How To

How to Rig the Headsail on a Sailboat

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By eHow Contributing Writer
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Rigging the headsail on a sailboat can be a complicated process, but ensuring that the headsail is rigged correctly will save you some problems when you are out on the water.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging
Instructions

Things You'll Need:

  • A sail boat
  • Headsail with sheets, ropes and lines
  1. Step 1

    Remove your headsail from its bag.

  2. Step 2

    Spread out the headsail on the foredeck of your sailboat.

  3. Step 3

    Locate the 3 corners of your sail--head (top), tack (bottom inside) and clew (bottom outside).

  4. Step 4

    Attach the tack to the base of the mast with the forestay.

  5. Step 5

    Connect the hanks starting at the tack.

  6. Step 6

    Release the halyard from its cleat.

  7. Step 7

    Attach the halyard to the headboard at the head of the headsail.

  8. Step 8

    Take the slack out of the halyard and secure it into a cleat.

  9. Step 9

    Tie the sheet to the clew with bowlines.

  10. Step 10

    Secure the loose sail cloth to the bow pulpit or secure it to the deck with cleats and lazy sheets.

  11. Step 11

    Coil your lazy sheets flat and lay them in the cockpit or hang them on a cleat.

  12. Step 12

    You are now ready to raise the headsail.

Tips & Warnings
  • Tie bowlines for your knots--they are secure and easy to undo.
  • Watch that your sheets (ropes/lines) aren’t tangled or messy.

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