I've just taken delivery of a Taipan 4.9 and have some very specific rigging questions. Does anybody have a soft copy of the assembly/rigging instructions? I was wondering why Jim left the mast with the top forward on the trialer. Well I turned the mast around and hooked up the shrouds and looked at the mast-boat attachment. Then the light went off, that mast is not going up from the back! It can't go up from the front with both shrouds attached... They won't be long enough. It must go up from the side with one shroud and forestay attached? Anyway, if any T4.9 owners would be willing to help with this kind of stuff, we can e-mail off line (Australia, are you listening?). Thanks in advance
I haven't a Taipan 4.9 myselft yet but I saw the mast being stepped from the front last time I saw a T4.9. It looked like it had a hinge at the maststep. I assume that the hinge is strong enough to hold the mast while you raise it with the front stay attached and attach the side stays later.
But I could be wrong with this so Maybe Phill or Kirt on the F16 HP forum on this catsailors page can help you better.
Click on main index, scroll down and click in F16 High Performance forum
BTW, your boat willbe , eehhh, IS part of the F16 HP initiative would you like to play with us others in the F16 HP and take a shot at the David and Goliath Cup for the season 2001/2002 ??
For more info go to the same F16 HP forum at :
http://www.catsailor.com/forums/postlist.php?Cat=&Board=Fleet45
There are several other Taipan 4.9 owners in the group that can help you with respect to tuning and eventually rigging the boat up with a genaker (Asymmetric spinnaker)
I hope to see you there !
Wouter
Dave,
Congrats on the new boat. Most of the Australians step the boat with the boat off the trailer and from the front. You attach one shroud and the forestay and put it up at an angle kind of right over the end of one of the bows. The mast is so light it is no problem. I have been putting mine up from the stern by rotating the step aft and rotating the mast so that front of the mast is oriented downward. By orienting the mast this way you get the shrouds wrapped around the mast a bit. The trick is to put the stick up and then rotate the mast 180 degrees and attach the forestay like a normal cat.
Either way works great - from the aft just requires some getting used too. The mast is so light it is super easy to step. If you have any other questions, shoot me an email.
Dave,
As Chuck said, congrats on the boat- hope you get 1/2 as much pleasure out of it as I do mine! Further to chucks comments, I have recently changed from the back to the front tilt system- my preference is for the front if you are thinking about changing.
The poster above is right with the technique, just a few further points- when by myself I use the rear mast fork on the trailer to support the mast while I step it and do up the forestay and one side stay. Then slip on my harness and heave the mast up from inside the bow (so you don't have to walk in and step over it). Once upright I hook onto a trap wire so both my hands are free to attach the other side stay.
Have fun!
Gary Eastment