Newbie needs help first time owner

[Biddyyhz]

Hello Everyone,

I am wondering if anyone can help? I wanted to take sailing lessons before I bought a sailboat; but the opportunity came up to buy a 2007 26M with a 50 HP Suzuki outboard immediately at such a good price I couldn’t turn it down. I had it checked over and it was too good to be true. The only problem I have so far is that the sails and running rigging were not in place when I bought the boat from an elderly gentleman. He was a great person and really wanted me to have his boat and enjoy it as much he did; but his memory wasn’t that good and couldn’t recall how the rigging was done.

I am wondering if anyone can take me through the running rigging on this boat with maybe a diagram or two?
How does rhe forestry and backstay run and attach? How to rig the main sail?

I think I will leave the jib down for this season and just use the motor and main sail just to get used to the boat.

Any help at all would be greatly appreciated from this newbie wanting to enter into your world of sailing.

Thank you in advance!!!

[dlandersson]

Please consider adding your boat, engine, and location to your profile. It will make it much easier for fellow M owners to help you.

[Tomfoolery]

Consider sailing with just the jib at first, especially if it's on a roller furler. Much easier to manage than the main sail.

Rigging setup should be in the manual, which admittedly is sketchy and thin, but it should all be in there.

If you don't have one, you can download it from this site. In the blue bar at the top, just under the Mac and Tat banner, is Resources - Manuals, with a single link for the boats.

Oh, and I don't believe the even has a backstay. The does, but not the . What you think is the backstay may actually be a topping lift. Maybe.

[Biddyyhz]

Thank you for the reply.
Yes the manual is sketchy at best for a new guy. I will take your advice and only use the jib.
Does the jib work as the forestay; or is there another line attached somewhere at the bow and attach somewhere else on the mast?
A diagram looking at the whole system picture would help me out to get the bigger picture.

Thanks Again!!!

[rsvpasap]

Suggest you spend some time on YouTube, for example https://youtu.be/yIUrrjeZsnc

[Dean Shipwash]

Yes when I put my mast up for the 1st time I had a hard time hooking the jib sail to the front bracket. Sorry I'm a newbie as well.

[Jimmyt]

If the rigging is set tight, pinning the forestay can be difficult. If you have a mast raising system (MRS), you may be able to add a bit of tension with it to make pinning the forestay easier.

The shrouds and forestay may not be set up properly. But, before you start adjusting things, make sure that you've reviewed the manual and posted any questions you have.

If you have a Genoa, or jib on a roller Furler, that is the forestay.

As Tom says, the M boat has no backstay from the factory.

[Jimmyt]

A couple of videos of mast raising and rigging...

[Be Free]

Hello Everyone,

I am wondering if anyone can help? I wanted to take sailing lessons before I bought a sailboat; but the opportunity came up to buy a 2007 26M with a 50 HP Suzuki outboard immediately at such a good price I couldn’t turn it down. I had it checked over and it was too good to be true. The only problem I have so far is that the sails and running rigging were not in place when I bought the boat from an elderly gentleman. He was a great person and really wanted me to have his boat and enjoy it as much he did; but his memory wasn’t that good and couldn’t recall how the rigging was done.

I am wondering if anyone can take me through the running rigging on this boat with maybe a diagram or two?
How does rhe forestry and backstay run and attach? How to rig the main sail?

I think I will leave the jib down for this season and just use the motor and main sail just to get used to the boat.

Any help at all would be greatly appreciated from this newbie wanting to enter into your world of sailing.

Thank you in advance!!!

Please don't try to raise the mast until you understand how the rigging works. The 26M does not have a back stay and it worries me that you think it does. From one of your later questions ("Does the jib work as the fore stay?") it sounds like you have a furling jib. If so, then yes, the jib must be attached in order for you to have a fore stay. If that is actually the case then you cannot "...leave the jib down for the season and just use the motor and main sail..." . The mast will fall down.

There are five cables (wire ropes) that hold the mast up. They all attach near the top of the mast. One will go to the front of the boat and may or may not have a jib furler incorporated into it. Two will come off the port side of the mast and will attach to the side of the boat a few feet apart. The other two will do the same on the starboard side. All five are required to keep the mast from falling down.

You have come to the right place to get the help you need. Please, please, please do not try to raise your mast until you understand how to do it safely and what keeps it in place.

[Be Free]

Whoops, I just noticed that someone resurrected an 18 month old thread. I guess by now he's figured it out.

[Jimmyt]

Got me, too!