Gerry, That is the best way to start! Having some experienced sailors on board will ease the "newbie" anxieties, as well as showing you how all the "stuff" on board is meant to work. A few hours on the water with them will rapidly turn you into an "almost" expert. There is nothing like having someone on board who knows how sheets should be rigged; how Cunninghams are used; why you need, and how to rig a topping lift ; and also have them show you how your reefing system functions - that is a safety measure that you will continually need and you should be an expert at using it. ....and remember the old sailor's warning: when you start to think about reefing as the weather is deteriorating; that means you really should have reefed 10 minutes earlier....! If your sailors are also trailer sailors, then you'll have knowledgeable help launching your boat for the first time. After the first experience, it gets easier and easier as your self confidence and ramp knowledge grows. Have a great first sail (and don't go out if you have more than a gentle breeze). You don't want to experience a lee-rail in the water situation until you have had enough experience sailing your new boat that you feel very comfortable doing it under those conditions; but not for a first sailing experience in a new - to you - boat. Connie On 6/25/2019 9:40 AM, Gerry Lempicki via montgomery_boats wrote:
I am so glad I found this list and you knowledgeable people helping out. I wouldn't have figured all that out being such a newbie. Now I have a slight clue anyway. And reading up on the Cunningham tells me it is another tool for subtle sail shaping; is it generally correct that it would be tightened in stronger winds and loosened in light winds?Fortunately when I get the boat on the water at the end of the week, some experienced sailors/racers are willing to help us out. My goal is to have the equipment as ready as I can for when they can come aboard. Thanks again for all the information. Gerry On Tuesday, June 25, 2019, 10:07:29 AM EDT, Dave Scobie <scoobscobie@gmail.com> wrote:
Gerry: The eye straps on the port side are for the the dead ends of the main's tack reef lines. The clamcleats on starboard are for where you lock down the reef. Use the aluminum CL211s not those plastic jobs! (The eye straps can also be used for dead ending a cunningham.) Make sure the eye straps and clam cleats are low enough that when you put in the reef the tack is pulled down tight to the gooseneck. The reef lines are 1/4". Tie to the strapeye and run up to the reef tack grommet and down to the clamcleat. Run the jib halyard to the cockpit. Good location for adjusting luff tension. Leave the main halyard at the mast. On the starboard side run the cunningham to the cockpit. Many ways to set up a topping lift. One is going from the boom end up to a block near the starboard head of the mast, down to blocks leading aft.
:: Dave Scobie
-Gerry