Wanna-B-RV(ers)

One of the things that makes me reluctant to take my boat out is the time it takes to rig it. I am generally sailing alone, and am thus rigging it alone as well. Fully rigging it takes me nearly an hour. I've read a bit about what can be done to make the process quicker, and am now going through the options.

Some changes are obvious winners, and I upgraded some hardware to quick release.

To figure out what's worth doing, I needed to analyse the process to find bottlenecks. To do this, I left a camera running while I rigged my boat alone.

Here is the video:

The breakdown of the major parts is as follows:

1. Unpacking (removing tie downs, bungees, etc): 4:30
2. Moving Mast (reversing it): 1:00
3. Shrouds: 2:30
4. Stepping Mast: 1:10
5. Forestay: 1:10 (Quick Connect in my case)
6. Jib Sheet Bungee (really shouldn't take so long): 0:50
7. Boom (using Quick Pins): 0:30
8. Halyard prep (untying everything): 1:50
9. Rudders (carrying and installing): 3:00
10. Main Block stuff (untangling, slacking, hooking up boom): 1:40
11. Unpacking Sail: 0:30
12. Main Halyard and sail prep (not raised, just hooked up): 1:10
13. Jib Halyard and sail and sheets: 5:00

This leaves only raising the main sail (which is best done at the water on windy days) and of course getting off the trailer and parking the truck - perhaps another 10 minutes. So I've thus far dropped my 1 hour to less than 40 minutes.

Analysis

I was expecting the rudders to be the biggest single component, but at 3 minutes, it's probably not worth it to attempt to rig something to permit them to stay on the boat. Raising the Jib took longer because I had to find a substitute zipper runner (my zipper is torn, I lost the runner, and the new runner isn't running as smoothly... I removed 14 minutes of looking for a donor with a suitable zipper). Raising and tensioning the main is therefore probably the largest segment, but it couldn't be captured. Leaving the mainsheet blocks attached at both ends appears to be helpful. The whole boat on trailer backwards business would likely gain me at most 3:30 (Shrouds could stay attached, and mast positioning would be reduced), so probably not worth the trouble.

Some other changes I'm considering:

• Keeping the boat on trailer backwards. This permits you to leave the shrouds attached and simplifies the mast up/down process. I could even make rudder supports for the trailer and leave the rudders on. Getting the boat on backwards seems a bit clumsy though
• More quick-connects, eg tiller
• Using a screwdriver in place of the mast hinge pin. Easy in, easy out, stored on shore

Attaching the mast forestay shackles on my Prindle 16 takes me a long time. It is also one of the more troubling steps in rigging this boat - somehow the mast has to stay up while I fumble with the shackle and its pin, holding up the bridles and pulling on the forestay turnbuckle. It's not ideal, and it could be improved.

People generally advise against using any sort of quick-release hardware on the forestay, and with good reason. Should it quick-release on its own, you'll have a 26 foot mast coming down on your head, and at best you'll be stranded. Thus I went through West Marine's entire sailboat hardware list 100 items at a time, until I had a solution. Basically, I need something that's quick to attach, but is relatively strong and secure. I am trying to go from this:


To this:


Now, it's quick-release, and it's not as secure as the original shackle, but it is very unlikely to release under tension. As an added safety measure, I use a velcro tie over the pull-pin.

Here is how this setup was made: