File - Canadian Wayfarer Association

3 Now you can often just lay the wire part into the sail groove. If it does not go in easily,
take a screw driver and gently wedge the two sides of the sail groove apart and let the
wire fall in.
4 Put your mainhead shackle into its swaged loop and have a helper hold it in the 'main full
up position', i.e. such that the shackle pin is about 1,3 cm (1/2") below the lower edge of
the black band.
5 Gently tension the wire and lightly 'kink' it around the middle hook of your halyard rack
to mark the correct position of your loop.
6 Cut off excess wire, leaving enough to accommodate a 10 cm (4") loop which you will now
create by swaging.
7 If you use #4 Dacron braid line (cheap!!!) as a halyard tail, you can simply tie this onto
the 10 cm (4") loop with a bowline. #4 line runs nicely, even up the mainsail groove, and if
its thinness makes you nervous, soak the part where rope meets wire with 5-minute
epoxy glue to keep the #4 line from fraying too easily. You'll need less than 7,60 m. (25')
of this line. My apologies for not knowing more precise dimensions!
8 Now pull the swaged loop down near deck level and stow the main halyard as usual.
If you already have the right halyard but wish to add a halyard rack
Raise the mainsail until it is in perfect position (sail head at lower edge of upper black band).
Mark the location of the lowest part of the wire loop attached to the tail. The middle hook of
your rack should be at the level of this mark. The rack may be riveted onto the side of the mast
groove (I prefer the port side) or you can make the system neater by removing about six inches
of mast groove in the appropriate location and riveting straight onto the aft face of the mast.
There is some question though as to how legal the latter is under the Class Rules nowadays.
Once the rack is riveted onto the mast, check again to see which hook should be used so that
your sail head is right at the black band. As long as you continue to use the same sail, shackle and
halyard, your sail will now be in perfect position each time you hook the lower loop onto the
appropriate hook.
You can install a Velcro loop on one side of the mast support to hold the folded rope halyard.
Keep the boom free of the goose-neck while hoisting. then attach it. Avoid stretching the luff of
the main. It should have tiny horizontal "speed-wrinkles"' extending out from the luff to
maximize power from the main.
1.3.2 Boom vang/kicker
Both lever vangs and block & tackle arrangements can make effective vangs. A minimum of 8:1 or
12:1 advantage is needed for good control. Since the vang is the primary control of mainsail
shape, it must be easily adjustable from either side of the boat while you are hiked out. Run a
control line under the thwart to each side deck where it can be adjusted and cleated on the
vertical edge of the side deck 11 .
In light to medium wind, very little vang tension is needed going to windward. The prime indicator
is the upper batten. The back 6 inches of it must be parallel to the boom. Too much vang will
tighten the leach causing this batten to hook to windward. This chokes the air flow over the
main. Too little vang will leave the leach too loose. This puts too much twist in the main making it
hard to point. Although it is common to go to windward with little vang tension in light to medium
winds, it is necessary to apply some vang on reaches and runs to prevent the main from twisting
off too much, thus spilling wind from the upper section.
Another indicator for proper vang tension is the luff of the main. With proper vang tension, it
should luff evenly from top to bottom. If the vang is too loose, the upper section of the main will
11 Al’s note: or on the aft edge of the thwart).
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