To de-rig a Beneteau sailboat, a minimum of 3 people are needed. The process involves taking down the foresail first by releasing the halyard and allowing the sail to be lowered and folded as it comes down. Next, the mainsail is lowered by releasing the halyard and having people pull the sail down while removing cars from the track. Finally, the sails are rolled, stored in bags, and equipment is stowed away before returning the boat to its original position.
1. Steps to De-Rig a Beneteau
Minimum recommended number of people to de-rig a Beneteau - 3.
De-rigging is essentially rigging in reverse but with one or two adjustments
Firstly, you need to ensure that the boat is facing into the wind to make it easier to de-rig.
Next get the foresail halyard from the mast and un-coil it, then toss it down the boat allowing
it to be easily passed up the mast without being twisted or getting caught as you are pulling
down the foresail.
Have someone feeding the foresail halyard so it does not get stuck as the sail is being pulled
down. As the sail is pulled down it should be folded like it was when you were putting it up.
Release the foresail halyard block and slowly lower the sail.
When the foresail is completely lowered, unclip the foresail form the forestay and remove the
foresail halyard attached to the head of the sail. Attach the foresail halyard back to the rope
that it was attached to when you were rigging the boat. Next unclip the foresail sheets from
the clew of the foresail and attach them to where they were on the bow of the boat when you
were rigging the boat. Then remove the tack of the foresail from the furling mechanism, pull
the foresail halyard tight and close the foresail halyard block. Coil the foresail halyard and
stowing it within the elastic bungy cord located around the mast.
Once the foresail is detached form everything, roll it up from the head of the sail down to the
foot of the sail. Then get the foresail bag out of the forward hatch and put it into the sail bag.
Next you need to take down the main sail.
Get the mainsail halyard from the mast and un-coil it, then toss it down the boat to allow it to
be easily passed up the mast without it being twisted or getting caught as you pull down the
mainsail.
Then prepare to lower the mainsail. Have someone on each side of the main sail to pull it
down and someone ready to lower the boom. As the mainsail is lowered, pull all the cars out
of the track and fold the sail in a zig-zag pattern over the boom after each baton.
Once it is completely pulled down, un-clip the mainsail halyard form the head of the main
sail and attach it the ring on the mast as you did when rigging the boat. Pull the mainsail
halyard rope tight and close the mainsail halyard block. Stow the mainsail halyard into the
pocket attached to the area of the deck just in fount of the mast.
2. Next take out the reefing line form the sail and tie a figure 8 knot in the end of the rope to
prevent it from being pulled down and out of the boom as you tighten the line, coil it up and
store it by hanging it over the boom.
Now untie the outhaul form the clew of the main sail and tie a figure 8 knot in the end,
repeating what you did with the reefing line.
Take out the velcro wrapped around the boom and undo the shackle attaching the tack of the
mainsail to the gooseneck. Store the Velcro and the winch handles away in the dilly bag that
will still be in the forward hatch.
Then get the mainsail halyard from the ring on the mast and open the block for the mainsail
halyard. Take the mainsail halyard and attach it to the rope at the end of the boom it was
attached to before you rigged the boat.
Pull on the mainsail halyard to raise the boom, parallel to the deck. Then close the mainsail
halyard block and coil the rope, stowing it within the elastic bungy cord located around the
mast.
Then position the main sail so that the foot and the head of the mainsail are wrapped over the
boom until they are only just touching the ground on one side, with the rest of the sail on the
other side of the boom. Then, starting from the second baton from the head of the sail, start
rolling the sail up. Do this by rolling up the sail on your side of the boom pulling the
remainder of the sail towards you over the boom as its being rolled up. When that is
complete, retrieve the mainsail sail bag form the forward hatch and put the sail in the bag.
Pull the mainsail sheet till all the slack is taken up, then coil the rope and stow it by hanging
it over the boom.
Now two people can reposition the boat back to where and how it was before you stared
rigging. Make sure to connect the bow, stern and the springer lines on the dock to the boat.
3. Once all of that is complete, everyone can assist with the taking the foresail, mainsail and
dilly bag off the boat. Remember to close and lock the hatch before leaving.
To get off the boat safely, take hold of the shrouds and step one foot over the side rail onto
the edge of the boat, then bring the other foot over to the first, onto the edge of the boat. Step
one foot at a time onto the dock and let go of the shrouds. Have someone on the boat pass the
equipment to the person on the dock who can place the equipment onto the dock out of
people’s way.
Wind the foresail sheets around the winches and then cleat them in the cleat below the winch
and coil up the bowline and stow it on the foredeck.
Lastly return the toping lift and the spinnaker halyard back to where they were before you
began rigging the boat.
Return the equipment back to its appropriate location.
Congratulations you have successfully de-rigged a Beneteau!