How to rig your Weta in 20 minutes

[Paul White]

Leave stuff rigged, don’t tie knots, use a big ass bag.

1. Don’t remove lines. Keep the screecher, jib and trampoline lines rigged all the time. The amas can be removed and set on the dolly without taking them off.
2. Don’t remove the halyards. When you separate the mast sections, stuff the line into the bottom of the upper section and then place it on the dolly. Don’t do this if you are trailering the boat. Make a fabric cover for the ends of the mast (or use a neoprene beer/wine cooler and wrap bungee around it to hold in place). An old sail bag can also be used for this.
3. Don’t remove the main shrouds. Once the mast in down, coil the shrouds and put them on top of the tramp so you can thread the mainsheet through the coils when securing the amas.
4. Get a big windsurfing bag to put everything in. DaKine makes a bag that is the length/width of the Weta cockpit and has a long zipper down its entire length. Everything goes into this bag. And the bag stays in the cockpit when the boat is stored.
5. Don’t de-rig the screecher . Leave the screecher loosely rolled up, on the pole, with the furler line, and stuff it in the cockpit bag. You’ll have to fold the screecher a couple of times to get it in the bag, but leave everything rigged unless you’re super anal about wrinkles in your sail.
6. Don’t tie a knot in the forward tramp lines – just thread a line which is double the length through the tramp edge. If you uncleat and loosen the line there will be enough slack for you to stow the amas arms over the boat without undoing any knots. To tighten, just pull the slack from the stern and coil the excess in your hand like the halyards using half-hitches to keep it furled in the cockpit.
7. Don’t tie knots on the jib or screacher – use a soft shackle. Tying knots is slow and could cause you to break a nail.
8. Use small stainless steel carabiner clips to attach the main and jib halyards.
9. Don’t take the tiller extension off the tiller. Put it in the big cockpit bag or if you’re using the Weta bag, leave it outside the bag as you put the rudder in and poke it through the handle loop as you go.
10. Don’t use straps to tie the boat to the trolley or trailer unless you are going long distance or the mainsheet isn’t rigged. Instead, tie the main hull to the trolley using the rope at the bow and two side ties at the stern. Secure the amas by taking the mainsheet over the tramps and hook it on to the Cunningham or (if long enough) directly to the bar on the mast base plate.  Tighten with the ratchet.
11. Put everything in the big DaKine cockpit bag – rudder, daggerboard, paddle, tools, screecher, main, jib, lifting bridle, etc. Everything that you need to sail goes in the bag. The only thing that doesn’t go in the bag are your wet cloths, PFD, and electronics. And the bag stays on the boat in the cockpit unless you are planning a long journey with the boat on a trailer, in which case remove anything heavy.

Don’t stop to talk or admire the scenery!

 

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[Paul White]

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Here’s Laurent from France rigging in 24 minutes – can you do better? (video proof required!)

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