INTRODUCTION

This following is intended to introduce You, to Your Duo, and to help you get the best from it. There are some hints and tips on sailing the Duo, but you are advised to learn the basics at a sailing school or from a friend who has a dinghy.

Before you sail your Duo for the first time, the following points should be remembered;

• Always wear a Buoyancy Aid/Lifejacket whatever the weather or your experience.
• Choose a sheltered strectch of water, with no strong tides, currents or big waves. Avoid winds blowing directly off the land onto water.
• The real strength of the wind is not discovered until you are out there in the dinghy.
• Depending on your experience, it is a good idea to reef the mainsail or even furl the jib as well.

TRANSPORTING THE DUO:TRAILERS:

Most small trailers are suitable for the Duo, although the Bramber Duo Combination Trailer is designed specifically for the Duo. Adjust the trailer so the side supports as well as the centre roller take the weight of the dinghy.

BEFORE YOU START:

Before rigging your Duo for the first time it is best to study the diagram and familiarize yourself with the ropes and various parts of the boat.

KNOW THE ROPES:

RIGGING THE DUO:

1) Check the halyards are stowed along the mast, and the top swivel on the jib furling gear is temporarily attached to a mast cleat.
2) Make sure the mast gate is open, raise the mast up and locate the mast foot in its hole and let the mast lean forward. Close the mast gate.
3) Unwind the shrouds and after checking they are not tangled fasten the two side shrouds keeping the rings on the outside.
4) Fasten the forestay to the bow shackle using a triple purchase & half hitches to tighten the rigging.
5) Fully wind up the jib furling drum anti-clockwise.
6) Fasten the head of the jib to the top swivel on the jib halyard and fasten the jib tack to the furling drum. Clip the top swivel to the forestay.
7) Hoist the jib, hook the loop in the jib halyard onto the Highfield Lever and lower the lever to tighten. Pass the jib sheets inboard of the shrouds and through the jib sheet fairleads from the outside. Put a knot in the end of each jib sheet. Fully furl the jib.
8) Shackle the tack of the mainsail to the front of the boom. Tie the clew to the boom between the two blocks & thread the outhaul rope as per diagram.
9) Tie the reefing line around the middle of the boom with a bowline and thread the rope, again as in the diagram.
10) Put on the rudder with the blade fully up. Tie the mainsheet horse to one eye on the transom, pass the other end through the mainsheet swivel block, over the tiller, but under the tiller extension and firmly tie to the other eye.
11) Shackle the top mainsheet block to the boom making sure that the mainsheet is not twisted.
12) Shackle the kicking strap to the mast and boom, but have it fully slack.
13) Check the boat is head into wind. Shackle the mainsail halyard to the top of the sail, feed the sail into the luff groove, pull the sail up and connect boom to the gooseneck.
14) Thread the end of the reefing line through the eye on the mast and tie a knot in the end. Thread the cunningham rope through the sail and fasten to the cleat, as in the diagram. Tie the painter to the bow shackle.

LAUNCHING THE DUO:

1) Make sure the tiller and mainsheet are free to operate. Close the self bailers, and check the drain bung is tight.
2) Check the outhual is not too loose, tighten the kicking strap a liitle, and make sure the reefing line is not too tight.
3) Move the boat into the water and hold the bow head to wind.
4) The helmsman should get in, lower the the rudder and the centreboard a bit.
5) Unfurl the jib if needed and the crew should now get aboard.
6) Sail into deeper water and lower the rudder and centreboard.

REEFING:

It is often sensible to reef the mainsail and even furl the jib in strong winds if you are sailing single-handed or are beginners. To reef the mainsail firstly head the dinghy into wind, make sure the centreboard is fully down, and furl the jib. This helps the dinghy sit head to wind and makes reefing the mainsail easier. Loosen the kicking strap, and pull the reefing line on the boom and cheat. Uncleat the mainsail halyard and pull down the other end of the reefing line
until the eyelet is above the boom, and cleat on the clamcleat on the mast. Tighten the mainsail halyard. Tidy up the foot of the sail by hooking the shockcord under the sail and onto the hook on the other side of the sail.
Tighten up the kicking strap again, and unfurl the jib if required. Whilst a reefed mainsail & jib give easier sailing for lightweights or in strong winds, it might sometimes be necessary to sail with just the reefed mainsail and no jib. When sailing without the jib, it is important to remember that when sailing close to the wind, you should not pull the boom in as tight as you would if sailing with a jib. If you are sailing with a full mainsail and no jib, to stop excessive weather helm, you should balance the baot by raising the centreboard a little.

The above information was supplied by AMS Marine, South Molton, Devon ~