Rigging a Gig Harbor Boatworks mast

Friday, I picked up my mast from Gig Harbor Boatworks. I'm very happy so far. It's very light and easy to put in place. See my other post on building mast blocks.

I bought the mast bag, and it all fits nicely in the boat when collapsed. Should be easy to trailer her with everything bagged together.

I'd like some help from the Scamp community. I have a few questions about the way I rigged it. I think it's correct, or at least not completely unsafe. If I've done something wrong, please let me know.

Lacing the yard

First of all, the cord on the yard was too short to marlin lace through each eye. So I just laced every other eye.  Is it ok to lace through every other eye, or should I do this differently?

Lace through every other eye, fore end

Lace through the middle.

Last lace on the aft end.

The build manual also seems to imply that you can adjust the sail a bit on the yard. I can't figure out how to do that.

Halyard

I didn't get any pictures, but the halyard has a simple stopper knot, then goes around the mast and ties off on the yard. It's pretty easy, although I wonder if a snap swivel at the top of the halyard would make rigging slightly faster.

Lazy Jack

The lazy jack confused me for an hour or so, I just could not figure it out. I could see the rings on the  lazy jack, but couldn't figure out why the ends were so long if they were going to just clip onto the eyelets at the bottom the boom.

Finally after drawing it out on paper a couple times, I realized that the eyes at the bottom of the boom were not for the clips, they were to hold the loops until the lazy jack corded back up and clipped to the rings near the center of the sail. Once I figured that out, then it fell into place and I was able to raise the halyard with sail fully rigged. I would note that the lazy jack line back down to the cleat is doubled.  That makes it a bit harder to cleat off, but not too bad.

Lazy jacks are doing their job.

A bit closer shot of the lazy jacks.

And the other side.

I have to thank Falk at GHBoats. He kept telling that the lazy jacks needed to cross over. I didn't understand until I had it rigged. Thanks, Falk!

Reefing

I haven't tried to set these up yet, I'm more interested in making sure that I can deploy the sail reliably. Looking at the pictures just now, I think it's going to be easy, it appears as if there is a fore and aft reef. I'll just run the lines and pull the two lines down to reef the sail (after dropping the halyard, of course.)

Downhaul

I forgot to get any closeup pictures, but you can kind of see the downhaul in the below picture. I'm using a Racelite block/cleat combination. The line ties to the becket on the block, goes down to the block attached to the cabin top, then goes up and over the block and stays in the v cleat.

See the downhaul at the bottom?

I'm a bit worried that this will not be effective and will slip. I may have to change it, but I'd like some advice on what is effective. I've heard that the general consensus is that it may be enough to have a single line going through the cabin top block and into a cam cleat near the edge of the cabin.

Mainsheet

I didn't run this. It's easy to run. I did realize that an adjustable traveler will be nice. The plans don't specify but the kit I bought from the Chandlery uses a 3/8" traveler. Seems thick to me, is it really necessary to be that big?

What did I do wrong?

If you have experience with the GHBoats.com mast, please take a look. Did I do something wrong or unsafe? I'd like to know about it now before I splash.

I'll try to rig it and break it back down a few times this week so that I can get some practice.

Splash is scheduled for next weekend!

I think everything is ready to go. My parents will be coming out next weekend. Since Dad started this journey with me, it's only fitting that he be there for the first launch. If you are in the Seattle area and would like to see a new Scamp splash, PM ElHeffe on the Scamp Message Board or contact me privately and I'll let you know where we're going to be.