Hunter e36 Operator's Manual page 159

at this time. Tighten or loosen the reverse diagonals to
achieve this.
2. Step the mast with all shrouds attached but with the
turnbuckles completely loosened (if the mast was not
already stepped).
3. Attach the jib halyard to a cleat on the bow to support
the mast in a raked position (the masthead should be
about 2'-0" [~6cm] behind the step). Attach the verticals
and tighten them until you can just see the hole for the
cotter pin in the turnbuckle. Tighten the jib halyard until
you can attach the forestay. At this point the masthead
should be raked so that a weight hung on the main hal-
yard hangs about 1' behind the mast step.
4. Use the main halyard to check that the mast is cen-
tered from side to side. Pull it tight and mark the hal-
yard next to the verticals chainplate. Now do the same
to the other side to see if the marks line up. If not,
tighten and/or loosen the verticals until the marks line
up. Once the masthead is centered, begin tightening
the verticals until the turnbuckles are approximately half
closed. While tightening the verticals you may notice
the bend in the mast increasing. Now you can tighten
the lowers, which will tend to straighten the lower part
of the mast. Be sure to tighten port and starboard sides
evenly.
5. Now you should tighten the headstay until it is
approximately half closed as well. This should induce
the appropriate amount of headstay tension. Never use
anything more than a pair of wrenches to tighten your
rigging. If you use an extended piece of pipe on the
handle of a wrench you can over tighten the rigging and
do damage to the mast or rigging.
6. It is necessary to go up the mast in a bosun's chair
to tighten the number 2 diagonal shroud (D2 or inter-
mediate shroud). Always use caution when "going aloft".
You should always use a mountain climbing harness
or Bosun's Chair intended for this use. Always tie into
the harness with the halyard using a bowline and then
secure the shackle as a back up as the knot is more
reliable than a mechanical fastener. The person hoist-
ing you aloft should keep the halyard stopper closed to
prevent falls. Good communication between the two
of you is also important. Tighten the D2 until it has just
become tight and then add two complete turns. While
at the first spreader, look up the back of the mast to see
if it is straight (rather than bent from side to side). If it is
not straight then adjust the appropriate D2 to straighten
it.
7. Have the person on deck carefully lower you. They
should keep the halyard wrapped at least twice around
the winch and should always have one hand able to
stop the halyard from running free. Once on deck look
Hunter e36 • Sails and Rigging
up the back of the mast and see if it is straight (rather
than bent from side to side). If not then adjust the lowers
(D1) until it is.
8. If you have the standard rig you need to attach the
struts at this time. Attach the lower end of the strut to
the smaller hole in the chainplate. Adjust the length by
turning the ball joint bearing in the upper end of the strut
until the holes in the pin can be attached. It is normal
to have some play between the strut and the chainplate
and strut bracket
9. The final test is to go sailing in 10-15 knots of wind. If
when sailing upwind, the shrouds on the leeward side
are slack then tighten them to remove about half the
slack keeping note of the number of turns. Then tack
and do the same to the other side. Do this until you
are happy with the tension and the leeward side does
not get loose when the boat is heeled. Now sight up
the mast to be sure it is still relatively straight from side
to side. If it is not then adjust to appropriate rigging
to correct it. For example: if the mast is straight until
the upper spreader and then hooks to the windward
side then you will have to revisit steps 6 and 7 above.
Remember to always tighten the leeward shroud, tack
and tighten the new leeward shroud the same amount.
This prevents damage to the turnbuckles and is also
much easier to do. Keep in mind it is also possible to
have something too tight such as a diagonal shroud.
10. . At this point you should have adequate head-
stay tension. The sails are built for an average of
14" [350mm] of headstay sag, possibly more or less
depending upon light or heavy air. The bend in the stan-
dard mast should be about 4" [100mm] and 1" [25mm]
in the furling mast and it should be nearly straight from
side to side when sailing upwind. If any of these are not
true then revisit the appropriate step above to correct it.
If the sag in the headstay is too much then adding ten-
sion to the verticals will fix it.
11. . Once the rig is tuned you should make sure to add
the cotter pins to all the rigging bending back the ends
and taping them to prevent snagged lines, sails and fin-
gers.
Note:Remember that rigging, like everything else, can
age. As it gets older it may need to be replaced. The
frequency for which this becomes necessary depends
on the climate and conditions in which the boat is sailed.
For example: if you sail in the Caribbean it should be
replaced every 2-3 years compared to every 10 for the
great lakes. You should consult a professional rigger for
advice.
12.5