This brought on by the "launching from powerboat ramps" thread -- and by the fact that until Saturday I had always launched my boat off the dolly fully rigged and had never before rigged on the water. It wasn't super windy (16 knots) but still it took me a good 10 minutes to corral the flogging clew and tie it to the boom.
I've read all the discussion about whether 'tis nobler to attach the clew to the boom first and then the boom to the mast, or vice versa -- I'm just looking for a few hints on how to make it happen smoothly -- where to sit, how to hold the clew while attaching it, etc.
I have a dinghy clew hook, but ever since it let go on me once last summer I've been tieing the clew down as well. And besides, it doesn't seem to work well with attaching the clew first and then the gooseneck --- with the outhaul loose enough to push the boom back and have a prayer of attaching the gooseneck, the flogging invariably flips the clew hook right out of the grommet.
Pearls of wisdom, anyone?
I've read all the discussion about whether 'tis nobler to attach the clew to the boom first and then the boom to the mast, or vice versa -- I'm just looking for a few hints on how to make it happen smoothly -- where to sit, how to hold the clew while attaching it, etc.
I have a dinghy clew hook, but ever since it let go on me once last summer I've been tieing the clew down as well. And besides, it doesn't seem to work well with attaching the clew first and then the gooseneck --- with the outhaul loose enough to push the boom back and have a prayer of attaching the gooseneck, the flogging invariably flips the clew hook right out of the grommet.
Pearls of wisdom, anyone?