Few questions on rigging

H

Hartman

New Member
Hello All,

I just bought a used 94 capri 14.2 and I just have a few questions on adjusting the rigging to make sure it is correct as I don't have a user manual. The boat came with brand new factory sails that until yesterday had never been used.

1) Slack in the mainsail where the foot and tack meet, I have about 3-4 inches. The boom is all the way down to a stopper. I need to check and make sure the main is all they way up but here is my questions. Can I lower the boom stopper to make up the slack? I have plenty of room I 'm sure if this would be a correct solution.

2) Mast pin, how tight should I make this? The mast is in the step plate and I just hand tightened it and there is space between the mast and the housing. My gut tells me to get it as tight as possible.

Thanks
Hartman
 
Hartman said:
Hello All,

I just bought a used 94 capri 14.2 and I just have a few questions on adjusting the rigging to make sure it is correct as I don't have a user manual. The boat came with brand new factory sails that until yesterday had never been used.

1) Slack in the mainsail where the foot and tack meet, I have about 3-4 inches. The boom is all the way down to a stopper. I need to check and make sure the main is all they way up but here is my questions. Can I lower the boom stopper to make up the slack? I have plenty of room I 'm sure if this would be a correct solution.

2) Mast pin, how tight should I make this? The mast is in the step plate and I just hand tightened it and there is space between the mast and the housing. My gut tells me to get it as tight as possible.

Thanks
Hartman
Click to expand...
Wow! Brand new sails, how lucky can you get. Treat them right and you should be happy for a long time. The stop should be adjusted to allow 6 inches below the boom while hanging with the main sail pulled all the way to the top. This a critical part of sail trim for all boats. In the books it says to use a "down haul" to flatten the sail for wind conditions. That, along with the main outhaul line and boom vang are all very important to sailing the boat faster and safer. When you drop the boom into the mast slot it will slide down to the stop to hold it up off the floor. Rig a topping lift to hold the end of your boom up while your sails are down. As for the mast step plate, on this model boat, racers have their mast shrouds loose to let the top of the mast move over 6" or more at the top. In this situation there has to be some slack but maybe a racer can help you get the rig tuned just right. Sailing in rough water changes rig setup also. I have my shrouds tighter than most because of a lot of big boat traffic in the lake. The mast will really get to pumping if too loose. Sail the boat and enjoy yourself. Also, down load the manuel from this site. It has lots of info about your boat. Also the archives have lots of information on just about anything pertaining to these boats and sailing them. Charley
 
Tip: look up at the top of this page for the blue bar and click "C14 handbook" for he referenced manual. I concur with the advice for a "sloppy" rig. On my c14, I can tighten that wing nut all the way down but it definitely doesn't secure the bottom of the mast. It's just meant to hold it in place.

Charley, thanks for the detail about the stop, I've always wondered what was a "standard" sort of position for that.
 
Thanks for the help I lowered the boom stop and things are working great. It gave the mast pin a few more turns and it is fine, the mast not move around it is just the flanges on the side are not super tight. I will get some pics next time I'm out

Thanks
Hartman
 
Hartman said:
Thanks for the help I lowered the boom stop and things are working great. It gave the mast pin a few more turns and it is fine, the mast not move around it is just the flanges on the side are not super tight. I will get some pics next time I'm out

Thanks
Hartman
Click to expand...
Hartman, I am pleased to hear your rig is working better for you. Every boat i have owned over the years have required some type of rig adjustment to get everything working correctly. The length of your lines can be a simple thing, or trying to flatten your main sail to de-power the rig in heavy weather can be critical. With the boom hanging free with the sail completely raised, you must be able to pull down on the downhaul as tight as possible without touching the horn cleat. The same must be true with the main sail outhaul. With both adjustments tight the sail will be flat and producing much less power. The sail may begin to flap along the back or leech of the sale. If this starts, it can be controlled by tightning the boom vang. This will take twist out of the sail to open up the slot between the jib and main sail. At this point, the main sheet can be let out quite a bit to reduce the angle of attack of the sail which reduces power and lean. If the rig still needs more reduction, time to reef the main. There are several other ways to reduce power and reduce lean on boats with a traveler. You can release tension on the boom vang during normal sailing to let the main twist out at the top to handle gusts. A furling jib is a wonderful thing for single handing and can be your first line of defense in reducing lean and rig power. The topping lift can be tightened up to add twist while ysing all other cantrolls in a normal way. I hope you can enjoy learning the rig controlls while sailing your boat. I had a new student out Friday for his first sail-ever. He was having a hard time with the tiller steering so i rigged a preventer to hold the boom just off the shroud and winged the jib out on the other side and headed the boat down wind wing on wing. After an hour he became really good on the tiller. This is a must on ANY boat i own. I use the jib rolled in to 100% for this training. On my Cat. 25, I use a long adjustable whisker pole to hold the 150% out. This putl lots of sail out there on a run. I have clocked 7.5 knots like this, and boy was it a thrill. A little scairy for sure, she has a hull speed of 6.3 knots. The hull was trying to climb over the bow wave. Lots of luck and good sailing, Charley
 
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