Advice needed on rigging my first dinghy

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ADHDean
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Sep 17, 2016 12:58 pm

Advice needed on rigging my first dinghy

Post by ADHDean »

Hi people,

I've been advised to ask for info on here on my first dinghy as its regarded as a 'Classic' due to its age.

I've only ever sailed a large cruiser as part of a crew on a competent crew course so am a million miles away from knowing what I'm doing but I've bought a GRP Torch dinghy with the ambition of getting back in to sailing and re learning points of sail. But unfortunately I'm having trouble rigging it. I've got most elements in place but the kicking strap it came with is a bit of a cut and shut. That I'm able to sort with a decent diagram of how to thread it. But the main issue is the mainsheet. There is no centre cleat to lock off on so I can't really work it out. There is a mainsheet traveller on the very rear of the boat but I don't know how I should be setting it up.

My main question is can any one advise on what I should be doing (with photo or a video would be AMAZING) Such little info on these boats which I can't really understand as it looks and feels to be a very sturdy vessel. It would be great to hear back from some one who owns and sails one!

I look forward to any response. I tried another forum, 350+ odd views and not a single reply. Not even a hello.
Rupert
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Re: Advice needed on rigging my first dinghy

Post by Rupert »

Hello!

The aft mainsheet is very simple. Not in a position to post a pic right now, but I'm sure someone is. Either it will be a simple 2:1 loop starting on a Becket at the transom, round a block on the boom and back round the block on the transom. Or a triangle, like Mirrors have traditionally.
Rupert
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azimuth
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Re: Advice needed on rigging my first dinghy

Post by azimuth »

Pics of a torch here http://www.cvrda.org/wp-cvrda/dinghydata/torch/ does it look like the same type of boat?

If it's an aft main it's very unlikely to have a cleat but a ratchet block is an option to take some strain off you. Good luck with it!
Keith.

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phil58490
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Re: Advice needed on rigging my first dinghy

Post by phil58490 »

If you use the search function, top line on the right of this page. Click on that and enter torch in the search box, lots of stuff comes up but you will have to sort through it as it relates to everything with the word torch in it. There are torch dinghies hidden the other stuff such as blow torches ect.

Hello and welcome to the world of older boats.

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ADHDean
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Sep 17, 2016 12:58 pm

Re: Advice needed on rigging my first dinghy

Post by ADHDean »

Thanks for the responses people. I'm already doing better here than on the other forum.

Thanks Rupert. I shall look up the aft mainsheet using a triangle loop. If some one knowing what it should look like would be so kind as to search google images and post a photo of said set up I would be eternally grateful, it might save me hours of trailing though useless photos of non related guff. We all know how wonderful(not) google images can be.

Thanks Phil I did give the search a go but found rather a lot of 'blow torch' and 'torch the bloody thing' references so opted for the direct approach.
JimC
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Re: Advice needed on rigging my first dinghy

Post by JimC »

A photo of what you've got would be enormously helpful.

Typically there will be one block with a becket (this may be a ratchet block), and one plain block. The block with becket is the lower one, and typically will either be shackled to a slider on a track going over the rudder, or else be attached to a bridle doing the same thing, rather like a Laser or Topper's bridle.

The plain block goes on the end of the boom.

So the end of the mainsheet is attached to the becket, maybe shackles on, maybe just tied. It then goes up, through the block on the boom, forward to aft, then down through the block and becket aft to forward. And that's it.

Tie a stopper knot (figure of eight conventional) on the mainsheet two or three feet from the end, because if you drop it you want enough loose mainsheet to be able to easily grab it.
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