Upgrading your sailboat for simplicity and performance: Rigging & Maintenance

Instructor: Andy Schwenk

Every sailor can learn new tips and techniques like reducing friction, ways to ascend the rig, backstay adjusters, top down furling for spinnaker, preventers, offshore gear from drifters to trysails, carbon and synthetic rigging, and trends in gear.

This course will cover everything from: mast bases, goosenecks, spreaders, lighting, chainplates, furlers (main, headsail, spinnaker), reefing systems, fairleads, and more! People think sailing is expensive and difficult, it should not be difficult.

This course will have three workstations: Cleaning and servicing winches, swaging, cutting rigging

Sample of topics covered:

• How to inspect your rigging
• Upgrading your boat for simplicity and performance:
• How to reduce friction and make running rigging easy
• Annual maintenance of winches & furler
• Hands-on workstations
• Offshore gear selection

Andy Schwenk grew up in Anacortes working after school, summer and weekends aboard the charter boats, marinas, and boat dealers until he graduated from WWU. He continued to teach sailing on weekends throughout his military stint stationed at Ft. Lewis and 10yrs public school teaching. He has now completed 42 Trans Pacific crossings on sailboats 26′ to 72′ and dozens of deliveries from Mexico to Vancouver mostly starting from Seattle. He  currently owns Northwest Rigging a full service rigging shop with 7 employees serving yacht owners from Pt. Roberts to Portland. He and his wife sail their SC-27 throughout the PNW year around with their two boys. Among their accomplishments are SC-27 national champions in 2015, Swiftsure and Vic Maui wins as well.