How long to rig and de-rig D, X or M?

[duganderson]

I've been sailing for a long time and have experience rigging and deriving boats.

Concsidering a D, X or M? Curious how long these take to rig and de-rig?

Thank you, Doug

[NiceAft]

I can only speak about either the or the ,and your physical shape makes difference.

With the “M" you need the Mast Raising System. It takes me at least an hour, maybe 1.45 hours.

With the “X”, I know someone who did it in a half hour.

[March]

It really depends on what you call 'rigging'. If it's simply raising the mast, that can be done fairly quickly, especially of you have two people.

In our case (I have a X) 'rigging' also comprises: moving the fridge on board, attaching the anchors, putting the bimini on, snapping on the cockpit cushions, putting the electronics (garmin plus auto pilot) in their proper places, putting the solar panels in place, putting the tacktick weather vane at the top of the mast, mounting the antennae, raising the mast, attaching the roller furler and threading the sheet, attaching the boom and the boom vang, putting air in the dinghy, attaching the aux motor to the dinghy, putting the fenders on... and a lot of crap that I must have forgotten--which is always the case.

I would say about 2 hours either way, With a novice helper, it's more like 3 and a half... prolly could have done it faster all by myself--except for raising the mast where a second pair of arms makes the job easier

[Herschel]

Without going into the details, I usually took about two hours to rig my X when I was in my "prime". I did all the physical work while the Admiral read off the check list and acted as safety advisor. As I have aged, I chose to keep my boat in a marina slip because four hours of work sort of defeated the purpose of going sailing in the first place for me. Now, as an 80 y/o I turn it into a two day project. If I need to put the boat on the trailer and bring it home for extended maintenance, I derig the boom/mainsail and lower the mast one day, and I come back the next day to trailer it and take it home. I suspect my info is an outlier for Mac owners, but for my age, and that of my admiral, it works for us.

[Jimmyt]

Depends on how much time you spend perfecting the process. I can rig my M in 20-25 minutes. De-rig takes about 45 minutes. That’s with the Admiral or a buddy helping keep the shrouds untangled. 30-35 minutes by myself to rig, 50-60 to de-rig for trailering.

Erik Hardtle had his X dialed in to rig in around 15 minutes.

[Gordo]

I've only had mine 1.5 years, but I always trailer and usually day-sail, so time really matters. I'm usually about 45 minutes from pulling into the ramp to sailing, though I have done 30. If I had an experienced hand it could be 20ish.

I keep my roller furler/head sail, boom and main on the mast, sheets stay rigged. That's fast but heavy, so have to use the "M" style raising system. Nothing comes off the boat. Nothing. The biggest thing that slows me down is rigging getting hung up on the solar arch.

It's exhausting in the summer heat in Texas. But better than the three hours my catamaran took.

[NiceAft]

You can’t compare the time to raise the “X” mast to raising the “M” mast because the “M” mast is significantly heavier. One person can raise the “X” mast by their self, without any mast raising system; it is that much lighter than the “M’s”. Over forty years in the furniture delivery business, and I could barely raise the “M” mast. It is a two person job. Once was enough. I ordered the MRS quickly.

I never could figure out why it takes me that much longer to rig my “M” than others; I just accept it, and move on. Like anything else on a sailboat, it’s a labor of love.

[Jimmyt]

You can’t compare the time to raise the “X” mast to raising the “M” mast because the “M” mast is significantly heavier.

Note that in the speedy rig video I linked, Erik is using a MRS, very similar to an M on his 26X.

His spreader mod has a time advantage over what I do (unpin the spreaders at the mast and lay them flat on the lifelines). Also, the sliding track at the top of his headsail is a time saver over my furler support rig.

He made speed rigging a priority and dug into the details.

[NiceAft]

I am impressed with what Eric did, but I really don’t think it applies significantly to the “M”. For one, the “M” mast is much longer, heavier. The support for it is at the stern, not midship. The leverage is different.

I once tried leaving the boom on when I lowered the mast; the pressure on it cracked the cast aluminum end of the boom that attaches to the goose neck.


It took him 15 minutes. Without all of Eric’s arrangements, it took Rick Boucher (Bermuda Breeze) 30 minutes. My timing on my “M” takes much longer, but that may be me. Either way, I don’t think Eric’s method (especially the attached boom) works as well on the “M”.

Jimmy, could you leave your roller furler boom on when derigging?

I would like to know which “M” owners leave their boom on when derigging. That would save some time.

[Jimmyt]

My furling boom has to be disconnected from the mast. But, I stow it on deck very near where it has to go.

Leaving the boom attached is not a huge time saver (1 pin). However, having my main sail furled on the boom, stowed right on the deck, is a big advantage.

[LordElsinore]

I've tried all kinds of shortcuts - leaving things 'mostly rigged' and secured while trailering, leaving the mast raising system attached while trailering or sailing, etc. Bottom line for me: most the time those shortcuts just added time to rigging/de-rigging because inevitably there was just more in the way. I found that when I left everything on like that, cables or lines get tangled and I end up having to raise, lower, and raise the mast again to untangle something.

Now I just turn up the music, get a cold drink and enjoy being in the sun for the 60-90 minutes it takes me to get everything set up or the 90-120 minutes it takes for me to get everything taken down and secured. It's just part of the adventure for me now

[C Buchs]

I put pins in all the locations that used to have bolts, learned what gets tangled & twisted, and the right order to do everything. From arrival to the boat in the slip, I can do it myself in 45 minutes. Faster with help, but not a lot faster.

Jeff

[Be Free]

I've been sailing for a long time and have experience rigging and deriving boats.

Concsidering a D, X or M? Curious how long these take to rig and de-rig?

Thank you, Doug

I remove the main and boom but leave the MRS and baby stays attached when I de-rig. I have a hank-on jib. My lifelines are rigged so that they can be dropped and re-attached easily. This allows the spreaders to clear the lifelines without having to remove and replace them.

It takes me 45-60 minutes to raise the mast, attach the sails, run the sheets and halyards, and install the cockpit cushions. All lines are led to the cockpit. The jib and the main (already reefed for the expected conditions) are ready to be raised as soon as I get into reasonably open water.

It takes about 60 minutes to de-rig due to the fact that it takes more time to put things away neatly than it does to carry them out and use them.

The above times are if I'm working solo. With experienced help it is about 45 minutes both ways (consistently). With inexperienced help I plan for an additional 15 to 30 minutes.

[NiceAft]

I put pins in all the locations that used to have bolts, learned what gets tangled & twisted, and the right order to do everything. From arrival to the boat in the slip, I can do it myself in 45 minutes. Faster with help, but not a lot faster.

Jeff

You have an “X”. There really isn’t a comparison to an”M” for reasons I stated earlier.

[NiceAft]

I've been sailing for a long time and have experience rigging and deriving boats.

Concsidering a D, X or M? Curious how long these take to rig and de-rig?

Thank you, Doug

I remove the main and boom but leave the MRS and baby stays attached when I de-rig. I have a hank-on jib. My lifelines are rigged so that they can be dropped and re-attached easily. This allows the spreaders to clear the lifelines without having to remove and replace them.

It takes me 45-60 minutes to raise the mast, attach the sails, run the sheets and halyards, and install the cockpit cushions. All lines are led to the cockpit. The jib and the main (already reefed for the expected conditions) are ready to be raised as soon as I get into reasonably open water.

It takes about 60 minutes to de-rig due to the fact that it takes more time to put things away neatly than it does to carry them out and use them.

The above times are if I'm working solo. With experienced help it is about 45 minutes both ways (consistently). With inexperienced help I plan for an additional 15 to 30 minutes.

Actually, leaving the MRS in place when derigging makes so much sense. It’s embarrassing to think something so simple has alluded me. That alone reduces the rigging and derigging times. Leaving the boom on deck also would, but I fear I would be tripping on it during rigging & derigging.