Rigging a Sunfish: 1) Connect the Rudder to your Sunfish sailboat
Attach the rudder by sliding the tiller under the line called the traveler. Press up on the pin along the edge of the rudder while sliding the rudder into the bracket on the back of the hull.
2) Position the boat facing the wind.
Point the boat into the wind, just like when you hold an umbrella facing the wind. This makes it easier to raise the sail.3) Arrange the sail and spars on one side of the boat
Lay out the sail, boom, and mast on the left side of the boat (port side).
Make sure the halyard (the line that raises the sail) is not tangled.
4) Thread the halyard through the top of the mast
Run the halyard through a cap on top of the mast. This will allow you to raise the sail and secure it in place.
Make sure that the mast is inserted through the gooseneck on the boom.
The gooseneck, which connects the boom to the mast, should be in place.
5) Raise the mast and insert it into the mast step
Lift the mast and slide it into the hole on the deck called the mast step.
6) Pull the halyard to raise the sail and upper boom
Use the halyard to raise the sail and the boom (the horizontal pole). If the sail doesn't go all the way up, lift the gooseneck with one hand while pulling the halyard (the gooseneck can get hung up at an angle while raising the sail - use one hand to straighten the gooseneck while raising the sail.)
Secure the sail by running the halyard through the block at the front of the boat and then secure the halyard to the cleat with several cleat hitches.
Fold up the remainder of the halyard and tuck it under the line that runs between the block and the cleat.
7) Set up the mainsheet by running it through a block
The mainsheet is the line used to control the sail. Thread the loose end of the mainsheet through a block (a pulley) in the front of the cockpit so it can move freely. Tie a figure-eight knot at the end of the mainsheet so that it cannot slip back through the block.
Clip the other end of the mainsheet to the line called the traveler.
8) Attach the daggerboard to the boat
The daggerboard is a long board that slides into the center of the boat. It helps with stability. Make sure to attach the cord on the daggerboard to the bracket just forward of the daggerboard slot to avoid losing the daggerboard if the boat flips or when you pull it out in shallow water.
9) Put the boat into the water
Once the boat is in the water, check that all the lines are in the right place. Place the daggerboard into the water unless it's too shallow. If it's too shallow, wait until you reach deeper water.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Always follow safety guidelines and consider seeking guidance if you're new to boating. A video link is below for more information.How To Rig A Sunfish Sailboat? (Step By Step Guide) - BoatlifeHQ.com Video Link: Rigging a Sunfish Sailboat
