Topper TOPAZ ARGO Quick start guide

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Topaz ARGO
Rigging Instructions

TOPAZ ARGO
RIGGING INSTRUCTIONS
CONTENTS
02. Introduction
02. Manufacturers Details
03. Maintenance
04. Raising the Mast
05. Attaching the Boom and Gnav
06. Raising the Jib
09 Rigging the Spinnaker Kit
12. Rigging the Mainsail
14. Reefing the Mainsail
15. Rudder
INTRODUCTION
These RIGGING INSTRUCTIONS have been compiled to help you to rig your Topaz ARGO sailing dinghy.
Please also ensure that you refer to your TOPAZ OWNERS MANUA . The OWNERS MANUA has been compiled
to help you to operate your craft with safety and enjoyment. It contains details of the craft, the equipment supplied
or fitted, it’s systems and information on its operation and maintenance. Please read it carefully and familiarise yourself
with the craft before using it.
If this is your first craft, or you are changing to a type of craft you are not familiar with, for your own comfort and safety,
please ensure that you obtain handling and operating experience before assuming command of the craft. Your dealer
or national sailing federation or yacht club will be pleased to advise you of local sea schools, or competent instructors.
P EASE KEEP THE RIGGING INSTRUCTIONS and THE OWNERS MANUA IN A SECURE P ACE AND HAND THEM
OVER TO THE NEW OWNER WHEN YOU SE THE CRAFT.
MANUFACTURER DETAILS
For further information, spares and accessories,
please contact the manufacturer:
TOPPER INTERNATIONA TD,
Kingsnorth Technology Park,
Wotton Road, Ashford, Kent TN23 6 N
Telephone [phone]
Fax [phone]
email [email protected]
2

TOPAZ ARGO
Maintenance
The Topaz ARGO is designed to require very little maintenance, but there are some simple ways
to keep your boat in the best condition.
Rudder
Never launch your boat without checking that the retaining clip has clicked into place beneath
the upper transom fitting, as this will prevent the rudder from falling off.
Sails
After you have finished sailing, roll the mainsail loosely, this will extend its life better than folding.
Never let the sails flap unduly, this can be done by furling the jib as soon as possible after hoisting.
Although the battens protect the mainsail to a certain extent, do not leave the mainsail hoisted
for extended periods of time.
Raise and drop the spinnaker as smoothly as possible, as this will extend the life of the sail.
Avoid trawling the spinnaker through the water, this can damage the sail and get the spinnaker
stuck around the bow of the boat.
Remove the spinnaker from the chute after sailing; if the sail is left it can attract mice that damage the sail.
Always dry the sail before folding and packing it away.
Always rinse the sails and the boat after sailing in salt water.
A WAYS RE EASE JIB TENSION WHEN NOT SAI ING
Foils
Any nicks or deep scratches in the rudder can be repaired using gelcoat filler, as the smallest damage
will affect the performance of the boat. Make sure that the rudder blade remains tight between the stock
when down. Any movement between the blade and the stock, or the stock and the hull may cause
steering problems.
Hull and fittings
Small dents can be repaired by gently warming the hull with a hot air blower (take care not to melt the hull).
For any more substantial repairs refer to Topper Sailboats.
Check the attachment of all fittings regularly. This is particularly important for the fittings that
are screwed onto fixings that are set in the hull. Keep all blocks, cleats and ropes clean
and rinse them after salt water exposure.
Always remove the bung to empty any water after sailing, and when not sailing leave the bung out
to prevent the buildup of pressure within the hull as the temperature fluctuates.
Ropes
Always replace any ropes that are showing any signs of wear immediately.
3

1. Raising the Mast
1:1 Position the boat head to wind, away from power lines
and other overhead obstructions.
1:2 ay the mast along the centre of the boat,
having fitted the spreaders as per the Seldon/ Superspars instruction sheet.
1:3 Untape all lines from the base of the mast.
1:4 Attach the shroud adjusters to the shroud eyes each side,
on approximately the 5th hole down on the stern side.
1:5 Fix the base of the mast to the mast step on the cross beam
with the pin and ring from the mast step.
1:6 Pull the mast up using
the forestay.
To make it easier,
someone else can lift
the top of the mast.
1:7 Having pulled the mast upright, secure the forestay
around the black furling bar.
Ensure all halyards are clear and not twisted.
4

2. Attaching the boom and gnav
2:1 Attach the boom onto the mast with the pin on the lower of the two fittings.
Remember to put the pin in from the top and flip the pin end over.
2:2 Next attach the strut to the upper fitting on the mast.
Ensure the toggle is correctly orientated as per the Selden/Superspar
info sheet.
Fix the gnav strut the carriage on top of the boom,
although this should already be fixed for you.
2:3 Having fixed the boom and gnav to the mast
you can thread the gnav control line.
This comes out from the boom at the front,
and then feeds through the swivel cleat on the mast.
TIP: You can tie a stopper knot in the end of the main halyard
and then attach this to the end of the boom, so that the boom
is held up while the rest of the rigging is completed.
2:4 Now thread the mainsheet. Starting from the centre cleat on the hull
(NB: ensure the the ratchet clicks when the rope is pulled in), go up to
the rear block, and thread the line back to front. Then go to the pulley
on the two thin lines, and thread it back to front.
Then go to the front pulley on the boom, and thread it front to back.
Finally, the main sheet goes to the pulley on the strop
and through the hole in the centre of the pulley.
Tie a stopper knot to prevent the line unthreading.
Tie a figure of eight knot in the loose end so that the boom does not hit
the shroud upon sheeting out.
5

3. Raising the Jib
3:1 Attach the foot of the jib to the furler at the front of the boat.
Ensure the furler is fully wound up.
TIP: Wrap some electrical tape around the furler. This will protect the spinnaker
from the sharp split ring and help to prevent rips in the sail.
3:2 Do the same for the head of the jib onto the furler on the jib halyard.
Again, wrap some tape around it.
3:3 Pull the jib halyard in order to raise the jib, and then cleat the halyard off
on the right side of the mast. In order to apply the most rig tension,
sweat the jib halyard as shown.
6

3:4 Once the rig tension has been applied, the forestay can be moved back
from the bar at the front and then tied off to the mast.
3:5 Tie the jib sheets onto the eye on the clew of the jib.
3:6 Furl the jib by pulling the thin line, so that it ends in this position.
3:7 Cleat the jib furler off in this cleat underneath the crossbeam.
7

3:8 Now tie the lowers onto the fitting on the mast.
NOTE: do not tie the lowers tight, have around 5cm of slack in the wire.
3:9 Run the jib sheets back to these cleats on the hull. and then cleat them off.
The tail of the jib halyard can be stowed in the pocket on top of the spinnaker chute.
It is not advisable to leave the jib up overnight, and always take the jib tension off when the boat is not being sailed.
8

4. Rigging the Spinnaker Kit
4:1 Tie one end of the Spinnaker halyard around the front furler bar.
4:2 Take the other free end of the halyard and take it through this pulley
on the front of the cross beam.
4:3 Take the free end of the halyard through this cleat; it is underneath
the spinnaker chute, and it may need to be moved for the pulley to be exposed.
4:4 Take the halyard through this pulley that is mounted on top of the crossbeam.
4:5 Take the halyard back through this pulley next to the centreboard.
9

4:6 Pass the halyard through this eyelet in the bottom of the spinnaker chute.
4:7 Tie a ball to the end of the spinnaker halyard.
4:8 Pass the line up the chute, feeling for the ball inside,
until it reaches the opening at the front.
4:9 Tie the end of the halyard that you tied around the furler bar
at the beginning onto the HEAD of the spinnaker.
4:10 Tie the spinnaker sheets onto the C EW of the spinnaker.
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4.11 Then tie the spinnaker pole to the TACK of the spinnaker.
4:12 Temporarily remove the red ball from the spinnaker halyard.
Then pass the end of the spinnaker halyard through the eyelet in the sail
as shown.
4:13 Then re-attach red ball to spinnaker halyard on the other side of the sail.
4:14 Tie the end of the halyard onto this white loop.
4:15 Pull on the end of the spinnaker
halyard coming from the end
of the spinnaker chute
within the boat in order
to pack the spinnaker into
the chute.
11

5. Rigging the Mainsail
5:1 Tie the flotation panel to the top of the mainsail
by passing the white lines through the eyelets in the sail
and secure with a figure of eight knot.
5:2 Tie the free end of the main halyard to the eyelet on the top of the mainsail.
5:3 Raise the sail by placing the bolt rope in the cut out of the mast
just above the boom, and then pulling on the halyard.
NB: It may be easier to raise with two people, as one can pull the halyard
while the other can feed the luff of the sail into the mast.
Ensure that the boat is still head to wind before the sail is raised.
5:4 Cleat the main halyard in the cleat on the left of the mast.
Sweat the halyard in order to make sure that the sail is at the top of the mast.
This is done by holding the halyard just above the cleat and then pulling away
from the mast at 90 degrees. Then re-cleat the halyard until the sail is at the top
of the mast.
12

TIP: Check the halyard for excessive wear regularly, particularly where the line
goes over the masthead sheave. Wear can be prevented by moving the knot
at the head every so often by adding additional overhand knots.
5:5 Insert the slug at the clew of the sail into the cut out in the boom,
and slide it along to the end of the boom.
5:6 Pass the outhaul through the eyelet in the clew,
and then back to the end of the boom,
where the end of the outhaul should be cleated.
The outhaul can be tightened at the mast end of the boom.
5:7 Hook the downhaul onto the sail, ensuring that it is not twisted
before applying any tension.
13

6. Reefing the Mainsail
6:1 Pull on the red reefing line so that it comes out of the boom some way.
6:2 Feed the reefing line through the eyelets in the leech of the sail.
6:3 From the top eyelet, the reefing
line comes back down to the boom.
Tie a stopper knot in the end
of the line, and then slide the knot
into the cut out in the boom.
6:4 Do a similar system on the luff of the sail with the end of the reefing line
at the mast end of the boom.
Tie the end of the reefing line onto the end of the boom so that it is secure.
6:5 Release the main halyard from the cleat, and uncleat the gnav,
and then pull on the reefing line.
The foot of the sail should fold up so that the sail area is reduced.
Once the desired sail area is achieved, cleat the reefing line and main halyard,
and reapply gnav tension.
14

15
7. Rudder
7:1 When the Rudder is attached ensure that it is fully engaged on to the pintle
and gudgeon so that the retaining clip is able to spring out to hold the rudder
in place.

Topper International td
Kingsnorth Technology Park
Wotton Road
Ashford
Kent
TN23 6 N
Tel. [phone]
Fax [phone]
email [email protected]
TOPAZ ARGO RIGGING INSTRUCTIONS PART No. TP025 ISSUE 1/ 2014
www.toppersailboats.com