TAKING DELIVERY

YOUR FIRST SAIL

Basic boat handling --The Tempest is fast--deceptively so because its easy motion through the water can disguise its speed. Many first-timers discover this phenomenon only when sea room unexpectedly disappears! Therefore, unless an experienced sailor accompanies you, it may be a good idea to take your first sail in light wind so that situations don't develop too quickly.

Fortunately, you'll find the Tempest "likes" tight quarters: its rudder can turn more than 90 degrees, so you can get out of trouble with moves you wouldn't dare try in many other boats, provided you let out the sails if you're heeling too much. This maneuverability is especially useful when landing: a Tempest has less momentum than most other keelboats, so you can stop at your target by spinning the boat hard into the wind and then backing the mainsail by pushing the boom out to windward. But warn the crew first so he or she won't fall off the bow!

You'll find getting under way is easiest under both mainsail and jib. The large main, alone, may overpower the rudder until you gain way enough to steer. While the jib, alone, will work unless you need to tack in high wind, you're better off taking time to hoist them both and getting squared away before you cast off.

When you're under way, practice using the tiller extension and sitting forward of the tiller arc. Relax and work on maintaining a constant angle of heel upwind (more about this below).

Trying the trapeze -- Trapezing is a basic skill for the crew. You'll need the trapeze when there's no other way to keep the boat from heeling more than fifteen degrees. It takes at least eight knots of steady breeze to get a real feel.

When you're ready, attach the upper trapeze ring to the hook on your harness. Then, grab the handle and lower your body over the side of the boat. When the trapeze wire is carrying all your weight, plant your feet on the gunwale and push out, straightening your legs until your forward knee is "locked." Believe it or not, after the first few seconds, this won't feel any more spectacular than lying in a hammock!

Let go of the handle; you won't fall. Jump away from the boat as far as you can, three or four feet out, to discover the forces tugging at you.

Now, "walk" aft until you're "standing" by the traveler. Notice how the rig tends to pull you forward, so be ready to step with your forward foot to maintain your balance. Eventually, you'll be able to put your feet together on the gunwale with your front leg stiff. It's all right to stiff-arm the skipper's back for support.

Try leaning all the way back into your harness. Your head should be only as high as the skipper's head unless he or she is hiking really hard. In the low trapeze position, you shouldn't be able to see the leeward deck. Stay well aft--sighting right down the traveler; even farther aft in rough water.

Note: When the mast isn't raked enough or the trapeze wire is too short, you'll be pulled too far forward and/or forced to ride in a semi-crouch, so we'll fix it later (see page 19).

Trying the spinnaker -- Ready to go offwind?

If your boat has a spinnaker launcher, the spinnaker may spill over the bow unless the guy is taut, so set the pole completely (attach it to the guy, topping lift, and mast) before you hoist. This should cause the sail to fill to leeward, out of the boat's path. Leave the pole up during takedown for the same reason.

If your boat doesn't have a spinnaker launcher, hoist the spinnaker, then set the pole.

To gybe, throw the boom over, then "end-for-end" the pole.

To drop without a spinnaker launcher, get the pole down first, then stuff the spinnaker into its bag or bucket. Standard practice is to do this from the windward side--going to leeward doesn't work because the boom is in the way and you'll heel the boat over, slowing it down. Also, try not to climb out onto the foredeck and risk losing your balance.

When you get the boat properly trimmed upwind, concentrate on sailing it flat: under ten degrees of heel. Some people use an inclinometer for initial guidance, but the tiller will tell you just as much: you should need only two fingers to steer upwind in any breeze. If it takes a stronger grip to stay on course, you don't have it right yet. Try trimming the mainsail harder (!) and feathering the boat into the wind.

Downwind, too, do whatever it takes to keep the boat flat when it's windy. Sailing directly before the wind may be easier than pointing ten degrees higher when the boat is liable to broach.

LAUNCHING

Most Tempests have a two-piece wire lifting sling, the free ends of which attach to bolts (1) through the keel rails aft of the mast, and (2) through a special fitting on the cockpit floor aft of the bridge.

A properly-designed sling lifts the boat in a level attitude or slightly bow down (to minimize interference between the mast and the hoist). If the boat has been parked bow-down or stored for any long period, water in the cockpit may have leaked through the access port gaskets, so rock it from side to side on its trailer, listen for water inside the hull, and pump out any accumulation before using the hoist--don't trust the lifting points to support much more than just the boat.

When the water is out:

Bolt the sling in place with its long end forward and its short end through the hole in the forward side of the bridge (which was put there for this purpose). If the sling is still in place from its last use, be sure its bolts are secure. Also, check the keel bolt nuts. If these rattle loose during a long trip, the keel bolts may slip out unnoticed. 

With the boat at the hoist, insert the hoist's hook through both pieces of the sling, and take up the slack. The hoist chain or wire should stand vertically. If not, the boat won't lift straight up, so move the trailer until it does. (Some hoists have lines painted in an arc underneath the lifting point to show you where to spot the trailer in the first place.) 

Raise the bailers so they won't catch on the aft cradle. 

Disconnect the backstay if it will interfere with the hoist (e.g., if the hoist tower is tall or the tide is low). 

Fix a bow line so you can keep the boat from rotating without having to get underneath it, or when it's suspended out of reach. You may also want a stern line in some situations. 

While someone operates the hoist, grab the keel and guide the boat for the first few inches off the trailer. If you forgot to raise the bailers in Step 3, pull the boat forward when it first unweights so they don't get bent. 

When the hull and keel are completely free of the trailer, get out from under the boat and keep everyone else away from where they might get hurt if it fell. 

Watch out for grease on the hoist chain! If it gets on your halyards and then inside the mast, you'll never get it off again. If it gets on your standing rigging, it will wind up on your sails. 

Swing the boat out over the water, and lower it in! Hoist the boat back onto the trailer through similar steps. Again, don't get under the boat until the trailer will protect you if it falls. (See page * for details about securing the boat properly on the trailer.) 

STEPPING THE MAST

Singlehandedly -- If you're tall enough (perhaps 5'9" or more) and strong (capable of lifting 20kg--the weight of a Tempest mast--over your head) and there isn't too much crosswind, you probably can step the mast as easily by yourself as with help. Its center of gravity is just above the diamond spreaders, so lift it there and carry it to the aft deck. Then just fit its heel against the forward bulkhead at the step, stiff-arm it overhead, and walk toward the bow, raising it pole vault-style.

First, of course, be sure no overhead wires will interfere or possibly electrocute you. Then, in more detail:

Secure the trailer to the trailer hitch on your towing vehicle, put the aft kickstand down, block the back of the trailer, or have someone stand on the tongue so that the trailer won't rock back when you walk aft. Now is a good time to attach your masthead fly. 

Climb up on the boat and remove anything from your path that could cause you to trip. 

Be sure the mast step bolts between the keel rails haven't loosened. (These keep the mast heel from shifting forward or aft under load.) 

Remove the partners fitting that secures the mast in place, but leave it where you can reach it later when you'll be holding the mast up with only one hand. 

Wedge a sponge in front of the step to prevent the mast heel from scratching the bulkhead. 

Lift the mast at its center of gravity, making sure nothing is tangled. Walk it back to the aft deck. Then, dip its heel around--not necessarily through--the partners and up against the sponge. 

Stiff-arm the mast overhead and walk forward. Beware of wires snagging trailer fenders, tiedowns, etc.--a kink is a permanent weakness. Also, walk around--not on--the hatch cover unless it's properly seated. 

When the mast is raised within the partners, kick it or "jump" it up and down to seat it between the step bolts. This should be easy if it's exactly vertical. 

Secure the mast in place at the partners. If they support the mast with "normal" sailing rake (about three feet aft at the top) or less and there is no tailwind, the mast should now be able to stand on its own. When there is a breeze, don't forget to steady the mast until you can attach the standing rigging. 

Connect the shrouds and forestay. Pin the shrouds from the outside in, so their "ring-dings" or cotter pins won't snag your spinnaker sheets later. Also, tape the forestay connection if it can snag or come loose. 

With an assistant -- If you've never done it by the method just described, you may want to attach the shrouds and tie a line to the forestay that an assistant can pull on while you walk the mast up. Otherwise, the assistant's job is to help you spot the heel of the mast against the bulkhead in line with the step, clear any tangled rigging, "pole vault" the mast into position, and then seat the heel in the step. You may not be able to raise the mast without such help when there's too much crosswind (although you could just rotate the trailer).

UNSTEPPING THE MAST

Be sure there aren't any overhead wires, branches, or cars in the mast's path. Then:

Remove all attachments and secure all lines and wires to the mast so it will lift free of the boat. (Otherwise, you may find something still attached or snagged only after the mast is down and then you'll have to raise it again or quickly find a helper!) 

Unless you prefer to leave the shrouds attached to the boat while you lower the mast, tie them, the halyards, the trapeze wires, and the topping lift to the mast using the rope halyard tails and spinnaker halyard. 

Unstep the mast by reversing the process described above. 

When the mast is down, secure the loose wires at intervals along the rest of its length with shock cord, pieces of line, or duct tape (inside out, so that the adhesive won't stick to the mast). Securing them to the diamonds rather than the mast will prevent them from slapping against the mast. 

When the mast is ready for travel, stuff all remaining loose gear (e.g., shroud ends, trapeze connections, and gooseneck) inside a sailbag pulled over the mast foot. Some people use a special bag (a little shorter than a rolled jib sailbag) for this purpose. 

SECURING THE BOAT ON ITS TRAILER

The objective is to clamp the boat to the trailer--without applying too much static load that will improperly stress the hull--so that the two will behave as a single unit on the road. There are three key steps. In describing them, it is assumed the boat rides bow-forward on the trailer.

Cradling the hull and keel -- The boat is designed to take the force of the trailer cradles under its forward and aft cockpit bulkheads (where the hull is segmented in Figure 3. Properly shaped cradles support the boat across their entire width, but only when its fore-and-aft position is correct. If you see light between the boat and the cradles, lift the boat again and reposition it.

While it's okay for the cradles to support all of the boat's weight, it's better for the keel to support its own weight so it won't move laterally during a trip, as this will likely damage the fairing where it enters the hull and also could weaken the keelbox. Double check when you're on the road by observing the keel through your rear view mirror. You shouldn't see it move at all, even on a bumpy stretch.

Tying down the hull -- You can use line, 5/16 inch minimum, polyester for low stretch, pulled once across the boat (more parts will only add slack, which you won't be able to remove when you tie your knot) and tightened with a "trucker's hitch" (slip knot plus rolling hitch).

A fabricated wooden or metal tiedown is better, however--especially if you secure it with threaded rods or turnbuckles on wire or chain. Note: (1) the turnbuckles must be sufficiently adjustable to unhook the tiedowns; and (2) the tiedowns' anchor points must be far enough outboard to prevent the wire or chain from contacting any part of the boat, even when the boat shifts forward or aft in the cradle or the tiedowns shift laterally on the boat. Notch the tiedowns where they grip the gunwales to prevent this.

Securing all the loose parts -- The mast and boom should be secured to the tiedowns, which usually incorporate cradles for this purpose. By tying the mast to the boat's bow and stern tightly enough to bend it (mainsail groove on the concave side), you can prevent it from shaking when you drive over bumps.

You can secure the mast with its heel either forward or aft. In Europe, most people turn the mast so the heel is aft, to conform to highway laws. Secure the heel directly over the transom, but remember to aim the backstay crane up to avoid interference with your car, and, contrary to the instruction in the previous paragraph, be sure the mast doesn't bend up in the middle. You can wedge a styrofoam block between the mast and the foredeck to keep the mast from bouncing around.

If the heel is forward, position the spreaders just aft of the partners so the masthead won't overhang the stern too far. You may need a flag at the masthead if the overhang is too great.

Secure the tiller and spinnaker pole inside the boat so they won't bounce around, and secure the lazarette cover in place or stuff it inside the lazarette so it won't blow away.

Stretch out the sailbags in the cockpit. They won't blow away if they're not up in the windstream, but you can tie them in place just to be sure.

Finally, when everything seems secure, rock the whole trailer vigorously and listen for loose pieces. The main sheet blocks dangling from the boom may rattle, but nothing else should.

TOWING

You should take many special precautions when you're towing your trailer, of course. The need for moderate speed, extra braking room (especially if your trailer doesn't have a surge brake), and wide clearances (e.g., at toll booths) and turns are just a few.

But what about the right equipment?

The ideal towing vehicle weighs at least 50 per cent more than the loaded trailer (e.g., 1200kg) and develops 100 horsepower or so at highway speeds. While you can manage with less, the boat's extra windage consumes much more horsepower than the cehicle alone (cutting your normal fuel mileage by 1/3 to 1/2), so you'll be glad to have all this power. In addition, a cehicle this heavy and powerful will likely have a transmission and brakes that can handle towing's extra demands without unduly shortening their life.

You need confidence in your trailer when you travel. You may even want to borrow a good one if you're not sure about your own.

You don't need surge brakes if you drive defensively, but if you have them, be sure they'll release fully under driving conditions.

The trailer hitch must be bolted to the frame, not just the bumper. And the trailer hitch ball must be sized to fit your trailer properly (5cm).

On the road, it's a good idea to check periodically to see that the tiedowns are tight. You can do this by looking in the rear view mirror for light between the boat and the cradle. You should only be able to see a little light, at most, over the worst bumps.

It's not a bad idea to stop and check the rig periodically, especially early in a trip. You can't see problems such as stray lines through the rear view mirror. If your trailer wheels have been immersed or the bearings haven't been packed recently, feel the wheel hubs for heat. How much heat you feel depends on exactly where you feel, but they should not be too hot to touch.

Finally, of course, if you hear any unfamiliar noises, stop immediately and investigate them. If they're loud enough to attract your attention, you may have serious trouble.