Opinions on rigging

Just a topic for conversation. Whaddaythink?

Spending the time (and $) rigging well is good if you want the fine-tuned control and best performance and most fun.

It's bad if you just want to get on the water quickly and just have fun. It's also bad if you're a newbie and become overwhelmed with the mass of details involving rigging. From trap configurations to shroud tension to mast rig. To all the other areas where things are attached to the bare hulls.

It's gas and go with a jet ski. It's 30 minutes minimum to rig from the trailer for a cat.

IF you learn to rig well, you're one of the cool kids. But is that really cool for cat sailing overall? Instead, are the cool kids just boat nerds?

All this is, I think, important. To what extent do you take rigging on your boat and what are your opinions about rigging?

Wave
FX-1

foremost, rigging well ensures you have a good time... safely.
if you've ever had a mast come down underway, you understand.

gas and go? jet skis and their ilk are the reason small sailboat sales have plummeted over the last 20 years. it takes smarts to learn and be a sailor. most folks don't want the effort required to be a sailor.

most are always looking for ways to streamline the rigging process. I'm one of them, and I'm coooool.

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Chris
'88 H18SE Arís

I'm not too sure what your question is, but it takes me ~ 40 minutes to rig my H17Sport. That's from pulling up to the launch to actually being on the water sailing. Takes about the same amount of time to un-rig. I try to leave as much as possible in place while trailering (shrouds, rudders, jib sheets, spreader, etc.). I double bungie everything (I use a lot of bungies, 12 w/hooks and 5 ball bungies).
AND I agree, any idiot with a gas card and a life vest can operate a jet ski.

My rigging is quite easy. Step mast in the spring, take down in the fall.

If wind coming from land, hoist main and jib, then launch.
If wind coming from the lake, put boat in water, do a 180, haul back on beach, hoist main and jib, then launch.

My friend spends more time fiddling with his power boat to get it to work right than I spend rigging.

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Marc...
1978 Hobie 16 Keoke, sail# 36 84

Just trying to hear others points of view on rigging. Call it a Rorschach test/question.

Obviously, fastcat, rigging up is no issue for you. You've apparently have it down. Probably don't even realize now that you are making 35 to 40 specific steps to set the boat up. Also very familiar and comfortable with the gear.

56kz2slow has a permanent location. No problem rigging either.

A thread on Catsailor F16 forum discussed stepping the mast from the bow and one of the Euro sailors was amazed that some would consider having to step the mast every time out! Called it "hardcore" I remember. No "YC" and "put in" at.

Hmmm, try riding a stand up well once.

Ya, I've been doing it for 27 years, first on a H16 and now the H17Sport. It all comes with time and mistakes. Like the time I didn't secure my trap lines securely. Got to the boat launch with just frayed wire ends, bummer. Fortunately, the forestay wasn't bundled with them so I could still sail. Hence my double bungee routine.

I've owned three beachcats and four (standup) jetskis since the mid 80s. I've lived where I could launch my jetski from my front yard and now live where my hobie cat lives on the beach all season. I've also lived where I've had to trailer boats. I can state unequivocally that ANY SPORT OR PASTIME THAT REQUIRES ONE TO GO TO A BOAT RAMP IS A HASSLE AND ALWAYS WILL BE!!!!

actually that's why I quit jetskiing and went back to beachcats. If you don't get to the boat ramp by 5:30 AM the fishermen have taken all the parking spaces.

I have been trailoring my Hobie to the beach ever since my first 16 in 1979. I am still doing it today at age 55 with my 18 Mag. The one thing I have learned is to rig and de-rig the same way every time. I have a mental check list in my head. Sure it takes me 40 min to set up and take down, usually an hour but that is because I am socializing during the process. The "dance" we all do every weekend is one of the things that feeds our comradery. Any newbee can come down and be assured of this comradery being extended to him/her. Where I come from the old salts will gladly help another rig/de-rig any time. We are always happy to help. Rigging is just one of the ways we socialize. We don't just back down a ramp, fire it up and take off as fast as we can never speaking to any one else around. May the rigging commence!!! Jim.

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ADDICTION
1989 HOBIE 18 SE/sx wings
HOBIE ALTER SIGNATURE MODEL

I'm agree with Jim. My crew(wife) can rig our 16 in 25-30 minutes and de-rig in 15-20 minutes, but we have so many friends that we have met over the years that we don't even think about it anymore. We have such a good time with everyone, even some of the jet skiers, that being to concerned about set up time is not a issue. Embrace the lifestyle and have a blast! Craig

Hell It takes me 25 minutes to Rig my roof racked Adventure Island each time. Assembly is part of it if you cannot have a trailer. Rarely see any sailboats at my boat ramp.

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2010 Hibiscus Adventure Island

Reassuring to hear all varieties of responses. Or different varieties of responses...

Quote this from this thread.
It does seem like the numbers of "fun rec" guys are at a minimum these days.

This is nice to hear: However, with a lot less of the "fun rec" sailors there is less camaraderie, a lot less good socializing.

True.

Maybe solution is...
Streamlining rigging gets the boat on the water faster, yeah.

It works other way too though: Complicated and awkward rigging keeps the boat off the water. Makes simple jet skis attractive. Plus, seems to get a whole group of people who like to rig boats, apparently even more so than being on the water... (Not EVEN gonna try to understand that.)

So, here's to the fun-rec crowd! We are perpetual newbies. We like learning to handle the boat on the water, we don't like setting up the boat in the parking lot or messing with the boat in the shop. We wonder about the rigging nightmares that others put up with or that the boat nerds or racers create on their boats...

Fun-rec streamlining hat tip to jmecky:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dl7kZOQ5WQk[/youtube]

Starting from a 1 hour rigging 3 weeks ago, I'm under 20 minutes from the moment I arrive on the beach with my sailbag : pulling the boat by the water according to the wind direction, putting the jib and mainsail, putting the mainsail blocks and doing the tie, checking the anchor pins, those small rings, the drain plugs, shackles, folding the jb line... Same when removing the main & jib + opening drainplugs for any water in the hulls.
(I'm leaving the jib blocks, jib line, blade, stick on the boat which is parked on the beach in front of the house)

Yesterday, I had to dismantle the whole thing (Hobie Cat 14 T) and it took me 2 hours including rinsing everything in order to have the hulls in the garage and the other parts on shelves/bags...

We also have a powerboat and it takes quite the same time preparing everything, checking the gas level, anchor line, counting life vests... And the thing I love on my hobie cat is that on water everyone on sailboats wave at each others, never happened on the powerboat in 10 years (in my area : Brittany in France where a real boat have sails)

Nicolas

Funny thing, where I live everyone waves at everyone on the water, regardless of what type boat you have. I have passed folks several times in power boats that will even wave the second time around, but then again, I live where many drivers on the highway will often give a small passing wave. My mother from Germany thought it was odd that so many people who do not know each other wave so often.

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'88 Nationals Blue
Hobie Alter Signature Model
Sail #11

Hobie Mirage Classic