Nope - I can't figure out how to rig the jib.

[seandwyer]

Hi Guys,

I know this will seem really simple, but I cannot figure out how to rig the jib on my DS1. I've finally got everything else ship shape, but the jib is baffling me. I pulled it out of the bag (there's two - a regular and an oversized) and along with it came a lot of rope and some pulleys. I have no idea what to do with this - yea, I'm a novice. Can anyone help me or point me in the direction of a site that perhaps has pictures?

The main goes up easily and makes perfect sense, I've polished all the oxidization off the hull and it shines baby blue. The flooring looks great and I've given the cowling a coat of varnish. Painted the floor with high grade exterior paint. I do have one other question:
the mast has a step in it. The piece that stays erect from the top of the cuddy to the floor is not fastened to the floor - it just rides on top of that cast shoe that's screwed to the floor. Shouldn't the mast be fastened to that casting? When I lower the mast, sometimes it pulls the short piece up out of its hole - and let me tell you, it is soooo annoying, since I'm doing this all solo.

Thanks for the help! Once I take it out - maybe next week - I'll try to snap a few shots and post.

Sean

[GreenLake]

I do have one other question:
the mast has a step in it. The piece that stays erect from the top of the cuddy to the floor is not fastened to the floor - it just rides on top of that cast shoe that's screwed to the floor. Shouldn't the mast be fastened to that casting? When I lower the mast, sometimes it pulls the short piece up out of its hole - and let me tell you, it is soooo annoying, since I'm doing this all solo.

Sean,

while you use the mast, the rig should be under so much tension that the bottom should remain in place - that's probably the reason there are no additional fasteners. If this wasn't a problem for the previous owner of your boat, then probably you are doing something slightly different.

Not all DS boats have the same masts or arrangements for raising/lowering the mast. So additional details of what you do and or pictures might help coming up with a suggestion for you.

[GreenLake]

I cannot figure out how to rig the jib on my DS1. I've finally got everything else ship shape, but the jib is baffling me. I pulled it out of the bag (there's two - a regular and an oversized) and along with it came a lot of rope and some pulleys. I have no idea what to do with this - yea, I'm a novice. Can anyone help me or point me in the direction of a site that perhaps has pictures?

Sean,

There are some manuals on this site, but looking at them right now, the instructions on the jibs are a bit sketchy, esp. if your boat is not in the same condition as the factory delivered (and the manual writer asssumes). Let me give you a run down; to overcome the lack of diagrams, I'll try to be very explicit.

The jib has three corners. Normally, there would be a shackle to attach the tack of jib (bottom front corner) to a hole in the stem fitting (at the bow of the boat) and some snaps or hanks to attach the luff of the jib (front edge) to the forestay wire. There are usually about five of these.

The head of the jib (top corner) is attached by shackle or by a knot to the jib halyard. That line runs to a block (pulley) which should be connected to the mast right below where the forestay is connected. From there, the line runs down along the mast, usually to some cleat.

Finally, there's a long line (jib sheet), the mid point of which is knotted to the third corner (clew) of the jib. Each end of the jib sheet is run along one side of the boat through a fairlead or block to a cleat (these are often on top of the centerboard). When everything is rigged, you usually tie a figure of eight knot in each end of the jib sheet (at the very end), so that the line can't be blown out completely if you let it go by accident.

That's about it for the basic setup. Are you sure your third sail is another jib and not a spinnaker? If you are a novice, then you probably don't want to worry about using a spinnaker for a while. So if you can rig one of the sails according to this basic scheme, but notice that the other sail is different (no hanks or snaps for starters) then just ignore that one until you're more experienced. If the second sail is indeed another jib, the same basic setup should work.

Good luck!

[markst95]

I had the same problem with the compression post popping out of the mast base. The lip on the cabintop made it so you couldn't lay the mast down to detach it from the tabernackle. I mounted the interior piece to the mast step with some screws and I think I wrapped some rigging tape around where it fit through the cabintop so It was a snug fit. Worked well.

[kokko]

I had the same problem. If the rig is under tension, the compression post stays put. While raising and lwering the mast, the compression post would pop out. I drilled through the base of hte compression post into the fitting (on the floor of the cuddy) and put in three self-tapping screws to hold it in place. Where the compression post comes through the cabin top, I shimmed and sealed the hole with some silicone caulk.

[Roger]

perhaps I'm missing the problem here but as I understand it the mast still attached to the tabernacle when laying down levers it up. To stop this, add a mast support that fits in the rudder gudgeons, and as another mentioned screw the base of the jack post into the mast step on the cuddy floor. On my boat this was simply a drilled hole through the last 1/4 inch of the jack post, and into the cast mast step. A self tapping screw was the finishing feature. Ugly but functional.

[seandwyer]

Hello everyone.

Well - to be sure I'm a novice. I've figured the jib situation out and yes, there are two jibs. A standard and an oversized one that I'll stay away from until I know what I'm doing. The rope and pulley in the sail bag turned out to be the boom vang (duh!!!).

As for the mast - yes - drilling a hole and putting in a self tapping screw will solve the problem - I just didn't want to start drilling before I found out that it would be OK. Sometimes that can harm or weaken metal and the last thing I wanted to do was ruin my mast!!

Thanks again folks!

Sean
DSI - 3203

[seandwyer]

Hey guys - another jib related question:

Why are there two pulleys on each gunwale for the jib? I'm confused since it seems that they are adjustable to slide forward or reverse. The previous owner said that one was for the standard jib and the other was for the large jib, but if they move what is the advantage? Am I supposed to route the line through both somehow? I see the line coming off the bottom edge of the jib, through one pulley and then into a cam cleat. I can't see any other way of doing it, but maybe I'm not understanding something. Or----maybe he just has two pulleys mounted unnecessarily?

Thanks!

[Sean McGuire]

Hi Sean,

On the DS the slider track for the jib sheet blocks (pulleys) allows you change the shape of the jib when you are sailing. By moving the slider forward, the jib will be more rounded and produce more power. Moving back flattens the sail and depowers it somewhat. The tracks are set up to match the sail being used. It sounds like the previous owner added an extra set of tracks for the extra oversized jib. They are probably mounted further aft in the cockpit. You only run the sheet through one block and then to the cleat.

Hope this helps,

Sean McGuire
1984 DS II "Iona"

[seandwyer]

Hi Sean,

Yes - it does - that makes perfect sense - one large jib, one smaller - so two sets of sliders and pulleys to be used dependent upon which jib has been hoisted.

Thanks!!

[seandwyer]

One more question about rigging:

When I pull the main sail up into the fully upright position, I'm under the impression from pictures I've seen as well as good old logic, that the main halyard should come down to the base of the mast, loop over one of the pulleys fastened to its base and then tie down to one of the cleats mounted on the top of the cuddy. When I do this, in order for the sail to be fully hoisted, the halyard is past the pulley and in fact the cable is riding inside of the pulley. This seems to be a bad idea and probably will wear the pulley out pretty quick (metal on plastic). The previous owner says this is normal and is supposed to be this way. Is it possible that the cable is too long?

Help!!

[kokko]

If you are still using the original rope-wire halyards, they should be replaced. THey are too old to be dependable.
When I bought my DS1 is still had the original cable to three strand halyards and was 40 years old.
Buy yourself some 1/4" line. I'm certain you can find the proper lengths somewhere on this site.