Hey happy new year!!!
Im only a novice. I use some 3mm spectra between my forestay & bridle to tension rig .
and the two thinner wires are prob trapeses (it may be set up for twin traps) photos would help.
Oh well hope that helps you.
Also on the mossie web page there could be some photos.http://s51.photobucket.com/albums/f392/vmca/MosquitoRigging/

Hi Brett,

the lighter wires with pulley adjustment are probably the skippers trap wires and the ones with the bit with circle each end commonly called dogbones are probably crew trapeze. The dog bones allow height adjustment by hooking trapeze on upper or lower ring, as the pulleys do for the other trap. They usualy both attach on one shackle near or with the stays, at the hounds on the mast.

The 4" or 5" short in forestay, probably can be taken up with 3mm rope lashing which you use to set rig tension. Usualy tighten this until it stops mast rotating and then back it off a bit so mast rotates freely. Many Mossies use rope lashing in forestay, make sure it is high quality low stretch rope, best is spectra, dyneema etc. or at lest a pre stretched braided polyester. 3 or 4 mm is ok tension it with 3 wraps, which is enough for 4 mm, if using 3mm wrap it a few more times before tying it off.

What do you have on the bottom of your sidestays? you mentioned shackles, is there no adjustment. Many boats have some form of adjustment here which could take up some of the shortage in the forestay.

Raising the mast with sidestays attached from the rear is common. Is there a pivot pin and plate in your mast foot fitting? Many Mossies do have this. Personaly I like to raise the mast from the front attaching the fore stay loosely first, as you can then just walk between the hulls until it is upright lean it back against the forestay and reach across and attach sidestays. But you need to have mast base pivot pin around the right way for this.

Certainly a good idea to look at Mossie rigging on Vic. website to see if pictures and descriptions help. Good Luck. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Regards Gary. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Fantastic info gary thankyou ,i wondered what that 1/2 meter of rope was doing there. And much clearer now as to what is going where,thanks to you and journeyman. We actually tied it off as you described just to work out what was going on . So we were in the ballpark by the sounds. I think the sidestays might be fairly old with just one ring to attach D shackle, so no adjustment there. As far as i can see the mast footing is very basic, Being just a male /female fitting,having the male end on the mast ,i will look closly again for what you described as mast base pivot pin but have not seen any obvious locking pin . Q:1 can you fit these items to older masts. Also a few of the diamond shaped spreader arms are loose and a little out of shape/position, do you know of any one that can help with tuning up masts
Thanks again Brett
Corsair

Hi All

This is not the norm, but its how I did it mostly. My rotation arm was a single stainless tube that went through the aft surface of the mast through to the inside forward face of the mast, I welded a nut into the end of the tube and had a metal thread to hold in position.

I would raise my mast from the front, as Gary said attach the forestays loosely, I would begin lifting the mast, when I couldn't go any further before it was going to kick up, I lift the mast so the rotation arm sat on the striker strap, and raised the mast vertical, then lift the whole mast vertical and sit it in the mast step, the mast would sit there by itself while I attached the sidestays and then tightened the forestays. I never ever damaged or marked the mast, beam or anything else doing it this way, by being careful.

It may sound less than perfect, but it worked for me and nine times out of ten, I had my mast up first and without any help.

Regards

Gidday Brett,

We have all been there !!!

The forestay should have a length of rope (3mm spectra) attached to the end about 1 metre long. this is passed through the bridle ring and back through the eyelet in the forestay a number of times and is used to adjust the rig tension. I use a 4 or 5 half hitches to secure it. It looks like a weak link, but I have never seen one let go in 25 years.

It sounds as though you have a sloop rig and the 4 thinner wires will be the trapeze. The metal ring arrangement sounds like a no fuss non adjustable system.

You mentioned that the mast 'slotted into its base' does this arrangement allow it to rotate?

The method I use to raise the mast is to face the boat downhill and attach the shrouds. either have someone walk the mast up to the back beam then pull on a trap wire to get the mast up and tie off the forestay. Alternatively (and not the best for the boat <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />) simply keep walking the mast up and across the tramp until it is up - It is best to use the lightest person you can if doing this.

Remember that each person has their way of getting the stick up - tha main thing to remember is to ensure all that rope and wire is not going to catch on anything when it is half way up!!! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Best thing is to watch a couple of people.

Enjoy!!

Hey there Brett,
I was in the same predicament 3 months ago, I ended up going to the sailing club Im at now and had them have a look through the boat.
Im still soughting out things on the boat which I know I can make better/easier to use(thanks Stephen), so my suggestion is just take the boat down to your local club prefferably having mossie sailors and get them to help you out.
I never take my boat out first day I take it out to the water I usually try to sought things out with knowledgable people around me.
Cheers
William

HI GUYS,Thankyou to matt,trevor,william for your excellent knowledge and advice once again. Well i have finally hoisted the main sail for the first time , very proud of myself,ha,ha. And have got a few pics for you all. It's old but i think it's scrubbed up ok, for me to learn on anyway. few more questions , not having much luck with the blocks and their placements along the boom. And also tensioning of the luff in the mainsail, i think it's all there but just reassureing myself as to where things actually hook up. Is there anyone around geelong area that can give me an hour of there time to show me please, happy to drive and meet anyone . thanks Brett
Corsair 2

another pic

and another

Hi Brett

Looks Good.

The luff tension - Is there a track on the mast where the boom slides on? Any blocks on that corner of sail for a downhaul? or blocks on the mast that look lonely? Some close up pictures of this area might help out.

As for help you could find out what days the clubs around geelong are sailing, most National Title should finish this week, but there may be some cats sailing the weekend at Portarlington or similiar. I'd meet you somewhere myself, but its hard to get away from here at the moment, I only just got one day down at Taipan Nationals for a look and had to come home. You haven't seen any approachable looking houses around Anglesea with cats parked in the driveway?

Regards

Hey there corsair,

If your still in ned of assistance I can offer some help.

1./ I'm down in Gellong at the Amy Gillett bike ride this Saturday, and would be happy to drop past and help you out if your around Geelong on Sat Arvo....

2./ The other option is you trailer the boat down to Altona Yacht Club, where I can meet you and we can work toward setting your boat up. I could probably do something on Sunday if your interested...

Your thoughts? If interested send me a message on chris.bick@gmail.com

Regards

Chris

g'day matt and yes ther is an obvious block looking lonely , i like the way you put things. And yes i have seen a few cats around town, so i will be intruding on a few . i think they all sail hobbies around here ,but i did see a blade the other week,i just thought it might be good to have some one in the know about mossies. But hey they all might be thanks again,for the advice .
Corsair 2

Try anglesea motor yacht club, but they all sail 17's there, but being cats they are very similar to rig. I have been sailing down there a little since i bought a 17. but will be at RGYC hopefully tomorrow and down at anglesea on sat for thier races

Yeah Mate that looks something like what you want, but I can't tell if it a vang setup (which you don't need) or the downhaul. But work out how to attach it to the bottom of the sail (should be an eyelet or something there) and that'll take five years off the sail straight away <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />. The Blade owner might be a good bloke to know, don't know much about Hobies, although I should I did a State Titles on one at Torquay (Hobie 16), but that was many years ago and we came last. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Regards

cool thomas, i was actually going myself, for the training day so will see you there .P.S. The sailing program for 06-07 tells me sat 6th training day, and Sun 7th club championships 15&16. regards Brett

sorry i ment sunday for races at AMYC, getting confused with the RGYC calender

I did edit my last post I thought, but I had another look at photo, can't be a vang doesn't look long enough, must be the downhaul.

Regards

G'day matt and everyone,wondering if anyone can help me with block setup along the boom. I am having difficulty in setting up blocks correctly.Wondering if i have the right blocks,also sheet set up (where they run) and jib sheet . I would appreeciate any photo's of connecting the traveller. carn't quite work out how traveller and main sheet are independent of each other. Thinking i might have the incorrect blocks etc,etc. any help would be great. Thanks again Brett
Corsair 2

Gday Brett

You'll have to post some photos of what you've got.

1) A picture of the blocks of the boom (if they're fixed to the boom or a picture of the mainsheet blocks together.

2) A picture of the traveller car or that area in general.

When I first put my mossie on the water, I used the tail of my mainsheet as the line to adjust the traveller, but found in the heat of the moment, it was harder to find the place to grab to sheet off/on the traveller. So, that said, I used a different colour line for the traveller and tied it to the end of the mainsheet.

The traveller should/could have a cleat either attached to it or just in front of the rear beam, on the centre beam. We'll say for the sake of the exercise that your using the mainsheet tail as the traveller line, thread the tail through the traveller car from front to back, and should tie off on the back surface on the rear beam (could be a saddle mounted there, I go for a walk and take a photo of my boss's sons wreck for reference.

Back Shortly

Very very poor example, but the boats around the same age as ours. Someone will have a better example, but my mossies at our other farm.

Your mainsheet will depend of course on what blocks you have, so best not pay too much attention to that.

Regards