MacGregorSailors.com

all these lightning fast launches are amazing and really hard to even beleive. I guess it all depends at what point you declare that you are starting the process of launching.I really would like to see a video of a 15min launch.At inland lakes i don't even bring the mast and sails most of the time and i'll be damed if i can get below 25min before the motor is started and powering boat off trailer.And ole dave does it in one minute,thats amazing i'd like to see that.

I hear ya Ray, if there's no video, it didn't happen!
My best rigging sequence is 30 minutes, sails on, ballast full - that's without help, looky-loos, Q&A's. If I race to beat that, then I make mistakes. I can see times like Dave says with a two person team and a fine tuned strategy.

Ok, I couldn't stand it anymore... Here is video proof of less than 15 min rig.

I do this on a regular basis and I use my boat a lot. The video is 10 min, usually it take me 15 min. (actually in water)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5i0nLon1aA

How can I do it?

1. Dual Axle Trailer.
- I have everything I need for the trip already loaded on the boat.
2. 26M Mast Raising Kit
- Makes putting the mast up faster and easier then the X raising kit.
3. Roller Furlng Jib
- No hanking on
4. Boom on Mast storage
- I keep my boom attached with the sail on it and have a sunbrella cover on it (see my website for pics of mod)
5. Boat next to my house
- I keep the boat stored next to my house and load up there and have a large tarp over it (keeps it clean)

Well, I'm impressed! Without help and with looky-loo Q&As. Impressive indeed. I'll try it with the boom/sail on and see if I can shave 10 minutes.

Erik, impressive video. 10 minutes to rigged without hurrying! This is a combination of a few ingenious time savers and frankly just the practice of doing it all the time. You're beating me primarily because you've figured out how to keep the boom on while trailering.

One thing that is critically important for people to understand is that every topside mod you do is very likely to increase your rigging complication. Lazy jacks, halyards led aft, Bimini, boomkicker, main roller furler--all of these things add minutes to your rig at a bare minimum. Add them up and you're at an hour very quickly. If rig time is important to you, consider the impact on rigging before you mod. It's kept me from doing a lot of things.

Here's how my 15m rig differs:

I go boom off, stored in the cabin with everything on it and wrapped in the mainsail cover. It takes about two minutes to bring it up and mount it after the mast is up. It makes moving the mast very uncomplicated, and before I saw your video I would have sworn it would be faster. I use a wire hitch pin, with the gooseneck left on the mast and the hitchpin connecting the boom to the gooseneck. I also use the BWY mast step quickpin and the forestay quickpins.

For the boom, I've got the vang, mainsheet, and boomkicker all laying in the sailcover and ready to go. Boom on would definitely be faster, but would not be compatible with the roller furler. I also remove the spreaders to make moving the mast back easier and "snag free", but that's probably a wash time-wise. I like it because it's snag free and therefore safer when stepping the mast.

I didn't see you connect the mainsheet to the traveller or deal with the vang. Can we assume another two minutes for that?

The slider at the head of the genoa roller furler is genius--have you posted a mod about that that? My search didn't come up with anything.

Like you, I leave the gin pole on full time. The only time its off is when we're slipped. I drop the spreaders (and with them the stays) as well as all lines into the cabin through gap between the companionway hatch and the sliding hatch. This way I'm not spending time dealing with lines during rig or unrig, and I don't have to worry about anything flying free on the freeway.

I'm going to work out the boom left on procedure and find a better way to deal with the stays so I can leave the spreaders on. Trying to beat a 10 minute rig is not an easy challenge...

Eric,
I have watched your video several times and just now took notice of the spreader arrangement. Could you please explain what's going on I more detail?. It looks like your spreaders at in two pieces - ashort permanent section and a removeable extension I think you called it the broom handle. Also, do you have a over center hook up for the furler?

For my part it takes me a long time to setup and knock down. It seems like most of the time is spent tying down shrouds and making everything road worthy. Raising the mast, hanging the boom and all of that takes time for me but is a small part of my total. The incidentals are killer for me.

Ck my posts in archives regarding set up time, one min. as stated is without mast and all you do is have stearn and bow lines to launch.
With mast on boat, the boat has all standing rigging in place,our spreaders are already in place as we just tip and go under life lines.
Boom is below with mainsail attached.
All our nuts are hand tight lock nuts that don't require a tool.
I am not going to do a vidio as it requires someone else to do it and won't do it for your needs.
There are plenty vidios on Utube for launching.
Actually we did time our launch from the time we got to ramp to the time we were in water tied to dock and took 14 min.
Thats me at 61 over weight and girlfriend.
I guess I am not a old fart after all if it takes you 25 min. or so long to launch.
Dave

raycarlson wrote:all these lightning fast launches are amazing and really hard to even beleive. I guess it all depends at what point you declare that you are starting the process of launching.I really would like to see a video of a 15min launch.At inland lakes i don't even bring the mast and sails most of the time and i'll be damed if i can get below 25min before the motor is started and powering boat off trailer.And ole dave does it in one minute,thats amazing i'd like to see that.

you must be a triayhelete,ironman dave.it takes me more than a minute to get out of the truck,lft the helm seat up,get in turn on battery switch,hook up fuel line,set out bumpers,dock and bow lines,climb back out,loosen whinch strap,back into truck,back down ramp,get out again,unhook whinch strap, you must look like those vampires on true blood who can move faster than the eye can see. i guess i'm the old fart at only 56, more power to ya.

30 minute launches - those are fun / painful to watch! Powerboaters can't find keys, forget transom plug, etc...

Why spend so much time futzing on boat to launch? Docklines should be ready, undo cargo strap, splash. Go aboard after tieing to dock... 2 -3 minutes, that's my launch.

One min. is power boating with mast off boat as stated. At ramp we already have the dock lines in place, no fenders as pilings has bumpers, battery switch is already on and as is fuel line hook up. All we do is back up get the already hooked up bow and stearn lines, un hook winch strap and safty chain and launch under 1 min.
I am also not 3 sheets to the wind.
Dave

raycarlson wrote:you must be a triayhelete,ironman dave.it takes me more than a minute to get out of the truck,lft the helm seat up,get in turn on battery switch,hook up fuel line,set out bumpers,dock and bow lines,climb back out,loosen whinch strap,back into truck,back down ramp,get out again,unhook whinch strap, you must look like those vampires on true blood who can move faster than the eye can see. i guess i'm the old fart at only 56, more power to ya.

well that answers my question,and confirms the video, its all a matter of at what point one chooses to say that the rigging process is starting.like the guy in the video i can easily raise my mast in 10 minutes,but there's no way i would trailer my boat 400 miles at 60-70 mph in the condition that he is starting his rigging process at with boom sails mast raising pole,furling jib all pre-connected,all that equipment would be torn to shreds.i probably have 50-70 bungees alone securing furler,stays mast etc. So yes i can see why you can have a 15 min launch now, you guys have done the majority of the set-up at home before you left.

raycarlson wrote:well that answers my question,and confirms the video, its all a matter of at what point one chooses to say that the rigging process is starting.like the guy in the video i can easily raise my mast in 10 minutes,but there's no way i would trailer my boat 400 miles at 60-70 mph in the condition that he is starting his rigging process at with boom sails mast raising pole,furling jib all pre-connected,all that equipment would be torn to shreds.i probably have 50-70 bungees alone securing furler,stays mast etc. So yes i can see why you can have a 15 min launch now, you guys have done the majority of the set-up at home before you left.

No way I'd live 400 miles from my launch ramp.

I trailer my boat in largely the same condition as Erik does, and have had zero issues. I pull all sheets and lines below in the cabin, use a single shackle to secure the stays below the mast, and use a dock-line to tension the mast down at the forward cabin stanchions with a trucker's hitch. That's it. Never had any problems or lines come loose (although I did have a fender hanging off the side once, which if you think looks stupid on the water it looks doubly stupid on the freeway).

Of course it depends on what you constitute as set up or rigging but some of our launchings are at the end of 3000k trips with the boat being used as a caravan for 3 weeks prior and all the water related gear in the back of the truck to keep the weight in the boat down and available liveable room up.
That being said the boom and mainsail are lashed to the mast as is the furled jib with all lines attached, prior to launching I rig all lines for spinnaker, vang and traveller so that nothing is left to do on the water but the rigging of the mast is a very minor time delay, fueling, water, food, unloading, loading and launching dinghy along with rolling lanolin grease on the bottom putting vehicle and traler in storage or at least a safe place and usually allow 1/2 to a full day depending on tides weather etc, nothing is rushed.
If I just took the stripped down or unloaded boat out of storage for a day sail the rigging would be far less than half an hour and more like or less than 15 minutes but not at present as mast is off ready for a mastless trip down our Murray River for 3-6 weeks but that is on hold now due to a full knee replacement moving forward to next Monday .
Note in the video above yes the short spreaders and short mast help but interested that the boom with sail etc can sit beneath the mast even with a fixed base, this cannot happen with the and our raised rear carrier is essential for this or even dropping the mast for bridges etc on the water without removing boom.

Hello DaveB,

I have seen and heard of faster rigging and de-rigging times but, that is only one ingredient in the mix. I am convinced, aside from my confirmation bias, this system makes for a safer, simpler, faster, and more consistent rigging and de-rigging regardless of sex or age. As they say the proof is in the pudding and I will be whipping up a batch this weekend... stay posted.

MAC Out.

Same set up as I go accross state to Homestead, FL, Or Keys. 220 mile trip each way.
Ya just haven't spent the time to figuare it out. So don't rap on others who have!
Dave

raycarlson wrote:well that answers my question,and confirms the video, its all a matter of at what point one chooses to say that the rigging process is starting.like the guy in the video i can easily raise my mast in 10 minutes,but there's no way i would trailer my boat 400 miles at 60-70 mph in the condition that he is starting his rigging process at with boom sails mast raising pole,furling jib all pre-connected,all that equipment would be torn to shreds.i probably have 50-70 bungees alone securing furler,stays mast etc. So yes i can see why you can have a 15 min launch now, you guys have done the majority of the set-up at home before you left.