Rigging a CL16

SailONEC has seven CL16s. They are our basic adult training boat and it is important that all members learn how to rig and derig them. There should be consistency in how they are rigged. This presentation is intended to help new and returning members develop a standardized rigging routine. Our CL16s are not all identical. Most boats are centre sheeted – two are stern sheeted. Some boats have spinnaker equipment – most do not. Cleats are placed differently on the boats. This rigging description covers the most common features of all boats.

This is how your CL16 should look when you start rigging and when you finish derigging.

CL 16 Diagram

To begin rigging - Put your tag on the tag board indicating the boat you have chosen. Indicate whether you will be going up or down river. Choose and wear a life jacket. Before starting to rig a sailboat, see that a rescue boat is rigged and unlocked. If it is not, rig it and unlock it.

Boat numbers are on the foredeck & also on the registration plate.

To begin - Make sure the CL16 is head to wind. Rigging a boat which is not head to wind is more difficult than is necessary and can lead to a capsize at the dock.

Board the boat. Lower the centreboard.

All equipment is stored on the boat. Most is under the foredeck All equipment is stored on the boat. Most is under the foredeck. Check to see that it is all there. It should include two paddles, a bailer, a 50 foot line, a rudder, a tiller & a jib. Possibly a bilge pump. Some equipment may be in the stern locker.

Bilge pump, 50 foot line, paddles, rudder, tiller, bailer, jib sail

Bail out the cockpit Pump out the hull Pump out the stern locker.

Check to see that the shroud and forestay turnbuckles are secure. Turnbuckles should be wired. Watch for missing split rings. Failure of the turnbuckles may result in the mast falling and breaking. We lost one mast when turnbuckles failed in 2009.

Unroll the jib. Attach the tack of the jib to the tack plate.

Some jibs have hanks which allow the jib to be fastened to the forestay. If your jib has hanks, attach them at this point.

Check to see that the jib halyard is not wound around the forestay or shrouds. Attach head of the jib to the jib halyard.

If wind is light, raise the jib. Cleat jib halyard Coil excess halyard and tuck it under the tensioned line.

Pass jib sheets through fairleads. Jib sheets go either inside or outside of the shrouds. Make a stopper knot (figure eight knot) in the end of the jib sheet. Check to see that it will not pull through the fairlead.

Raised jib

Remove the sail cover, fold it, and stow in the stern locker.

Unroll the mainsail from the boom.

Lower the boom to the deck. Release the main halyard from the end of the boom. Attach the main halyard to the head of the mainsail.

Insert head of mainsail in mast track. Raise mainsail ¾ of the way up.

Slacken the boomvang. Slacken the mainsheet. This will allow the mainsail all of the way. It may help to lift the boom manually to ensure that it can be lifted to the horizontal position easily.

Finish raising the mainsail Cleat the main halyard. Coil the free end of the main halyard and tuck it under the tensioned portion of the halyard.

When the jib and the main have been raised and cleated, the mast at deck level should look like this.

The mainsail should go nearly to the top of the mast. If it does not, it is possible to loosen the boom, slide it up, raise the sail higher, cleat it, and then pull the boom back down.

Tighten the boomvang. The stronger the wind, the tighter the boomvang. Leave the mainsheet loose and uncleated.

Adjust the outhaul. The outhaul is left looser in light winds and is tightened in stronger winds.

Pass the cunningham through grommet above tack of mainsail and tie off. Generally the cunningham is tighter in stronger winds. Most of our CL16s do not have a cunningham but one can be made with 18 inches of line as has been done in this picture.

Attach the rudder. Keep the downhaul line wrapped around one hand so that if you drop the rudder, it won’t sink.

Attach tiller. Insert pin to hold tiller in place.

Secure the rudder down haul so that the rudder is down as far as it will go.

Check that hiking straps are secure. Check that there are telltales on shrouds and sails. Ensure all lines are free to run. Take in bumpers and stow in stern locker.

And its time to sail!