Adventure Sailing Canoe "String 'er up "

Rigging

The main halyard pulls the gaff up to the masthead pulley thus raising the sail. The gaff is held secure by wrapping the tight halyard around a cleat on the front crossmember ( outrigger side of the mast). It should be long enough to reach from the lowered position of the gaff up to the masthead pulley and back to the canoe floor plus about a metre which makes it about 8 metres long. 8mm poly rope should be adequate. It is permanently attached to the gaff by passing it through the saddle, around the gaff and then back through the saddle to be whipped to itself. The loose end should be secured to the boat to prevent it falling all the way through the pulley when lowering sail in a difficult situation. In storage the halyard is used to wrap around the rolled up sail and keep it neat.

The downhaul is simply a 2 metre length of 8mm rope that attaches to the boom where it meets the mast and pulls the sail taught along the mast edge. It is held by a saddle on the front crossmember (starboard side of the mast).