Spagetti farm

[Pat Mellema]

I was just wondering what everybody does with all the lines when they have the mast down for trailering. I have just finished rigging Sanddragon and found a lot of line that needs to be taken care of. but I am not sure what to do with it. any suggestions would be welcomed.

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[Frank Hagan]

I have the throat and peak halyards run back to the cockpit with cam cleats on the cabin top, starboard side. On the cabin bulkhead, I put a "clothes pin bag" with two compartments (sourced from Walmat for about $4!), and the halyards get stuffed in that to keep them up and out of the way. The jib halyard, on the port side of the cabin top, also has one. The jib sheets (I have two, after I removed the clubfoot) get clipped together in front of the mast along with the jib halyard. That takes care of the halyards.

I always have the main sail tied to the boom, and then strap the boat down to the trailer. Then I lower the mast. The shrouds and forestay droop into the cockpit, and if I'm traveling farther than to my local marina, I tie them up to the mast/sail/boom with a few ties.

The only thing I have to watch on raising the mast is that the turnbuckles tend to bind every now and then. But otherwise ... even though it looks like a mess ... the rig goes up and I'm ready to launch in under 15 minutes.

[Pat Mellema]

Frank

thank you. I looked at that mess and said there has to be some way to clean this up but wasn't sure how to go about it.

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[Frank Hagan]

I should take some digital pictures of the rigging set up and create an album here of it. I think it might help other builders. I was really astounded with the number of halyards, sheets and shrouds there are! Its amazing that they don't get tangled up when you lower and raise the mast, but I have never had a problem with it.

[MikeStevenson]

As usual, Frank's note is right on the money. Gather things up, keep them from getting tangled, but don't sweat it: Next time you raise the mast all the lines sort themselves out miraculously (except for the occaisonal snag of the t-buckles, which has got us in the habit of pre-setting them facing outboard and ahead just a little so that as the mast goes up they don't catch on anythin gand just swing up tight.

Mike

[T. Nelson Surbrook]

My experiances agree with the lines sorting themselves out when you step the mast. I use the deadeye option so nothing hangs up when setting up. 15 minutes is on the long side of set up time.

[TexasPhil]

Do you have to relax the turnbuckles or Dead Eyes when stepping or unstepping the mast?

[P Doug (WA)]

That is a nice looking boat. What color is it? One picture (the first) it looks black, in the second it looks like a dark brown. Also what color are the sails?

[Pat Mellema]

The boat is dark brown with a black keel the topside and rubrails are a yellow. The sails are brown. I found some brown polytarp and it looks good. I will try to take some pics during the daylight that will show the true colors

Thank you all for the comments I was just wondering what everybody else did.

[tdrown]

While I am new to this, the boat has only been in the water twice, it did survive the highway to Massachusets and back. While I was there I made a new boom crutch from 3/4" ply. The plan's boom crutch designed for use with a traffrail, I haven't made mine yet, so I ran some 3/8" line lashing the sail below (or through) the bottom eyebolt for the rudder box to keep it down and through the crutch itself to keep it back, also around the boom and the mast to keep them down and in place. It worked well. I lashed all the spagetti to the boom with seperate pieces of line. I put the jib in the foredeck and everything else in the cabin, below the seats, and in the lazaratte. Remember to use locktight or double nuts or just remove them, I lost the nut holding the rudder on sometime and actually drove home without a nut on, thankfully the bolt is under enough pressure to hold it in place.

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[Frank Hagan]

Do you have to relax the turnbuckles or Dead Eyes when stepping or unstepping the mast?

I loosen each turnbuckle on the shrouds a couple of turns. After I connect the forestay, I tighten them up. On a wood gaffer, you don't make the rigging too tight ... the shrouds aren't guitar strings but they will make a nice pleasant sound when strummed and they are at the right tension.