Hunter H31, Operator'S Manual

Page: 147 / 186

Hunter 31 • Sails and Rigging
12.3
12.4 The Sails
As standard your Hunter is equipped with a furling jib
sail and a drop down main sail. The mainsail is the sail
attached to the aft track of the mast and hoisted with the
main halyard from the cockpit. The jib sail is attached to
the forestay and like the mainsail hoisted with the jib hal-
yard from the cockpit.
Most Hunter sailboats feature the control of the most
important sail controls from the cockpit. In addition to the
main and jib halyard you will find a main sheet line with
a winch at the aft edge of the cockpit together with the
vang and or outhaul control (some optional). The jib is
controlled with the jib sheet control lines lead back to the
cockpit coming either side. In addition the jib furling line
located to the starboard side of the cockpit allows the
safe and easy unfurling and furling in of the jib sail.
12.5 Reefing Instructions
1. Run both reefing lines as illustrated in the boom &
reef layout. The shorter reef line will be used on the first
reef (Starboard Side, Green). The longer reef line on the
second reef (Port Side, Red).
2. Raise the main sail.
3. Ease the mainsheet and vang.
4. Lower the main sail to approximately the first reef
position.
5. Take up the slack in the first reef line until the tack and
the clew are down to about 2” above the boom.
6. Adjust the main halyard so that the tack reef point is
not contacting the goose neck on the front of the spar
and is applying tension to the luff of the main above the
reef, not below. There will be approximately 6” (150mm)
of stretch in the main luff and main halyard when the reef-
ing line is tensioned, so, make sure that this is allowed
for when adjusting the main halyard to locate the tack
reef block.
7. Confirm that the tack reef point is still clear of the tack
shackle and that only the main luff above the reef cringle
is tensioned, not the luff between the cringle and the top
stacked sail slide. Ease the reef line and readjust the
halyard if necessary.
8. Mark the halyard at the stopper with 1” (25mm) single
band of indelible marker ink. By dropping the halyard to
this mark every time, positioning is made easier. The hal-
yard is automatically in the correct position for the reef.
9. Repeat the procedure for the second reef, using double
bands to mark the halyard in the correct position.
12.6 Reefing Procedure
1. Head up into the wind.
2. Ease the mainsheet and vang.
3. Check the topping lift for adequate boom support.
4. Lower the main halyard to the appropriate mark and
snub the line with the stopper.
5. Tension the reefing line with the self-tailing winch until
the reef clew is brought down to the boom. Apply stopper
and tension the main halyard back up, ease the topping
lift (if needed).
12.7 Shaking Out a Reef
1. Head up into the wind.
2. Ease the mainsheet and vang. Release the tension on
the topping. Lift (if needed).
3. Release the line stopper and remove reef line from
winch.
4. Tension the main halyard to raise sail, making sure reef
lines run freely while sail is being raised. Apply stopper
to main halyard.
5. Re-tension vang and mainsheet, ease the topping lift
(if needed).
12.8 Spinnaker (Optional)
To set the optional spinnaker using the dedicated halyard,
first attach the halyard to the head ring on the sail. Next,
tie the tack downhaul line to the tack ring, lead it through a
turning block on the deck near the bow, and run it aft to the
cockpit. Set up the tack downhaul so the tack of the sail is
about five inches above the deck when the sail is hoisted.
Attach the spinnaker sheet to the clew ring of the spinna-
ker and make sure the line is led aft outside the lifelines
to a turning block on the toerail located just forward of
the stern pulpit. Then run it forward to a winch allowing