Hi F16 folks,

I'm in the process of assembling Taipan #297. Since there aren't any "sisterships" or dealers within 2000+ miles of me, I need help assembling and rigging it ASAP! I've looked at all the photos I can find online, but still need help since certain items have been changed over time.

1. How is the spinnaker and the mid-pole snuffer
rigged? Photos or diagrams would be very helpful. I
need to figure out how to run the halyard and how to
brace the pole.

2. What is a good starting point for the spreader
rake--they were off the mast for shipping.

3. How are the dagger pull up lines rigged?

4. What is the line through the front crossbar that
exits at each end though a roller (barberhauler?)? There also a small line tied to it and running through the
beam--what is it for?

5. What is the line attached to the underside of each
end of the front crossbar and attached to a small
bungey? Righting line? How is it held up?

6. Is the pin in the mast step left in or removed
while sailing?

7. How hard should the beam bolts be torqued?

I have also emailed AHPC, but I don't want to wait one minute longer than I have to to get out on the water.

Please post or send me privately any photos, instruction, advice, tips, etc you've got!

The boat is beautiful, and the carbon blades and rudderstocks are unbelievably light.

[BTW Rick, as per your other post, I am very much looking forward to being able to sail the boat in all 4 modes depending on the situation.]

Congratulations!!! There is some info on rigging that was put together by David Swingle. It is located at www.geocities.com/f16hpclass/ahpc_taipan_49_how_to_rig.html. There is also some information on the AHPC site. I believe it is under owner's manual. Some of the other more experienced folks will have to chime in with the spi set-up since I do not yet have a spi.

Regards,
Bill Moran
T4.9 #224

I can't get the link to work, but the info is on the F16HP website under F16 Articles and then under the Tech section.

Bill Moran

One more thing and I'll leave you alone. On page 24 of this forum under "Mast Tuning and Spring Fever" there is a good discussion of mast settings. Hope this helps.

Bill

Yes, the line running through front cross beam that exits out of the exit blocks is the line for the barberhauler. The only time you need it is when your sailing T4.9 sloop. When your sailing F16HP, you trim the jib to keep it out of the way of the spinnaker and you don't use the barberhauler. The spinnaker does all the work when off the wind.

What is the mysterious small line attached to the barberhauler? I wondered the same thing when I got my boat. I finally asked when I was down in Australia earlier this year. It's a feeder line to pull one end of the mast rotation line (blue) and one end of the downhaul (red) line through the front crossbeam to the other side. Once through, you tie the ends of the mast rotation line together and the end of the downhaul lines together. You then adjust the lines so the knots are positioned inside the cross beeam near the middle. Now you have continuous adjusting lines that are neatly out of the way. You stow the small line away until you are de-rigging. Just remember, to tie the feeder line to the end of the blue or red line before you pull them out. I carry a piece of small diameter PVC tubing about 8' long in the trailer box to re-thread it if I forget. You may not like running the line through the cross beam as the knot sometimes get hung up inside the cross beam. Also, before you tie the ends of the lines together, look inside the crossbeam to make sure the lines aren't twisted.

Jennifer Lindsay
Taipan 4.9/F16HP #262

PS. I'll try to get some photos of my spinnaker pole setup to you Wednesday.

Thanks Jennifer and Bill.

All the info helps! Even though the link doesn't work, I downloaded the photos on that page about a month ago. They just don't show everything.

As I go along, I keep coming up with more questions, so please chime in anyone who has answers...

How is the righting line rigged?

I've got a small grommet in the center of the tramp--what is it for?

I'm fairly heavy for the Taipan (180-185lbs), so about how much prebend and diamond tension should I start out with, assuming light to med air?

I noticed that the jib halyard is integral with the forestay--do I need a different forestay for sailing cat rigged? Or, do cat rigged sailors use a pair a forestays, like A-cats?

How about mast rake? I read on Rob's website to keep the stick only raked about 5 degrees. Does this sound right? What is the best way to measure rake (trap line?)? Does the rake need to be adjusted when switching from sloop to cat rigged?

Thanks in advance for any input or photos!

I'm glad to hear that your boat has arrived. You must be gagging to get out on the water! The Taipan is certainly a beautiful thing in the flesh.

I can help you with question 3. How are the dagger board pull up lines rigged?

Both boards use the same line so it is continuous. The next description is of how it ends up but not neccessarily how you rig it. Once you understand how the line ends up you will work out the best way to do it.

It is easiest to understand the threading of this line if the boards are sitting in the trunks so that the small hole in them is at deck level.

On each side of the daggerboard trunk on top of the hulls there is a eyelet thingy (fairlead?). [There may be only a fairlead on the inside on your boat]. Starting from the outside eyelet on any side, the line goes through the eyelet, through the small hole in the daggerboard then through the eyelet on the inside of the trunk. The line then crosses to the other side of the boat, goes through the inside eyelet, through the hole in the daggerboard then through the outside eyelet. A figure eight knot is tied in each end of the line so that it doesn't pull through the outside eyelets. If there is an eyelet on the inside only, you start at the daggerboard and end at the other daggerboard.

What you end up with is in effect a two to one pulley for pulling up the dagger boards. [or one to one if there is only one eyelet.] In practice you would start from the middle and work outwards on each side so that you have less line to thread.

The daggerboards can be held up quite nicely while on the beach or while leaving the beach by using the dogbone and the handle on the trapeze wire. The method is too difficult to explain, yet very simple, so I'll let you try and work it out for yourself. You end up with the top loop in the dogbone hooked up on one side of the handle after you've done a wrap around the handle on the dagger board.

I hope that was clear and is this is how your boat is supposed to be. The system on my boat is slightly different so if anyone that has the standard system does it differently please let Eric know.

Question 6: is the pin left in the mast step while sailing?

There are a few different systems. On my boat I connect only the bridle then step the mast from directly ahead and I leave the pin in. Another system requires that you attach the bridle and one shroud and step the mast from the front of the boat but at an angle. I don't know whether the pin is left in in this case, Jennifer?

There is a third method of stepping the mast shown in the Owners Manual of the AHPC website where the mast is stepped from the rear. http://www.ahpc.com.au . I don't know whether the pin is left in in this case either.

Q.5. What is the line attached to the underside of each
end of the front crossbar and attached to a small
bungey? Righting line? How is it held up?

The description sounds like your righting line. The righting line on my boat is as you describe. The bungey (which is about two metres long I guess) is connected to the righting line with a plastic ring which allows the bungey to slide along the righting line when you use it. The bungey which is connected to this plastic ring heads off towards the rear beam where there is a small pulley under the tramp soley for this purpose. The bungey goes through the pulley then forwards to the vertical pole on the dolphin striker where it is tied off with just enough tension to keep the righting line out of the water. Don't have the bungey any tighter than you need to keep the righting line sitting flat(ish) or you end up with too much tension on the bungey when you use the righting line.

On my boat the righting line passes through a couple of stainless loops (one on each side of the front beam) and is prevented from pulling back through by a plastic ball on each end of the line. When I capsize it is a simple matter of grabbing the ball at the top, pulling the righting line through, putting a couple of wraps of line around the hook on my harness (so that when the righting line goes tight I am at the right height above the water to right the boat), then heave.

Once the boat is up again you let go of the righting rope (which you will have done when you made the grab for the dolphin striker) and the bungey pulls it back into place ready for the next time. This is a very simple and effective system.

NB. The bungey for the skipper's trapeze passes through a hole in each hull then under the tramp. I thread this bungey so that it goes underneath the righting rope to help to hold it up out of the water.

I hope this was of some help.
Rob.

See also: http://www.geocities.com/f16hpclass/ahpc_taipan_49_how_to_rig.html

If you leave the pin in the hinge at the bottom of the mast, while sailing. And are unfortunate enough for your rig to come down for what ever reason. You will potentially tear your mast base out or your beam.
Not the best outcome.
Ant.

That's a good point Anthony.

I did dismast with mine in and bent the bracket which was easily fixed with a pair of pliers. I was probably fortunate although having the bottom of the mast stay where it was seemed to stop any other damage than very slight cosmetic damage to one of my hullls.

I will take your advice though and remove the pin in future.

Thanks for pointing that out.

Rob.

Darn, now I really have to get on with my boat !

Eric has taken delivery, Marc will within 11 days and my shipment of carbon rudders and stocks will leave Australia later today or maybe tomorrow.

It is time for me to get sailing.

The answer I can give to the questions are :

1. How is the spinnaker and the mid-pole snuffer
rigged? Photos or diagrams would be very helpful. I
need to figure out how to run the halyard and how to
brace the pole.

Pole slides over the protrusion on the mast step or is fitted with a pin if you have the new mastfoot.

Pole has wires running from the tip to the little holes in the bow. Then there is a 3rd line or wire that attached to the pole right under the bridle wire intersection and that runs up to the same intersection. This line hold the pole up and gives it just a little bit of prebend.

Where and how to place the snuffer I don't know you'll have to ask AHPC for the dimensions I do have a few picures that I will post later on.

With regard to the spi. I haven't received mine yet so I don't know. I do know that the AHPC retrieval system runs differently trhough or over the spi than others.



2. What is a good starting point for the spreader
rake--they were off the mast for shipping.


I seem to remember an inch behind the mast track. Tension a line between the ens of both spreaders and it should pass an inch to the rear of the sailtrack.


3. How are the dagger pull up lines rigged?

very simple. You have two line. Tie a knot in each line and run them trhough the board. Fit the boat in its well and let the line fall in the little canal which is present in the board. Now run the line through the guiding eye. Do the same for the other side. Now you'll ahve two lines lying on your tramp. Tie these to each other.

Now if you are sailing and the baords are down and you round the A-mark, you go to the centre of the trampoline grap the line in the middle and jank it to the back. The boards will move up to their downwind positions. soem 15 to 20 centimeter is than still under the hull. To land you'll need to pull them up higher by hand.



4. What is the line through the front crossbar that
exits at each end though a roller (barberhauler?)? There also a small line tied to it and running through the
beam--what is it for?


????

5. What is the line attached to the underside of each
end of the front crossbar and attached to a small
bungey? Righting line? How is it held up?


????


6. Is the pin in the mast step left in or removed
while sailing?


Removed. I saw what happened to geerts boat when his mast fell and his mast base plate broke. best is to remove the pin while sailing and put it back when lowering the mast.


7. How hard should the beam bolts be torqued?


???? AHPC ?

Please post or send me privately any photos, instruction, advice, tips, etc you've got!


I will and I will make a webpage out of it at the same time. But you'll have to wait some 24 hours for this. Sorry.


Good luck !

Wouter

>>>I've got a small grommet in the center of the tramp--what is it for?

I think this is for the retrieval line of your spi. The bag goes under teh trampoline and runs of a small block near the read beam. Through thsi eys the line (retrieval and halyard) moves to on top of the tramp and to the cleat.


>>>I noticed that the jib halyard is integral with the forestay--do I need a different forestay for sailing cat rigged? Or, do cat rigged sailors use a pair a forestays, like A-cats?


Just swirl the halyard around the forestay and tie is off the the bridle intersection. THis should keep it tight and you 'll have no problem cat rigging this way.


>>>How about mast rake? I read on Rob's website to keep the stick only raked about 5 degrees. Does this sound right? What is the best way to measure rake (trap line?)? Does the rake need to be adjusted when switching from sloop to cat rigged?


I'll leave this answer to the others.

Wouter

Dear Eric,

Congratulations with your new boat.
I'm awaiting (1st week August) the arrival of my new T4.9 #302 in full F16 configuration, that is 2,5 m wide and with cat trim only. Though the assembly manuel has been said to be shipped along, I have no idea what is described in it. Your experience in this matter would be appreciate.
Good luck with your first spin on the water.

Marc Woudenberg

I'll try to comment on the few questions that, after skimming through the posts made so far, appear to be unanswered.

1. Grommet in center of tramp. I believe this is the attachment point for the folks who center-sheet.

2. Jib halyard / forestay. I just tie the jib halyard alongside the forestay when sailing uni. Make sure to tape things up near the plate where bridle wires and forestay are attached, so you don't snag your chute.

3. Mast rake. Advice I've received is to use a trap line. With your mast up, detach trap wire/line from bungee. Pull line to bridle attachment point on hull and hold on to line where it touches attachment point. Now go to rear crossbar – same point on line should be at or just aft of rear crossbar. Was told that most folks don't change their mast rake as wind speed varies. I have sailed both uni and sloop without changing mast rake, and the helm has been very neutral in both configurations.

I'd like to hear from more people on the issue of whether to leave the pin in after stepping the mast (in circa-2000 boats). I too am concerned about what will happen if I lose a stay, but I don't want to have the mast come off the pivot in a capsize either (not sure how likely this really is if the pin is removed). Boats we've owned in the past have had a much deeper socket for the mast pivot – I wasn't worried about what would happen without a pin to retain the mast.

Enjoy your new boat!

Regards,
Kenn Newbury
T4.9 USA 226

I don't know where the spreader rake should be set for your weight and wind conditions but I can tell you how mine is currently set. The rake on my spreaders was set when I received the boat from Taipan America and I have not touched it. When I was in Australia, I measured the spreader rake on the new boat they let me use and it was set the same way.

Here are the measurements.
1) I placed a staight edge across the two diamond wires at the spreader and measured the distance between the edge touching the wires and the trailing edge of the mast. (measurement = 2.25")
2) I measured the outside distance between the two diamond wires at the spreader (measurement = 27.38")

Hopefully, this gives you a starting point.

A word of caution I remember reading somewhere about tensioning diamond wires. Remove the wires from the spreader before adjusting the wire tension or risk breaking something. I think Michael Coffman ran into this problem a year ago.

I've attached a picture to hopefully clarify how I measured the spreader rake.

Jennifer Lindsay
Taipan 4.9/F16HP #262

Got out on the water for the first time today. Well, boat floats--unfortunately no wind. The lake was a mirror. But I am getting the rigging figured and did manage to get the halyardless main up.

I've got a few more questions:
1. What is the grommet in the center of the tramp for?
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.)
3. I need photos of the AHPC mid-pole snuffer/spin set up.
4. I need a better understanding of how to fasten the jib halyard.

Greg Goodall emailed me regarding some of the other issues, so FYI:

Cat rigged forestay
"The cat rig forestay is like te sloop one without the halyard. Nearly all the cat sailors use only the single forestay attached to the standard bridle"

Spreader rake starting point
"Start the spreader rake at 2 inches"

Mast step pin
"The mast step hinge pin stays in place when sailing.

Torquing cross beams
"Very firm using an 8 inch spanner. Make sure there is plenty of grease on the bolts when they are done up. The inserts in the hull are stainless steel and the bolts may seize if there is no lubricant."

1. What is the grommet in the center of the tramp for?

For your retrieval line, as explained in a earlier reply.


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.)


That is your positive mast rotation or rotation induce. For use in light winds or when sailing on a broad reach without much sheet tension. In the beginning you can do without this device. It is not good to leave it engage and than tack as it keeps the mast rotated to the old side.


3. I need photos of the AHPC mid-pole snuffer/spin set up.

Okay okay, I will send them to you by the end of the day. They are not really clear but anything helps.


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

Sorry I have a different system, this question is for the other guys out her.

Wouter

I have a few poorly lite pictures of my snuffer however I am using the Guck "Skunk" Mid Pole Snuffer on a home made spinnaker pole so I don't know how these will relate to what you have.

Snuffer Location:
The center of the hoop is located approximately 22 inch in front of the apex of the forestay and bridle. You can position it closer to the apex but the spinnaker tends to hang up on the bridle when snuffing. Positioning it further out increases the windage. There is no correct position that I am aware of.

Anti-rotation Restaints:
There are 2 methods I am aware of for preventing the rotation of the snuffer hoop and pole. One is to pin the pole at the base and the other is to use lines attahced to the hoop to prevent rotation. If you use the first method, the pole you use must be structurally sound. I'm using the second method because my pole is only 1.5" OD aluminum (Sunfish Spar) and I don't think it would handle the torque loading of pinning it at the base. I use a total of 6 lines to restain the pole. 2 line attach the tip of the pole to the bows. 1 line connects the pole to the apex of the bridle and forestay. 2 lines provide side support of the pole at the snuffer and 1 line prevents rotation of the snuffer. (See picture although it dark and hard to see)

Jennifer Lindsay
Taipan 4.9/F16HP #262

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.

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