Eric,

The grommet in the centre of the tramp is for centre sheeting if you are going to use it. Some love it, some hate it. Glen Ashby uses centre sheeting, I don't. Glen Ashby is a world champion, I'm a mug.

If centre sheeting is used on your boat you will have a hanger for a block half way along your boom also. The mainsheet exits the pulleys at the rear, (at the top of the blocks rather than the bottom as it would be if you used rear sheeting with a cleat, I think this is so, I use rear sheeting), travels along the boom to the pulley half way along the boom then down to the pulley that is attached to the grommet in the centre of your tramp.

2. What is the line around the mast above the boom that attaches via blocks to the top of the boom? (I'm not talking about the mast rotation control.)

Wouter is correct. This is the positive rotation control for the downwind leg. When you use it you push the mast around to where you want it to be, approximately 90degrees to the boat, then cleat the line. The rotation should be set so that there is a smooth transition between the sail and the mast on the leeward side of the sail. Often it looks like you have way too much rotation when its in the right spot. If in doubt look at the sail from the other side. See also the section in the tips pages about sailing with the wing mast at: http://www.taipan.asn.au there are drawings as well as an excellent explanation by Jim Boyer.

MAKE SURE YOU UNCLEAT IT WHEN YOU JIBE!!! This will prevent damage and is easy (for me) to forget.

4. I need a better understanding of how to fasten the jib halyard.

Can't really remember here sorry as I sail cat rigged only. I think it involves temporarily tieing a line to the wire halyard - this is the black line that you can see in Greg's right hand in the second photo of the 'how to rig the jib' tips. This line is removed after the jib is raised. I think you must end up with the wire halyard attached to the top of the jib, it then goes around a pulley at the top of the bridle, back down through the zip up pocket in the luff and once the jib is hoisted all the way to the top the other end of the wire halyard appears out of the bottom of the luff pocket. You can see that in the photos as well. This is where the black line is tied. The black line simply gives you the length to enable you to pull the jib up.

I think you raise the jib by zipping the top of it around the bridle and and around the black line. As the sail goes up you zip more and more until it's all the way up. Tension the jib as shown in the 'how to rig the jib' tips, remove the black 'temporary halyard' then you are done. Make sure you wrap the jib around itself (ie furl it) while you rig the rest of the boat and while the boat's sitting on the beach otherwise the sail will flog. This is done by removing the jib sheets from the clew of the jib - there should be a quick release shackle here, furling it then reattaching the jibsheets. You know what they say! 'Every time the sail flogs it costs you a dollar'.

When Wouter was talking about rigging the spi pole he said that there were 'wires' that went from the end of the pole to holes in each bow. I think these are actually lines (spectra or something) rather than actual wires. Then again I could be wrong. All the spi poles I've seen have had lines with figure eight knots in, I think, to stop them coming back through the holes. I'd confirm this with someone else though.

Good Luck,

Rob.