Hi Mark, A few suggestions to help you improve your ramp time, so you enjoy sailing more. Don't move forward and aft on deck any more than you have to. Really think through the number of times you have to do this. To that end I carry a small tool pouch with everything I need up and down the deck. Wrenches for tightening the mast bolt and forestay turnbuckle. All the tie downs from travel go in the bag, and are there when I am wrapping up to trailer. Like many M-boat owners we leave the shrouds and back stays attached and adjusted. It might seem very tight to get the mast to and from vertical, but some judicious grinding to radius the after "corner" of the foot of the mast will assist in raising the mast. Something like a 1-1/2" radius seems to work. You might want to do some, try it, and if needed, grind a bit more. There will be some resistance just before the mast goes vertical, then all will be well. The upper and lower shrouds should not be drum tight any way. There should be a slight sag on the lee shrouds when heeling. Sorry I can't quantify this any better. We don't use an A frame to lift the mast. A properly secured bowline to the jib halyard, through a turning block on top of the extended winch post and back to a coaming winch. I can shoulder the mast, while standing on the cockpit seats, take up the line slack, walk the mast up as I move forward to the companionway, and then it will tilt up. The line is in my hand for a safety. I am no iron man type. I am tall, but 55, and with some history of back issues. (Pilates has been my back saving activity). Once the mast is vertical, I leave the line tightened on the winch and cleat it off well on the stern quarter cleat, not the clam cleat for jib sheeting. At that point I can go forward and attach the forestay. We don't have a furler, but do have to hank on the jib of choice. We have a back stay adjuster, so it is loosened right off when taking down the rig. When setting up, we know the number of turns to put onto the forestay turnbuckle, then any required forestay tension is take up with the back stay when underway. This is for beating into the wind. When off the wind, we slack the back stay to allow the jib to fill better. The forestay turnbuckle is adjusted to give some aft mast rake. Ours is about 2'. We used a plumb bob from the main halyard to check this last year. Taking up on the backstay adjuster might give another 2" of rake. Others might chime in here on this point. Another suggestion is to leave the main sail flaked and tied on the boom. Stow it in the cabin this way. If you have a topping lift, attach it to the clew (outer) end of the boom right in hatchway, then you will have one end supported as you slide it out of the cabin and drop the goose neck into the slot on the mast. When taking down the rig, coil your port and starboard shrouds loosely, and hang them from the mast. We use ball bungees to do this. Same for securing the forestay and halyards along the mast. We do not trailer with our 5HP Honda on the motor mount. It goes in the truck bed. I don't fancy stressing the transom, when bouncing down the road. With my wife rigging boom, all sheets, and main halyard, setting up the cockpit, spotting me when raising the mast, and me getting on the boat, staying on the boat until the mast is set, then going back to the ground to receive the rudder from her, and get the motor from the truck, we are 50 minutes. If doing myself, I would be 1 hr 20 min. Have only done this a few times. At most ramps we don't have to use the tongue extension. I think only 3 times in 2 years, at what I would call "rustic" ramps. So think through the motions and try not to cover the same ground on deck twice. That is probably the biggest time saver I can suggest after leaving the standing rigging attached and adjusted. Hope you have a great summer of sailing. Trip or day sail reports are always welcomed on this list. Bill Wickett Makin' Time M17 #622 On Wed, May 25, 2011 at 9:44 PM, Mark House <itsmark@bresnan.net> wrote:
Having rigged my M-17 twice and taken it down once in the last few weeks, I'm wondering if I'm the slowest rigger alive. It took me 3 hours the first time, about the same the second. First two times I had help. So today when I set up to put the boat at a mooring for the summer, I timed myself. It tool me 2:34 hr. - not much improvement. Here's the breakdown:
17 minutes Remove all tie-downs after 1575 mile drive. 11 minutes Position mast and bolt base in tabernacle. 28 minutes Rig A-frame, raise mast. 33 minutes Attach and adjust all standing rigging. 20 minutes Rig trailer tongue extension. 30 minutes Attach boom, main, battens, flake sail, put on sail cover 15 minutes Unrig trailer tongue extension
Everything on the boat was well-tied-down for 1575 highway miles, and I took some extra time to adjust the inner shrouds. I simplify rigging by loosening the starboard shrouds 6 turns, and the backstay 10 turns when I take the rig down. That way it should be quick to set it up the next time. However I forgot to tape the inner turnbuckles last time and lost my careful adjustments. Could do away with the A-frame, but the mast with jib and CDI furler weighs 70 lb! I also took some extra time to tape the ends of my battens. The outboard was already on the boat, so didn't need to be handled. Even so, I don't see how I will ever setup in less than 2 hours.
What am I missing? I'm reluctant to take this boat anywhere other than my local lake, as it's just too much work! It's a shame because it performs so well on the water!
Mark House "Seranita" _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats
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