Vanguard Sailboats Sunfish Quick start guide

Rigging Manual
Sunfish
Vanguard Sailboats
300 Highpoint Avenue
Portsmouth, RI 02871
For the dealer
nearest you call
800.966.SAIL

Getting Started
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Unpacking and preparation
Unpack the major parts listed below and lay them out on a soft piece of ground free of sharp objects.
To avoid damaging contents, do not cut into packaging.
1. Hull
2. Mast kit which includes:
Mast
Two booms (linked together, one with “gold” gooseneck)
3. Parts kit which includes:
Sail rings
2 Brummel hooks
Bailer
S hook
Mainsheet block
Mainsheet snap hook
4. Line bag which includes:
Mainsheet
Daggerboard retainer
Daggerboard safety line
Outhauls (2)
Halyard
5. Sail in bag
6. Daggerboard
Rudder assembly
Tiller assembly
To rig your Sunfish the first
time, you will need the
following tools:
2 adjustable wrenches
Pliers
Knife
Electrical tape
Tools
Knots
Bowline Clove Hitch
Cleat Figure 8 Square knot with a

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Installing the bailer
The bailer lets water out of the cockpit while you are sailing. Locate
the bailer plug and cap and fit the cap into the hole in the plug so
the plug stopper faces up. Fit the O ring over the bailer housing, then
thread the two pieces together through the hole in the hull with the
housing underneath the boat and the cap on top. Tighten hand tight
and make sure the housing ends up with the flat facing aft. When open,
the stopper should lie on the cockpit sole pointing toward the bow.
Attaching the sail to the booms
Spread out the sail, making sure there are no sharp objects nearby
that could damage it. Open the booms and lay them along the two
edges of the sail that have grommets. The Sunfish logo should face
the upper boom, which is the one with no blocks attached. Locate
the S hook from the line bag and hook it into the tack grommet (the
larger hole in the corner of the sail closest to the class association
patch). Hook the other end into one of the eyebolts holding the
booms together and crimp the S-hook closed with pliers.
Lace one of the outhaul lines through the grommet in the sail close
to the outboard end of the top boom, and then feed each end
through the hole in the boom end cap. Tie a figure eight in each end.
Repeat this step for the lower boom with the other outhaul line. The
outhauls should be fairly tight. Attach the sail to the booms with the
sail rings, just as you would hang a shower curtain.
Daggerboard assembly
Remove the daggerboard from its wrapping and attach one end of
the safety line to the daggerboard. The other end will attach to the
mainsheet deckstrap once the boat is launched. Tie each of the two
brummel hooks onto the ends of the shockcord. Find the midpoint of
the shockcord and feed it (as a loop) through the hole in the dag-
gerboard. Pass both ends through that loop, keeping the lengths
fairly even. Set the board aside.
Rigging
Attach the mainsheet swivel block to the boat by removing the clevis
ring and pin, placing the block over the deckstrap at the forward end
of the cockpit, and replacing the pin and ring. Tie one end of the main-
sheet to the mainsheet hook. Pass the other end forward through the
two blocks on the lower boom and down through the mainsheet
block, then tie a figure eight knot.
Assembly
Bailer Ball
O Ring
Bailer Cap
Bailer Plug
Bailer Detail
Bailer Housing
Stern
Grommet and S Hook
Outhaul Line

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Assembly
Rudder
Attach the rudder to the tiller using the supplied bolt and washers.
The washers should sit between the tiller and the rudder, one on each
side. Lock the rudder up and attach it to the boat by passing the tiller
under the traveler and lining up the rudder pin with the pintles. The
bottom groove should fit into the bottom pintle, and when you push
down on the spring loaded pin, the top groove will slide into the top
pintle. Release the spring and lock the rudder in place, making sure
the rudder is securely connected to the boat at both top and bottom.
Stepping the mast
Make sure there are no overhead wires in the area and that the mast
step hole and mast butt are perfectly clean; any sand, dirt etc. in the
mast step will grind into the gelcoat and eventually damage the
boat. Lie the booms and sail on the deck of the boat with the bronze
gooseneck over the mast step hole. Feed about half the halyard
through the hole in the top of the mast and set the mast heel down
through the gooseneck into the mast tube. Put three wraps of elec-
trical tape around the upper booms between the ninth and tenth sail
rings, counting from the tack (lower corner) of the sail. (The tape will
keep the halyard from slipping up to the next sail ring.) Tie the aft
end of the halyard to the upper boom with a clove hitch just below
the tape.
Raising the sail
Make sure the bow of the boat is pointing into the wind. Clip the
mainsheet to the bridle. Raise the sail by pulling on the halyard. You
will need to help the boom off the deck by lifting at the gooseneck.
Pull the halyard until the upper boom is right against the mast, and
pull the tail of the halyard through the main halyard bullseye fairlead.
Secure the halyard to the main halyard cleat.
Rudder & Tiller
Assembled and Mounted
Use the clove hitch to tie the halyard to the
upper boom. When the sail is up, secure
the halyard to the cleat as shown.
Knots
Bowline Clove Hitch
Cleat Figure 8 Square knot with a

Launching
Launching
Check that the drainplug is in place and tight. The automatic bailer
should be closed. With the boat in a few feet of water, slide the dag-
gerboard into the daggerboard trunk. (You will have to turn the boat
sideways to the wind to keep the boom clear.) Drop it down as much
as depth permits. Attach the retainer line to the mainsheet deck
strap. (This prevents the daggerboard from falling out in the event
of a capsize.) Pass one end of the shockcord through the metal strap
on the bow, and hook the two brummel hooks to each other. Push
the rudder down if the water is deep enough.
Unrigging
When approaching shallow water, pull up the daggerboard as much
as possible without obstructing the boom, and kick up the rudder.
After you hop out of the boat, unclip the mainsheet from the travel-
er. Remove the daggerboard and place it in the boat. Once the boat
is on land, drop the main halyard. If the boat is traveling, remove the
mast and place it in line with the booms. Pull the sail out taught and
roll it up against the spars, securing it with the halyard. If the boat is
staying put, leave the mast standing, roll the sail up against the
booms, and secure it with the mainsheet.
Sail care
All gear should be rinsed, if sailing in salt water, the sail should be
allowed to dry before it is rolled up. Roll the sail up to the booms and
not around them. If your sail has a window make sure the window is
not creased when you fold or roll the sail.
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NOW YOU ARE
READY TO SAIL
FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY, MAKE SURE
YOU ARE WEARING APPROPRIATE
CLOTHING FOR THE CONDITIONS,
AND PLEASE OBTAIN PROPER TRAINING
BEFORE SAILING. HAVE FUN AND
DON’T FORGET YOUR LIFE JACKET!