New Sidewinder owner

Hello all,

I'm excited to say that I recently bought my first sailboat and it is a Sidewinder (HIN 709). It needs a little work and was hoping someone might be able to answer a few questions.

First, the previous owner of the boat had the luff pole setup so that the line to unfurl the jib (and the plastic line guard) was at the top near the mast. Based on the rigging instructions, it seems it should the other way around (the line to unfurl the jib should be at the tack/bow end). Is there a good reason for this change or should I rig it according to the instructions?

Second, my luff pole seems a little tight when it comes to unfurling. Should I just spray some lubricant like WD40 inside the pole where it spins?

Third, does anyone recommend a particular brand boat cover? I was going to visit Walmart and buy one but they seem to be designed for motorboats and I figured there must be a better fitting one out there.

Thanks,
Ben

Hi Ben,

Welcome to the forum.


By the luff pole, do you mean the roller furling jib pole? I never heard that called a luff pole before, but there is something new to learn every day. Anyhow - I cannot for the life of me figure any reason why it should be upside down. That is really strange. Unless the previous owner accidently mounted the jib the wrong way on the pole and decided to mount the pole the around rather than fixing the jib. That is really strange. I don't see how the jib could be unfurled and furled back, unless he/she just did it manually. There should be a thin line that wraps around the roller furling mechanism, and through a small fairlead on the hull to a cleat on top of the hull near the mast hole. You unfurl the jib by letting the line loose so it runs through the clean and pulling on the jib sheets. You furl the jib by pulling on that line.

The mechanism should be smooth. I'm not sure what could be binding yours up. I seem to recall a nut at the top (the real top). Check that. If there really is a nut there, try to loosen it (I could be wrong - perhaps there is no nut). But this mechanism should be loose, not tight. A little bit of play is ok. Perhaps the previous owner tightened things up because he did not know how the furling system worked and the jib kept unrolling. If you install the line, per the instruction in my previous post, the line will keep it rolled up.

Finally, the cover. I bought mine from the sailor's tailor: [www.sailorstailor.com] or [www.sailorstailor.com]

A bit pricey, but I can tell you this cover is excellent and will hold up and last a long time. If you can afford it and decide to go for it, make sure to get an air vent put in (they will do this for you).

Paul
Webmaster: sailmfg.com

Ben,

Congrats on your purchase! I just picked up my Sidewinder last October.

I bought a Cabela's brand boat cover (Size A) and it fits great. I have a one piece mast that sits on top of the boat supported in two places. This gives the cover support down the middle so the rain rolls off. And it's trailerable.

-Brad