Venture 222 running rigging help

[GonePostal]

And on a side note... These are pics of how my backstay is connected to my stern... as per my other thread on standing rigging my boat. Im honestly not sure if its relevant.

[Tomfoolery]

This pic seems to show a fiddle block laying in the cockpit just outside the companionway hatch, and some sort of attachment point, though no traveler.

The first boom pic in your next post shows a bail on the boom. So it looks like it is/was rigged the way Jimmyt suggested, with a fixed attachment to the cockpit sole.

[Maraquita]

You're getting there! as said, the blue rope is your jib sheet. That hook will go to the back of the jib (headsail) after you hoist it with the white rope (Jib halyard). The "clip things" in the bottom post will hook around the forestay (wire at front of the boat, going to the mast) as you pull the jib up. There should be a lot more of those clips, they will show which side of the jib goes toward the front. I'm guessing, but I think the short piece of wire with the clips will hook to the bottom clew of the jib and allow you to pull it up farther along the forestay so that it does'nt rum on the forward lifelines or pulpit. Most people don't worry about this on this size of boat, but your previous owner may have been quite picky.

Now the main sail.
I'm betting that the adjuster you showed on the backstay is actually your main sheet. I don't know how you would hook up the back stay without it though, so I am somewhat stymied. The original mainsheet hooked to the rear of the boom with that clip that is back there, but somebody has added a "bail", the curved piece of metal bolted to the boom about 1/2 way forward. Look for anything on the floor of the cockpit that will line up with either that bail or the back of the boom that a pully could be hooked to and that will be where the main sheet attaches.

For someone more familiar with the 222. Is it possible that the boat does not have a backstay! Perhaps the wire back there is actually a topping lift and the adjustment is really the main sheet?

[Jimmyt]

The first boom pic in your next post shows a bail on the boom. So it looks like it is/was rigged the way Jimmyt suggested, with a fixed attachment to the cockpit sole.

Even a blind hog finds an acorn once in awhile...

[Jimmyt]

And on a side note... These are pics of how my backstay is connected to my stern... as per my other thread on standing rigging my boat. Im honestly not sure if its relevant.



The backstay adjustment is the same sort of rig that is used for a main sheet. Don't suppose you have another one of those on the boat somewhere?

The small line hanging off the backstay could be your topping lift. It attaches to the back end of the boom to keep it out of the way when you don't have your main sail hoisted.

[Jimmyt]

And some of the boom. What are the two clip looking thingys???? On the sail that is...

Those clip looking things are how you attach the jib to the forestay.

[GonePostal]

Thanks so much everyone! Im off wirk tomorrow so Ill try to get evergthing rigged up per yalls advice

Im not sure now if I even have a backstay... if Im reading things right. Is that okay???

Ive got quite a bit of info to digest and work with here. If I cant get her 100% ready to go Ill at least be a heckuva lot closer. In so excited to just raise the sails in my driveway haha

[Tomfoolery]

Im not sure now if I even have a backstay... if Im reading things right. Is that okay???

No, it’s not. You have a back stay. That little tail is to support the boom when not sailing, to keep it above your head and so you can unhook the main sheet that’s (probably) in the way in the cockpit. And the chain plate on the stern rail wouldn’t be there if there wasn’t a back stay, either.

There are boats without backstays, like the M, and keel boats with a B&R rig (my Hunter 340 had no backstay), but this isn’t one of them. I’m pretty sure. Though I’m not there to examine it myself, though all the pictures I linked to do show a backstay.

[GonePostal]

Hey Tomfoolery...

I hear what youre saying. I guess I was just asking if I had my backstay hooked up properly...????

This block & tackle looking thing that sorta looks like a boom vang... well thats what I supposed was to tension my backstay.

I was HOPING that it was part of my backstay as Id hate to hafta find a different place for it :/

Im hoping that when I go out tomorrow and set it all up that itll all fall into place.

[Tomfoolery]

Main sheet, boom vang, and backstay adjuster can resemble, or be identical, to each other on these boats. There are different styles of each out there, but on the Macs, including mine for instance, there is no difference between my vang and main sheet, at least there wasn’t before I upgraded them.

Oh, and the MRS (Mast Raising System) for the X used the same fiddle blocks, but without the cam cleat. I’ve since upgraded that to much larger ball-bearing blocks with 5 parts of line, ‘cause, you know, I’m getting old and like the reduced effort. I want sailing to be fun and relaxing, not hard work.

[Jimmyt]

Hey Tomfoolery...

I hear what youre saying. I guess I was just asking if I had my backstay hooked up properly...????

This block & tackle looking thing that sorta looks like a boom vang... well thats what I supposed was to tension my backstay.

I was HOPING that it was part of my backstay as Id hate to hafta find a different place for it :/

Im hoping that when I go out tomorrow and set it all up that itll all fall into place.

Are you completely out of blocks and lines? I don't know that your backstay adjuster needs to be that beefy. If you have a lighter set of blocks and lines aboard, that could be your backstay adjustment, and the heavier set may be your main sheet rig. But, as Tom says, you have a backstay, and need to have it properly rigged.

If you have spare running rigging, post pics please.

[Be Free]

I'm in agreement with everyone regarding the halyards and sheets. I think you have that rigged correctly. The moveable fairlead that you have the jib sheet running through is probably for a genoa. That far back I'm not sure it is doing anything for you with a working jib. It might be easier to use the fixed one near it, but I don't think it will make much difference either way.

The two cleats at the base of the mast were/are for your main and jib halyards if you are not running them back to the cockpit. They are still handy to temporarily hold the main or jib if you are standing next to the mast while raising them. I've found this easier to raise the main this way if I'm alone and there is any significant wind while I'm raising the main.

I have a question about the two stays (wire ropes) you show at the bow. The attachment point closest to the bow is for your forestay. It will go up to an attachment point (hound) at or near the top of the mast. It will run perfectly straight from the mast to the bow.

The second connection at the bow is where the forward corner of the jib is connected with a locking type pin. Does that wire rope run up to the top of the mast or is it just a short stub? In either case, the jib halyard (white) will attach to the top of the jib and all of those brass clips will clip around your forestay.

The bale in the middle of your boom might be for a vang. I don't see a corresponding attachment point at the bottom of the mast. Maybe it was there for a traveller that you don't have anymore. It's hard to say. It might attach to that ring in your cockpit but I've never seen a vang done that way.

It's also possible that a previous owner moved the attachment point for the main sheet to use the bale and the ring in the cockpit. That might make more sense although I don't see why they would want to move it in the first place.

I still think there is something wrong with the way your backstay is rigged. You definitely need one so don't sail until you figure it out. The only thing you have that vaguely resembles a main sheet is attached to your backstay.

You are getting there. I can't wait to see pictures from your first sail. Great work!

[GonePostal]

Hey guys... I dont have any extra rigging, lines, wire, rope... Nothing. What you see is what you get so to speak.

The previous owner swore he gave me everhthing he had and Im just trying to figure out how HE had it rigged... as well as how it can/should be rigged.

The PO did say that when he got the boat it was in rough shape. He claims to have done a frame up restoration so to speak. So Im sorta dealing with how things were originally versus how HE had them setup. Or trying to figure it out.

I plan to raise the sails and do what all I can tomorrow. Im excited to figure it out and post some pics!

[GonePostal]

He Be Free... Lemme try to explain my setup. Im at work now but I can take pics later...

The 2 hole chainplate in the front/bow has my forestay attached to it as well as that stubby wire... thing haha Its about a foot long.

[Be Free]

If it's a short wire rope it's still for connecting to the bottom corner of the jib. It just moves the connection point out a little bit.

That just leave the mystery loop in the cockpit, the missing main sheet, and your very strange backstay connection.