I was at a very popular windsurfing spot very recently with many people rigging with a lot of excitement and anticipation to be on the water. Now this is not a novice place, we are talking about 4.5m being about the average sail used 3-4 times a week. OK, so now that you know where this popular place is you realize that most people there are quite capable of rigging their gear. Still, I saw a lot of people go out on the water and then have to come in to raise or lower their boom, having a hard time to downhaul a sail if they don't have one of those cleat pullers, or having to readjust harness lines.
So couple of useful tips:
For downhauling the sail use your universal base, wrap the rope twice around and then cross over the line coming from the mast extension to wrap it around once in the other direction. With the cross over on the line, the universal will not try to turn to unwarp the line. I know most people know this but surprising how many people I saw who were struggling to downhaul the sail.
For the height of the boom, when you come in from sailing and had the boom at a height that you liked, measure it from the bottom of the mast extension to the boom with your open hands. You always have your hands with you to make that measurement, and in general, no matter what the sail size you use, you will be comfortable to have the sail at the same height (assuming your harness lines on all your booms are same length and you are not trying freestyle where your boom would be extremely high for that session). Do this for one sail and you know your boom height for all your sails.
For harness line placement, after a good session where you felt comfortable, put a small dot on the sail window with a permanent marker in the middle of the line position. Again, it will always be with you and you’ll have your lines perfect every time the first time.
Now if I could have a tip for more wind…ahhh yes, that windy place mentioned above.
Marek
Great post Marek.
Just a couple of thoughts -
My wrap around the joint is just a touch different. Instead of looping it around several times, I go around, over and then around and over in the other direction. Pretty fast and the second around/over counters the u-joints tendency to twist as you pull. Not that my way is "better" but another option for people.
important! All the wrapping and pulling should be done on the hard plastic upper part of the u-joint. It's strong. Don't use the rubber part. You don't want to add any stress or strain to a part that, if it fails, means your day gets to be a lot more interesting. And, do take a look at it once in a while. They don't last forever.
btw, if you have a flesh colored tendon joint, they definitely have a shelf life. They aren't that popular anymore and for a good reason. Even stored in a cool, dark space, they deteriorate in a few years. The black tendons don't seem to have the same problem. Don't do a mile swim for a $20 part.
About the boom height
a) For similar size sails and boards, the boom height is relatively the same, I agree. If your boom height on your 5.5 is around the 3 mark on your sail or wherever (you can use a luff seam on an older sail or make marks with a sharpie) it's going to be real close to that for a 4.7
b) Don't adjust the boom height to compensate for crappy harness line length. Get the right lines. Do adjust it for the following:
Generally, start with the booms shoulder high.
Too much pressure on the front foot, move the boom higher. Too much pressure on the back foot, move it lower. (you can make similar adjustments with the mast foot placement, too, but that's another entire post). Lighter winds, tweak the boom a touch higher to put more pressure on the mast foot to promote planing, higher winds, a bit lower to keep control over the rig and board.
Now, as a guy who spends a bit of time on bigger stuff, on significantly bigger stuff (wide boards, 9.5ish sails) your boom has to be higher. My booms are about 2-3" higher on my formula board than on my freeride boards. Many longboard sailors also adopt higher booms. I think Tinho (Calema in Merritt Island) advocates a pretty high boom level for long boards.
Lastly, put a sharpie in your tool box. The big tip sharpies are good for racing numbers. The regular size are great for marking booms (extension for, say, 6.3), mast foot placement on boards as well as boom height and harness line placements. btw, blue and black seem to hold up to UV better over time. Red seems to fade.
My last tip:
Buford Girl in the 7th to win