Rigging tricks from a pier...

P

paxfish

Member
I launch from a pier, and when it's blowing 15 to 20 across the pier, rigging can be a bitch. Sometimes I wonder it the flailing clew strap is gonna knock out a tooth while I'm wrastlin' with it.

There is no beach - just a sharp bluff to the water's edge and some rip rap.

The boat is in the water, tied bow-to-pier. I normally get the dagger board in, rudder and tiller on before putting on the sail/mast. Knowing full well that once I do, it's gonna get hairy.

From there, I typically wade in, fight the gooseneck while getting the clewstrap set, outhaul rigged etc. All the while, the flapping sail is reminding me that I need two more arms.

Who else here launches from a pier, and what are your tricks to minimize the pain?
 
I launch from a dock that sits crosswise to the wind and have the same issues! Ever tried dropping a fully loaded mast and sail with the wind behind you? Yow..Note that I can't wade in the water and have to rig while in the boat.

I do the same things...have the rudder and centerboard already done. I wait for a lull in the breeze to grab the sail. I have a clip to attach to the clew so it's fairly quick. The outhaul is a bit dicey though as I have to thread it forward and down to the deck. Mostly just waiting it out and working without haste, not easy as I'm wanting to go sail!

For the downhaul, I set up a shackle/loop so I don't have to tie it off while attempting to avoid being thrown into the water.

Finally, I got a pair of sports knee pads that are really great when I'm floundering around getting everything together in the boat.
 
cool - Yours is even tougher since you have to rig on the boat - I'm 210 pounds so that would be a mess....

I'd like to hear more about your shackle/loop on the downhaul. How do you have that rigged? It's a pain to run a line through the grommet, around the boom, through the downhaul block and tie a Bowlin.

I need to figure a better way to do the outhaul too...
 
I have to launch from some difficult areas sometimes too.

Try this ...

Put the boat in and tie it to the pier, with the the boom and mainsheet rigged in the cockpit (bungeed to the strap) and foils on, wade up to the side of the boat and stick the bare mast in and pull it over on it's side with the mast laying on the ground. Then slide the sail on plug in the boom, rig the outhaul and then hook up the clew strap --- whilst it is still on it's side -- and stand it back up.

I have done this once.
 
For some regattas I sail out of a pier with same situation (it sucks) tie a line to the bow then put on the mast (with or without sail, depends on wind) tie everything down and then flip the boat sideways and jump in and rig it from there, it usually works well for me and is much easier for de-rigging as well when the wind is kicking.
 
I've had the same problem in the past and I've found its actually easier in this kind of breeze to rig up the mast and boom on the pier, then step it as one piece
 
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