Speedy Rigging

[The Quiet Mon]

Has anyone purchased the Speedy Rigging tape in the online catalog. Would be interested in whether it was very helpful.

Thanks

[Max]

So would I!

Max

[Heath]

You can read more about the SpeedyRigger videos here. I also fixed the link to the reviews page.

[Sloop John B]

Speedy rigger is a great video if you are between the ages of 15 and 32, and have a hanked on jib (not a CDI furled thing hanging off the front of your boat). Various bouts with time rigging have been posted. I'm chagrined with guys like Chip and company that get underway in less than 13 minutes. I'm a take your time kind of guy and have to run back an fourth a few times for a tool or thing and am trying to get in the water in less than an hour, without cardiac arrest or losing too much sweat.

[Chip Hindes]

Sloopy:

I'm 54, have the furler as well and I use the mast raising gear. I bought the video and used it as the basis for developing my own techniques to speed up the launch and recovery process; those things that worked for me. I almost always rig singlehanded but and I've never gotten underway in 13 minutes. I could consistently rig in 25 minutes; best ever was 19 minutes, from pulling into the parking lot to pulling the empty trailer up the ramp.

I fully admit that times like that mean that everything has to go right, and this frequently doesn't happen, but the key to rigging quickly is to do everything exactly the same way every time, with no lost motion. If you practice frequently, rig for speed, don't do anything you don't need to do, and don't do anything twice, I think 20-25 minutes is realistic and repeatable. A couple times when I didn't have the time for a day of sailing, I practiced rigging and derigging in my front yard to refine some of the techniques.

I might have gotten better still, but the middle of last summer I broke down and rented a slip at a marina. It was so much better than before and I sailed so much more often I don't think I'll go back to trailering only.

[mike]

I have not yet watched the rigging video, but I can say that I was very disappointed in the quality of the sailing video. The editing was poor, but I could forgive that... the biggest problem I had with it was the audio quality. My wife and I simply couldn't understand what he was saying most of the time, especially with the wind blowing.

--Mike

[Frank C]

Well I guess I'd agree that the videos are amateur, but considering that the likely market is probably only 250 customers, I doubt that Hitchcock, Coppola or Pixar would have been interested.

It's a little like criticizing this website ... I don't want to invest the time, but it's so easy to vocalize the areas for improvement. IMO, the videos are worth the price. You won't find that information anywhere else.

[Harry van der Meer]

I keep my stored on the trailer near the ramp. I also have a genny on a furler. Last year was my first season. Both videos were very helpful in getting the basic techniques down. Alfter a while, you develop your own routine. Now it takes me about 40 min between arrival at the dry storage, tow the boat to the ramp, rigging, launching to sailing away.

I would recommend the videos to anyone who keeps the boat on the trailer.

[greybird-M]

My Fiance' bought the tapes for us, after I mentioned that there was a set of taped instructions for the Mac(X). They are quite 'unpolished', both in terms of camera work, video editing and audio recording/dubbing. Jeff is a much better sailor than videographer-I have even considered collaborating with him (or others perhaps) on a Mac(M) video, with the caveat that I am a better videographer than sailor. (May 23 will be my 16th year at Kennedy Space Center with the Operational Television (OTV) group). That said, there are many great tips in the video(s) and what really comes through for me is Jeff's love for sailing in general and his love for his sons and their Mac. I'd recommend these tapes to a beginning Mac sailor. I have done what Chip has done: I have my M stored on a cradle at Harbortown, Merritt Island, Fl-the boat is placed ('splashed' we call it) into the water within an hour of my call and retrieved at the end of the boating day-very convenient but it does cost extra.

[Jim]

I use to launch mine every weekend too, but that got old after a year or two. So now I'm in a slip. Takes bit longer now cause we dont do it all the time, but usually less than an hour to rig or de-rig it. I have seen a few guys leave their genoa on the furler and go hurtling down the road. We always take our's off .I think its the old ounce of prevention thing....Waiting for spring in Canada....Jim

[Chip Hindes]

As I said, I don't take anything off that doesn't need to be taken off. To me, taking the genny off the furler every time defeats most of its purpose. If I felt I had to remove and replace the genny every time I trailered, I'd pitch the furler in the dumpster and go with the hank on genny and jib.

As I also said, whatever works for you. If you feel more comfortable takng the genny off every time, and you feel the extra rigging time it takes is worth it, the choice to do so is yours. Personally, I'd rather spend the extra twenty minutes on the lake, and I see no problem "hurtling down the road" with the genny rolled up on the furler. Last spring I got a sock, which costs me a few extra minutes. Trailered 3000 miles round trip to FL with the genny in place on the furler.

I also don't remove the baby stays or the mast raising gear. Some say they're in the way. Whatever.

[Don T]

Hello:
I guess I'm one of those hurtlers too. My furler runs along the lifelines and is secured well. It takes Lynn and I 30 minutes to rig and ready, longer if our teenagers help. I decided to leave the baby stays on also. All it took was seeing how much tension they have when I'm on a reach. I store the raising pole below in a rack.

[Sloop John B]

What speeded up my rigging time considerably was installing pelican hooks on the forward lifelines. The lines are dropped over the outside of the spreaders and I simply zoom back with the mast and bolt her down without the Texas two step, up and lurch. Same for zooming back to the pulpit later.

It's the little things, like getting the bimini out of the truck, packing my pipe tobacco down just right, strolling over to the marina head, that I count in this routine.

Nonetheless, I still have wasted unnecessary movement back and forth from forgetfulness and lack of definite routine.

First time camping years ago with the pawn shop 12 by 10 Montgomery Ward tent, it took my mate and me a couple hours to rig the damn thing. Exasperated experimenting with the poles as darkness set in.

Later, people would giggle and then clap as we emerged from our vehicle with grim faces not uttering a word, working in total syncopation to slap this thing up in moments and haul out the cooler, a boom box, and a couple lawn chairs.

Maybe this summer we can do this with the Mac.

[Jim]

I personally dont have a problem with anyone that wants to make life easier when it comes to rigging or hauling their boats. Thats another reason why i keep mine in a slip....sooner spend the time on the water than on the trailer. Im a trucker and In all the years Ive been on the road,I must admit that I have never seen a genny unfurl while the boat was being towed, but I have seen canopies on travel trailers and hard top campers open up. You can well imagine what kind of distruction that can cause to the unit, as well as the safety factor. All I was stating in my previous post, was what I do..but ones ideas certainley dont work for all...............JIm

[Tony D-26X_SusieQ]

I ordered both videos last winter. I had a problem with the order and found Jeff to be more than helpfull with resolving the problem and getting me my videos. It turned out to be my fault. I thought I had completed the order but some of the information didn't go through so I hadn't completed the order as I thought I had.

I too found the editing to be crude but the information is right on. I particularly was surprised to hear Jeff quote my Mac salesman at A-1 Sailboats. I took the tape out to his house to show him and he got a big kick out of it.

You can't go wrong with these videos. You will learn a lot especially if you are new to sailing.