How to Rig a Headsail

You'll find preparation eliminates a world of problems in sailing. Raising the jib is easy once you've set it up properly.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Sun Hats
• Boat Books
• Sunscreen Suntan Lotion
• Personal Flotation Devices
• Sailboats

1. Place the headsail on your foredeck at the base of the forestay.
2. Remove it from the bag (if necessary).
3. Spread the sail out on the foredeck.
4. Locate the three corners, head, tack and clew.
5. Attach the tack to the base of the forestay. Most boats have shackles but you may end up tying the tack with a short piece of line.
6. Connect the hanks starting at the tack and working up to the head. If your sail has a headfoil system, untangle the luff tape from the foot to the head, then put the top of the tape into the feeder and about a foot up into the luff groove.
7. Release the halyard from its cleat.
8. Attach the other end of the halyard to the headboard.
9. Pull the loose halyard away from the forestay and loop it around a deck cleat or tie it to the deck or deck hardware nearby to keep it from wrapping around the forestay. Make sure it can be released quickly.
10. Take the slack out of the halyard and tie it to a cleat.
11. Tie both sheets to the clew with bowlines.
12. Fold the loose sail cloth into the bow pulpit or secure it to the deck using cleats and lazy sheets.
13. Take the slack out of the lazy sheets and coil them in the cockpit. The sail is now ready to be raised.

Tips & Warnings

• Try to find a way to tie the halyard temporarily back from the forestay about a foot or so to keep it from wrapping around the stay.