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I rig and derig single handed, and tugging that mast forward, and backwards with the spreaders bumping the life lines is combersome, dangerous, and time comsuming. Solution: I disconnect and reconnect the life lines at the bow allowing the slack to be pulled out of way of the spreaders.

When trying to hand-pull the roller furler into position to insert the pin and ring ding single handed, its nearly impossible ! A Solution (a tip from a local trimaran owner):
Use the trailer winch with a short rope tied to the roller furler drum for the final stretch in hooking up the furler to the bow...(being careful not to crank down too much--which could damage something). When all the stays are aligned, this method pulls the furler effortlessly ( stand on the front trailer ladder during this procedure).

These ideas may exist somewhere in the archives...if so, sorry for the duplication. These two simple tips have been very helpful and time saving in my case.

Hope this simplifies and saves someone rigging time

actually there is an easy way. Tie a eight foot rope around the furler tie a loop in the other end. As you get ready to put the pin and ring ding in
step into the loop put your weight on it and the furler will be easy to pin.

The winch will also work but its under the bow when the boat is sitting on the trailer.

...and Mikes way works on the water too.....

The spreaders on an M are more of a hassle because they are swept back more than on the X. I finally got tired of dealing with them getting caught on stuff and now I always take one off. The assembly for the spreaders rotates so with one off it's not too hard to lift the other up out of the way when moving the mast.

BB

Winch and line wrapped around furler great ideas. To further ease the rigging of roller furing I have installed a turnbuckle on the shroud adjuster on the backstay giving me about 2 inches of play.

Rick - your backstay should not be the standing rigging item that is creating forestay tension on your fractionally rigged (forestay not all the way up the mast) boat....if it is I will almost guarantee your rigging is way too loose, or something is not right...

The upper shrouds should be the things that are tightest on the boat.

Steve, I used to think the way you do about the backstay and in fact used the loop method frequently. But its true, I became a believer when I put the adjustable backstay mod in. Loosening the backstay does make it much easier to pin the forestay even with the frac rig. Frankly, with the mast raising gear and the slack backstay, it is a piece of cake to pin the forestay with 300 lbs of tension left on the upper shrouds once you pull the mast raiser off. Its so easy that I never have to use the loop method any longer.

OK - I 'almost guaranteed' something was wrong..thanks for the correction Dimitri...

snap hooks on everything possible.

preparation from the last stow.

a checklist.

patience.

I remove my spreaders too. Already replaced them with SS from bending them.

What a GREAT idea!!! Disconnect the life lines on the bow when moving the mast back and forth. I can visualize the difference and I sure will do that next time I rig and rerig for trailering!

Rick

Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't understand the problem some are having getting the spreaders over and under the lifelines.
I'm only 63, maybe that has something to do with it.

Bill at BOATS 4 SAIL wrote:Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't understand the problem some are having getting the spreaders over and under the lifelines.
I'm only 63, maybe that has something to do with it.

Bill, that's just wrong is so many ways!

Think we're all too old, do ya? I can never get the spreaders under the lifelines and have even desinged a mod to disco the center section just for that purpose.

Ok, Romeo Atlas, what's your trick?

I solved the problem of the spreaders for four dollars. I use quick realease pins to hold the spreaders in the bracket. It makes wire management a lot simpler and takes 20 seconds. It also makes walking the deck a lot safer, it's a long drop to the pavement.

Oooooooooooohhh... GOOD IDEA!

mtc wrote:

Bill at BOATS 4 SAIL wrote:Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't understand the problem some are having getting the spreaders over and under the lifelines.
I'm only 63, maybe that has something to do with it.

what's your trick?

Before I roll the mast aft, holding the mast from dropping, hand over hand, I walk aft to just forward of the mast step, on the starboard side. I push the mast base to the port side until the starboard spreader is above the lifeline, and then pull the mast base towards the starboard side until the port spreader is above the lifeline.
It seems simpler, safer, quicker, easier, and less expensive to me than undoing lifelines and/or removing and re-inserting spreader tubes.