanlopik"at"att"dot"net

Sad day indeed Dale, do you have cradles on your trailer?
Or bunks?

_________________
2015 H16, with spin,
SOLD 1989 Hobie SX18 Sail # 1947 "In Theory..."
'Only two things are infinite, the universe, and human stupidity. But I'm not sure about the former.'