What Goes Where?

My Whitehall came without any instructions and not all of its rigging. While a lot of it is obvious, there are still parts that I am not sure what was intended.

The mast has a cleat on it plus a thumb cleat (a sort of half-cleat) for holding the snotter, which is the line that holds the sprit in place. In addition to this, there are two blocks fastened to the front centerboard box. There are two cleats on the side of the centerboard box to go with the blocks. The question is what to do with these?

There is only one obvious line that uses these blocks, the jib halyard. There is a block mounted in the top of the mast. I have been running the halyard through the mast block, down through one of the centerboard box blocks, and cleating it off there.

The boat did not come with any way of taking in the main sail quickly. In a sprit-rigged boat, the sail is laced to the mast. I added a bunt line. There was an unused block attached to a line with a loop in it. This fit over the end of the mast. I ran the bunt line from the end of the boom through this block and down. When I pull on this line the end of the boom pivots up parallel to the mast.

Things get a little messy from here.

The boat did not come with a flagpole but I wanted one. I bought a short commercial one made from teak. I took a 2x4 and drilled a couple of large holes in this. The flagpole is glued into one of these. The other hole goes over the tip of the mast.

When I am transporting the mast, I have the flagpole separate and tie the bunt line to the cleat in the mast. When I step the mast I put the flagpole on the tip and let its line hang free. The bunt line keeps the boom parallel with the mast which makes it easier to step. None of this is very heavy and I can do it by myself although it helps if someone guides the end of the mast into its socket.

Once the mast is in place I transfer the bunt line to the second centerboard box block and fasten it to the cleat. Then I add the sprit and secure the flagpole line to the cleat.

When taking the mast down I reverse the process.

I have no idea if the designer meant for things to be one this way but it works.