FARRIER MARINE F-22 User manual

FARRIER MARINE Page 1 Copyright © 2012 By Farrier Marine
Revised August 15, 2012
Includes F-22, F-82, F-85SR, F-32, F-32SR, F-36, F-39,
F-41, F-44SC, and all variations
Sailing Manual For All
Farrier Designs
This manual has been compiled to help you to operate your Farrier
design with safety and enjoyment. It contains details of the craft, and
information on its operation and maintenance. Please read it care-
fully and familiarize yourself with your trimaran before using it.
If this is your first sailboat or multihull, for your own comfort or
safety, please ensure that you obtain handling and operating expe-
rience before assuming command of the craft. Your national sailing
federation or yacht club will be pleased to advise you of local sailing
schools or competent instructors.
PLEASE KEEP THIS MANUAL IN A SECURE
PLACE, AND PASS ON TO THE NEW
OWNER WHEN YOU SELL YOUR BOAT
If required, a replacement copy of this Manual can be
purchased from Farrier Marine, current contact details
being available from www.f-boat.com
Design_____________________
Sail Number___________
Owner 1. __________________________ Owner 2. _________________________ Owner 3. ________________________
________________________________ ________________________________ _______________________________
________________________________ ________________________________ _______________________________
_______________________________ ________________________________ _______________________________
This Sailing Manual is the copyrighted property of Farrier Marine,
and is not to be used for any unauthorized purpose.

Copyright © 2012 By Farrier Marine Page 2 FARRIER MARINE
Contents
General............................................... 3
Preparation.......................................... 3
Loading .............................................. 3
Safety Compartment........................... 4
Outboard Motor.................................. 4
Trailering ............................................5
Rigging................................................6
Launching........................................... 9
Mast Raising On The Water................ 11
Daggerboard & Centerboard ..............11
Rudder........................................................... 12
Mast Setup..................................................12
Sailing..........................................................13
The Basics......................................... 13
Reefing.............................................. 14
Rotating Mast Control.......................15
Windward Performance.....................16
Reaching............................................17
Screacher........................................... 17
Spinnaker...........................................17
Spinnaker Jibing................................18
Spinnaker Sailing Downwind............18
Safe Sailing Recommendations.........19
Sailing Hints......................................20
Anchoring............................................23
Beaching..............................................23
Retrieving To Trailer ..........................23
De-rigging .......................................... 24
Lifting Out.......................................... 25
Marina Docking.................................. 25
Safety...................................................26
Unsinkability..................................... 27
Offshore Sailing ............................... 27
Capsize.............................................. 28
Righting.............................................29
Personal Responsibility ....................30
Safety In General ..............................30
Technical Notes...................................31
Winch line......................................... 31
Spring Retaining Clips...................... 31
Launching......................................... 31
Hoisting Mainsail.............................. 31
Bearing Away.................................... 31
Heavy Helm...................................... 31
Rudder/Daggerboard hum.................31
Rudder Ventilation............................ 31
Stay/Shroud Tensioners.................... 32
Compression Pads............................. 32
Beam Bolts........................................ 32
Wingnets............................................32
Bimini Top Storage............................33
Float/Beam Vents.............................. 33
Rust....................................................33
Cleaning Floats..................................33
Clean Boat Hint.................................33
Collision............................................ 33
Hurricane Survival............................ 34
Folding Assistance.............................35
SPECIFICATIONS ..........................36
Typical Trailer Setup ..........................39
Typical Deck Layout...........................40
F-32 Raising Mast.............................. 41
F-22 Sail Plan..................................... 42
F-82 Sail Plan..................................... 43
F-32 Sail Plan..................................... 44
F-33 Sail Plan......................................45
F-36 Sail Plan......................................46
F-39 Sail Plan......................................47
F-41 Sail Plan......................................48
Maintenance & Safety Checklist ........49
Maintenance & Safety Checklist ........50
Fire Precautions.................................. 51
Safe Sailing Recommendations...........52
FARRIER MARINE,
www.f-boat.com

FARRIER MARINE Page 3 Copyright © 2012 By Farrier Marine
and batteries, life buoy, flares, a chart of the area to be
sailed, food, water, and adequate fuel.
LOADING
Multihulls should be treated like aircraft when it comes
to loading. Farrier designs are light, responsive craft, and
due to their narrow waterline do not have an unlimited
load carrying ability. Overloading can affect performance
and handling, while excessive overloading can also
affect safety margins, the ratio of float buoyancy relative
to the total weight becoming lower. A higher ratio is faster
and safer. Always be conscious of weight and avoid
carrying unnecessary items.
The load-carrying capacity of the different Farrier
designs is listed under Specifications towards the back of
this manual. Some overloading is acceptable for general
sailing in sheltered waters, the only adverse effect being
a loss in performance. However, an overloaded boat
offshore in large waves can become dangerous due to
greater loads generated in the structure, and the slug-
gishness which can prevent the boat from rising to go
over or with the waves, as it should.
When storing supplies, try to keep all heavy items
located as low down as possible and in the forward end
of the cabin. Avoid storing any heavy items aft of the
main entry hatch inside, as too much weight aft can cause
transom drag, affecting performance. Farrier designs
have a very buoyant bow, which actually lifts at speed,
and additional weight should always be kept forward
rather than aft.
GENERAL
This manual contains important information about the safe
operation and maintenance of your Farrier designed trima-
ran. Read it carefully, become familiar with the procedures
described, and follow the recommendations to help make your
sailing enjoyable and trouble-free.
Your Farrier trimaran is designed and built as a high
performance family cruising yacht, which when used as
intended, with its enormous stability and unsinkability, is
one of the safest, most comfortable, and fastest sailboats
afloat. However, while speed is an important advantage,
it should be remembered that it is not necessarily the
most important multihull feature. Slow gentle sailing can
be even more enjoyable when combined with the
multihull's spacious and level decks to lounge on.
As you become familiar with your boat, you may
discover alternative methods of operation that have
advantages. We would appreciate if you would share
these with us so that we can share them with other
owners and this can be done on the F-boat forum, of
which there are several, as listed at.
http://www.f-boat.com/pages/forum.html
PREPARATION
Before going sailing, you will need to provide the
proper safety equipment as required by local regulations.
This should include life jackets for all crew members,
safety harnesses for children, anchor, compass, bilge
pump, fog horn, First Aid kit, fire extinguishers, flashlight
The first 5 Trailertris of different types on the beach in Moreton Bay (Brisbane), Queensland. Farrier designs have now been
sailing world wide for over 35 years, and the experience from all these years is the basis for this manual.

Copyright © 2012 By Farrier Marine Page 4 FARRIER MARINE
Should your model have float storage, avoid heavy
loads in the floats. These should only be used for light
bulky items such as sails, fenders etc. Heavy weight in
the ends of any boat, be it the bow, stern, or floats, can
adversely affect the general motion.
To maintain a light boat, and that sparkling edge of
performance, it is highly recommended that you go
through everything on board several times a year, and
take off any items that do not get used. This prevents the
gradual buildup of unnecessary weight.
SAFETY COMPARTMENT
Before sailing, it is important that the Safety Compart-
ment be loaded with the appropriate safety gear. This
compartment is accessible from top or bottom and should
have been built in as per the plans.
Its purpose is to keep important safety equipment that
should be available to the crew in any emergency situa-
tion, especially a capsize. The equipment stored here
should include flares, a handheld VHF radio, EPIRB
(offshore), extra line, spare tools, cutting implements etc.
in watertight bags (this is not a watertight compart-
ment).
WARNING: No multihull should venture offshore
without safety gear in such a compartment that
must be accessible from under the craft
OUTBOARD MOTOR
The recommended motor size is given in the specifi-
cations in your original literature and later in this Manual.
This is more than adequate for most circumstances.
A long shaft motor is the minimum required, and the
extra long 25" shaft motors are the best. A remote
control can also help make operation very easy with aft
cabin models. With weight being important, try to choose
the lightest possible outboard.
There are a number of specialist ‘Sail Boat’ motors
now available and some of these are designed for heavy,
hard to push, displacement boats, and their propellers
are effectively ’geared down’ to give high thrust at low
speeds. However, Farrier trimarans have a very easily
driven hull and may not need such a propeller. The result
can be the same as always driving your car in low gear.
You will have plenty of thrust, but speed is low, and
economy can be poor. These motors do have advan-
tages, and if used, you may need to experiment with
different propellers to get the best and most efficient
performance.
Refer to the engine manual for details of operation,
maintenance and winter storage. Always be sure you
have enough fuel for your planned trip.
The motor can be used while the floats are extended
or folded and should always be tilted up when sailing.
An F-22 on the trailer, with outboard and daggerboard rudder. This type of rudder can be lifted fully up for local
trailering or removed altogether for long distance trips. Note separate light bar high up and well clear of water

FARRIER MARINE Page 5 Copyright © 2012 By Farrier Marine
nected to the towing vehicle. Independent wiring avoids
the frequent breakdowns that occur with wiring through
the trailer being attacked by saltwater. When the trailer is
being towed on its own, the lights can be mounted directly
to the trailer.
Before trailering, check that tires are inflated correctly,
the beam locking pins are in place, the rudder is fully up
and secure, the pop-top or hatch is secured, and the boat
is tied down to the trailer. There should always be one tie-
down per side, these being looped around the winches or
brackets on the cockpit coamings, and tied to the tie-
down loops on the trailer. The bow eye should also be tied
down to the winch post, in addition to the winch line.
Check that all the trailer supports always bear equally
against the hulls. Use extra ties for long distances.
When trailering, BE SURE to pivot up or remove the
trailer jockey wheel, and check that the hitch is locked on
to the ball.
Should the mast extend aft past the trailer lights by
more than the legal amount, the appropriate warning flag
should be tied on the back. If mast extends too far aft it
can be positioned further forward which will eliminate any
excessive overhang. However, this may not be possible
if the towing vehicle is a tall van.
When trailering, always allow extra distance for stop-
ping. Particularly watch for low bridges, overhanging
trees or awnings etc. If necessary, the boat can be
partially unfolded on the trailer in order to pass under a
low bridge.
CAUTION
Measure and KNOW overall height on the trailer.
Care should then be taken to avoid all low
overhead bridges, awnings or roofs.
Daggerboard or
centerboard SHOULD
ALWAYS BE DOWN
when motoring, which
will prevent sideways
movement. If not, the
boat will tend to have a
hovercraft like motion
with wide skidding
turns. Having the board
fully down means that
handling will always be
excellent.
TRAILERING
The total towing
weight can vary con-
siderably, depending
on the design and op-
tions fitted. The actual
weight can be deter-
mined exactly by using
a weighbridge.
Check also that the
vehicle is approved and equipped as recommended by
its manufacturer for towing this weight, and the capacity
of the towing hitch is suitable.
While towing, watch for strong crosswinds. A Farrier
design is a relatively light boat for towing, but it still has
considerable windage. For easy, stable towing, the trailer
should be balanced to have 8 to 10% of the total weight
on the coupling ball. This can be measured by a bath-
room scale. If you find ‘fish tailing’ occurs, increase this
tongue weight. If necessary, a simple change like shifting
the gas tank or outboard forward can make a consider-
able difference to trailer behavior.
Trailer lights can be fitted either on special brackets or
as a separate light bar on the boat’s transom. They are
best independent from the trailer, as the wiring then never
gets near the water, considerably improving reliability. If
separate, be sure to fit the correct lights on the appropri-
ate sides. The wire should be run along the top of the
boat, looped around the foredeck cleat and then con-
An F-33 on trailer, separate light bar in place on aft mast support, and daggerboard
rudder blade removed for trailering . Lights can also be separately mounted each side
(see below left), and this makes it much easier to store in vehicle.
Trailer lights are mounted separately each side on this F-27

Copyright © 2012 By Farrier Marine Page 6 FARRIER MARINE
Mast raising pole in position on an F-28 with winch line
connected to jib halyard, ready to raise mast. Depending on
design, take care that rotating mast is restrained once up so
that it cannot topple forwards. This can be done by using the
Corsair type Highfield Lever to connect shrouds to float
chainplates, on older designs like F-28 and F-31. Modern
designs like the F-22 or F-32 do not require these.
RIGGING
The following is a general rigging procedure and
applies to all designs. For ease of rigging, it is highly
recommended that you follow this general procedure, as
it has been developed from hundreds of launchings and
proven to be fast, easy and efficient.
CAUTION
Always park into the wind, or uphill, to help the
mast stay in line while being raised. Trailer should
remain hooked to towing vehicle
Two should be able to completely rig an F-22 or F-32
ready to launch within 15 - 25 minutes of arriving at the
ramp by using the correct procedure. It is possible in fact,
for F-22 to be launched, unfolded, and sailing within 12
minutes. One person should be able to have the F-32
rigged and launched in around 30 - 35 minutes. However,
note that loading any extra gear or supplies onto the boat
is not counted in these times.
DANGER
Before starting to rig, check that there are no
powerlines that the mast could touch, either while
being raised or moved to launch ramp
Don’t be dismayed if it takes you considerably longer the
first few times out. It will take a little practice to become
familiar with the procedures, and the more you rig the
boat, the easier and quicker it will become. However, it is
very important to follow a set procedure each time.
Recommended Set-Up Procedure Is As Follows:
1. Remove the trailer tie-downs, and the trailer lights.
The tie-downs can be tied together and used as the bow
line for launching. Saves stowing them, and then finding
a bow line.
2. Undo the trailer winch hook, and pull some slack so
that the hook will pass over the bow or mast raising roller.
Place on the foredeck.
3. Place the mast raising pole on the foredeck ready
for use. Climb onto the bow using nonskid areas on the
float bows as stepping points.
CAUTION
The float bows can be slippery. Particularly warn
children to take care when climbing up or down
4. Move aft alongside the mast undoing the mast ties
(at each end) and the rigging ties as you go.
5. Lift the forward end of the mast and walk aft, rolling
the mast on the aft mast roller while checking that the
rigging lines or wires do not catch. Stop once the mast
foot is over the pivot brackets. Now’s the time to fit any
masthead indicator to the top of the mast. Lift the mast
up until the indicator can be fitted to the masthead from
the ground behind the boat. If rigging single-handed, the
mast can usually be balanced in this position to do this.
With rotating masts, the mast yoke will now need to be
fitted to the mast foot using the through pin (yoke can also
be fitted prior to rolling mast back, or be left on the foot at
prior de-rigging). This can vary with different models so
check specific drawings for your particular step (can be
downloaded from F-boat forum files)
6. The mast foot is now connected to the mast step as
follows:
F-22: Slots onto pin in step.
F-82: Pinned to brackets on cabin roof.
F-9A: Plugged onto pin in deck step.
F-9R: Attach yoke to deck brackets with fast pins
F-32: Slots onto pin in step.
In some cases, it may be necessary to push the mast
firmly aft to fit to step. If difficult, check that all stays are
clear, the terminals into the mast have not snagged
sideways, and the mast is centered on the aft roller.
F-22 mast rolled back and attached to the deck pivot
brackets, with mast raising pole in place.

FARRIER MARINE Page 7 Copyright © 2012 By Farrier Marine
7. If required, fit the mast raising
wires, running from an eye on the mast
to the side anchors on the cabin roof
(aligned with the mast pivot point). These
raising wire anchors can be chainplates,
or 'lift up loops' depending on design.
Some designs such as the F-27 and F-
25A use the lower shrouds to stabilize
mast.
Note that the length of these raising
wires should be adjustable and they
should be slightly loose and monitored
on the first mast raising. This is to ensure
they cannot become overtight during the
initial raising procedure. They should
never be more than moderately tight,
and, once adjusted and set, need no
further monitoring or adjustment. Avoid
any line here as it stretches too much.
An alternative to raising wires is to
use spinnaker or screacher halyards. These can also
provide an extra backup in difficult conditions, but they
take longer to setup. If used, they must be cleated to
bottom of mast.
8. Position the mast raising pole on the mast or in the
yoke socket. Attach the wire from the top of the pole to
the eye on the front of the mast, with the pole being
approximately perpendicular to the mast.
If considered necessary, (strong cross winds or single-
handed) additional light side lines can be fitted from the
pole end to the raising wire anchors (as shown above) to
stabilize pole better sideways.
Where a yoke is used (rotating masts) the length of
the wire from the pole to the mast can also be adjusted,
and a little experimenting will give an almost perfect
moderate tension on the raising wires throughout the
complete raising procedure.
9. Take the trailer winch line hook, pull it back over
the pole and then connect it to the jib halyard (after it
has been unhooked from the mast). Winch
line should extend at least two feet (60cm)
aft of the mast pole fork.
10. Now check the following:
a. All halyards are positioned or led
correctly from the base of the mast, and
that jib halyard is SECURELY TIED OFF to
the cleat on side of mast.
b. Rotating mast shrouds to floats
should be positioned so as to avoid catch-
ing on anything which can cause damage
during raising procedure.
Later models (F-22 & F-32) always
leave the stays attached to floats, but on
many earlier models stays have to be
released to fold. In this case a solution is to
use a Highfield lever to attach shroud to float chain-
plate (photo on Page 23). Otherwise a block and
tackle can be used to attach shroud to aft beam area
on float, but be careful that mast is always supported
when up and raising wires have been removed.
CAUTION
With rotating masts, the side stays must always
be connected to the floats, otherwise there is a
danger of mast toppling forward if over winched.
11. The mast is now winched up, CHECKING AGAIN
FOR POWERLINES.
Check to see that all rigging wires are clear and have
not snagged anywhere, particularly aft chainplates on F-
9As. Raising wires should initially be slightly loose, and
Raising wire Deck Loops - these work well to anchor raising
wires as they can fold down to be flush on deck when not in
use. F-33 mast step with raising pole yoke shown above and
below left. The same basic mast raising setup applies for
both on trailer or on water mast raising.

Copyright © 2012 By Farrier Marine Page 8 FARRIER MARINE
tighten slightly on the way up.
If the mast raising pole tends to twist sideways then
this can be controlled by light lines to the raising wire
anchors as mentioned earlier.
CAUTION
During mast raising, it is very important to be alert
to all items of rigging lifting or supporting the mast.
If any resistance to raising is felt at any point,
STOP, and check nothing has fouled. Do not
proceed until any obstruction is clear
Check that the socket in the rotating mast foot aligns
correctly with the pivot ball on the deck with earlier
rotating masts, as the mast nears the fully up position.
Monitor the float stays with rotating masts on initial
rigging to ensure they do not become too tight or catch on
anything during raising.
Corsair models with rotating masts use custom High-
field levers to connect side stays to the float chainplates
and these give the stays just enough slack for the mast
to be fully raised when the float is folded, while preventing
any danger of the mast toppling forward.
These Highfield levers can be purchased from Corsair
and are an important safeguard against accidently
dropping the mast while folding or unfolding, provided
they are not disconnected from chainplate. The more
modern Farrier designs (F-22, F-32, and F-32SR) do not
need these levers, as their latest folding geometry allows
boat to be folded without detaching the side stays.
CAUTION
Winch operator should be careful to ensure trailer
winch line lays evenly across the drum while mast
is being raised. With an offset bow roller there can
be a tendency for incoming line to pile up on one
side of the drum to where it can suddenly slip off.
Larger masts can be heavy, with high loads, and extra
care should be taken to ensure they do not swing too far
sideways. Never park in a cross wind or sideways on a
slope, unless extra help is available to steady mast.
12. Connect forestay once the mast is fully up. At initial
rigging, mast rake should be set to around 3 to 4, which
is slightly more than the rake of the aft edge of the forward
beams when viewed from the side. Once initial adjust-
ment has been done, the forestay turnbuckle does not
need to be undone during normal rigging or de-
rigging, only the clevis pin is removed or inserted.
Lower and intermediate shrouds on the fixed F-27, F-
9A/F-31 mast remain connected during all rigging
and de-rigging procedures. After the initial adjustment,
there is also no need to undo these or disconnect them
from the shroud chainplates.
13. Once forestay is connected, slacken off the trailer
winch, disconnect jib halyard, and return it to the mast.
Mast raising wires may need to stay attached until after the
boat is unfolded, depending on model. F-28 shown.
F-31R/F-9R mast half way up, winch line just about to
leave 'cradle' on raising pole. Watch float shroud
turnbuckles if fitted, as they are easily snagged and bent.
If one has to park on a side slope or be in a cross wind,
then it is also a good idea to have someone on deck to
stabilize mast or raising pole, or use extra side lines to
stabilize pole, particularly on larger models.

FARRIER MARINE Page 9 Copyright © 2012 By Farrier Marine
Remove raising pole etc., rewind the
winch and reconnect hook to the bow
eye.
Leave rotating mast raising wires
attached to the mast, as these may still
be required for support until after the
floats are unfolded and stays are prop-
erly connected to floats.
14. The topping lift is now discon-
nected from the mast lower end and
connected to the end of the boom to help
take the weight. Remove the sail bag
from the mainsail/boom and connect the
boom to the mast.
15. Tighten all the battens in the
mainsail, if required. Connect the main-
sheet to the boom. Feed the mainsail
head into the track on the mast and connect the main
halyard
16. If required, run all the halyard lines from the mast
through the turning blocks back to the correct rope
clutches on the aft end of the cabin roof.
17. Connect the mast electric plug if required.
18. The headsail can be fitted now if wished, or after
launching. The sheets are laid out and connected to the
clew (sheets can be kept in the anchor well for quick
access). The headsail can be kept under control by a
shockcord which can be left on the foredeck for this
purpose. Just keep it hooked to the toerail or pulpit.
19. Fit or untie rudder so it is ready for use (still
retracted), and check that daggerboard up-line is cleated.
Outboard motor should also be in the up position.
20. The aft mast support is now removed and stored.
WARNING
Before taking boat to the water check there are no
powerlines that the mast could touch
LAUNCHING
Back the trailer down the ramp until the trailer is
submerged up until just past the inward bend of the side
frame members (about 6 to 8' back from the winch post).
Disconnect winch hook and push the boat off while
holding on to the bow line, or you can get on board
(having started the motor first). Be careful of crosswinds
or wind from the stern. The boat, with its shallow draft, will
move quickly sideways in such conditions, and you
should not launch until there is sufficient maneuvering
room alongside.
This ability to go sideways is one drawback of shallow
draft, and you should always make allowances when
launching/retrieving or under power. First priority at
every launch should be to LOWER DAGGERBOARD!
This helps to prevent any sideways movement, and gives
excellent maneuverability under power.
Some models are large boats to handle at ramps, but
because of their lightness, are easy to move around. The
trick is not to fight it, but to plan ahead what you are going
to do, and gently guide it in the correct direction.
An offshore wind at the ramp is ideal, as the boat will
lie quietly downwind at the end of the bow line. It 's then
just a simple matter of boarding over the float bows, and
backing off or just walking her over to a boarding dock, if
available.
An onshore wind is the most difficult, as the boat will
swing sideways once launched, and come towards the
ramp. In this situation the boat should be held off the ramp
from a central position on the side. You will find a balance
point where it will lie evenly until you are ready to board.
If a dock is alongside it is a good idea to run a stern line
to the dock, so that the stern can be pulled to the dock
after launching, thus preventing it from swinging around.
A good way of launching in all conditions, if extra help
is available, is for someone on board to start the motor
before launching, and simply back the boat away from the
ramp, remembering to immediately drop the dagger-
board once clear of trailer.
Launching an F-33

Copyright © 2012 By Farrier Marine Page 10 FARRIER MARINE
Folding stability is good, but it is limited, so don't push your
luck. A few owners have managed to roll their folded boats
over. Take particular care with tall rigged Rversions, and
avoid tight fast turns in strong cross winds.
beam locking pins, place your foot on the top of the
upper folding strut, grasp the top of the beam and pull
downwards, while pushing with your foot.
WARNING
Always check that no one has their foot or hand in
or near beam recess when folding as the beams
can come down quickly!
The float will unfold, but be careful it doesn’t pick up
too much speed towards the end. Hold the beam down
and tighten the bolts using a speed wrench. These bolts
should be tightened firmly, but NOT OVERTIGHTENED.
WARNING
The beam bolts must always be in place and
tightened before sailing
If anything seems hard or difficult when folding, STOP
and see if anything is misaligned, or snagged. It is usually
a wingnet catching. Should it be difficult to hold beams
down to tighten the bolts, then usual cause is wingnets
that have been lashed too tightly.
It is not necessary to hold both forward and aft beams
when folding, one person operating either beam is all that
is required, except for larger designs. The wingnets will
extend and tighten themselves. There is a knack in
unfolding of using both your foot to push on the upper
folding strut and your hands to pull the top of the beam in
and down. After a few tries you will find it easy to do.
The side stays are now secured correctly to the float
chainplates, where required. They may already be at-
tached with rotating masts, or where the stays have
Highfield levers fitted. Just close the levers to tension.
With the F-27 & F-9/F-31 fixed mast, the turnbuckle
must be directly connected to chainplate, and there
should be just enough slack in the wire (but not too
much - which can overload tensioners) to insert the
clevis pins. The stays are then tensioned by the block and
All designs are always launched folded, and unfolding
can be done either at the dock, or while motoring away,
even in choppy conditions. Folded stability is good, but
it is limited, particularly on bigger boats like the F-9
& F-32, and even LESS so with 'R' masts.
Take care in strong winds, as it is possible to roll boat
over! If necessary, immediately unfold at least one side
to avoid any risk. The F-32 has a secondary wider folded
beam of 9' 6" which improves folded stability, and if an F-
32R, or motoring very far while folded, use this position.
WARNING
Always take care in strong winds while fully folded
and with mast up. A combination of a fast tight turn
and mast windage and weight could cause a roll
over in such conditions. If in doubt, unfold one or
both sides to eliminate this danger.
See also http://www.f-boat.com/foldedstability/
To unfold, first check that there are no ropes across
the beam recesses, and the tiller is clear. Remove the
Turnbuckles have now been replaced by deadeyes and
lashing on later models - much lighter and easier on boat
F-33 being unfolded at dock. Folding is harder on larger
designs with low profile beams and foot should be placed on
Upper Folding Strut for leverage. May take two, or block
and tackle assistance can be used if necessary - see later.