Rigging lengths and diameters

Afternoon,

I recently purchased a sidewinder (#1139) with sails and mast but without any rigging. Does anyone know the lengths and diameters of the ropes that came with the boat? I was thinking 32' of 5/16" for the main sheet, 25' of 1/4" for the jib sheet, 50' of 5/16 for the main hayliard and 30' of 1/4" for the jib controls. Do these make sense?

Also, what are the sizes of the stays for the mast?

thanks,

Ken

by the by, is there any way to find the year of my vessel?

Hi Ken,

I think the diameter sounds ok for the main sheet. I suspect the boat originally came with either 3/8" or 5/16" but I'm not sure which. But lines are so much better these days than 30 years ago so a thinner, lighter weight line is definately the way to go as it will run through the blocks that much easier. I'm unsure of the length on this.

1/4" for the jib sheets worries me a little bit because it might be too thin for comfort. You want a line that is not too harsh on the hands, and the jib can be hard to sheet in tight in heavier winds. You would not want a line that hurts the hands. I suppose the material makes a big difference, so perhaps the best advice I can give is to get a feel for the line before you purchase it. 25 feet length is good.

5/16" for the halyard is too much. The newer lines are so strong, and this is a line you don't touch often. I'd go for 3/16". But I believe you only need 40 feet or so. 50 feet will leave you too much extra line in the boat.

For the roller furling line, go with 3/16". I'm not sure of the length of this but 30 feet seems plenty. You could always cut some off later if it were too much.

For all the lines, make sure you get material that won't stretch. Also some of the newer lines on the market are even water resistant yet still soft on the hands which could be a real plus if you routinely take water into the cockpit (I certainly do).

As for the year of your boat... please let me know the serial number on the hull (either on a tag fastened inside the transom or molded into the back of the transom).

Paul
Webmaster: sailmfg.com

Thanks Paul!

I believe the serial is 1139.

Ken