J/Boats J/109 Owner's Manual - page 10
J/109 OWNER GUIDE
10
Emergency Tiller: is operated by lifting off the access plate (amidships), and placing the base of the tiller
over the head of the rudder stock. Rudder is rotated using the T-shaped handlebars. Fit the emergency
tiller NOW to see how the system works BEFORE you get caught in a situation where you won’t have the
time!
J/109 Rigging
The running and standing rigging items supplied with your boat are designed for efficiency. A wealth of
racing and cruising experience has gone into the deck layout to make sailing and boat handling safe and
easy to handle by a couple and for a racing crew.
The most unique system on your J/109 is the bow sprit system for the asymmetric spinnaker. We believe
this system is a major improvement over conventional systems and so let's start by explaining how it works.
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Carbon Fiber Bow Sprit: The carbon fiber bow sprit is custom made by Advanced Composites and is
designed to withstand the loads associated with the asymmetric spinnaker without any additional
support. The pole consists of a carbon tube finished with two molded end fittings. The forward end
fitting has a "U" bolt which serves as the attachment point for the tackline block. The aft end fitting
houses all hardware necessary for the adjuster line and shock cord retrieval system.
•
Bow Sprit Launching Line: The control line to pull out the bowsprit is designed to be adjusted without
leaving the cockpit. The line is dead-ended to the inboard pad eye on the forward most bulkhead in the
forepeak. The line then leads through the thru-pole blocks on the aft end fitting of the carbon fiber pole
(be sure the "U" bolt on the other end of the pole is up), forward through a block on the outboard
padeye on the forepeak bulkhead, then through the stainless handrail in the main salon, through the
head, and finally to a cam cleat mounted on the aft side of the cabin top to starboard.
•
Harken Headsail Furling: A standard Harken Furler is provided with the boat and requires assembly
prior to installing the mast. A complete instruction manual is included with this hardware detailing the
procedure. The pin-to-pin headstay length necessary to complete this task for the J/109 is 14700mm or
48’2-7/8”.
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Mast: Rigging the J/109 mast is a common procedure, and best handled by a qualified marine rigger.
All spreaders, shrouds, and halyards are installed and properly taped and secured. The masthead
anchor light and the steaming light are shipped loose with the J/109 Sparcraft mast to prevent damage
during shipping. Be sure these and all other mast related electronics and wind indicators are properly
wired and installed prior to stepping the mast. After stepping the mast it is VERY IMPORTANT to install
the wire fitting from the forward face of the mast in the interior up to the underside of the deck and
tighten prior to going sailing. We also recommend that a small cord is tied and taped approx. 24” above
each lower spreader between the intermediate shroud and upper shroud. Simply tie this line to each
shroud (allowing for some slack) and tape ends over with rigging tape. This prevents the asymmetrical
spinnaker (during a take down) from potentially dropping into the V that is formed at the lower spreader
between these shrouds.
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Hydraulic Backstay: The J/109 is equipped with an integral hydraulic backstay to help you fine tune your
rig and sails for optimum performance. This hydraulic unit is simple to operate, easy to maintain, and
highly reliable. The cylinder is affixed at its lower end to a stainless backstay extension rod that
attaches to the tang on the transom and at its upper end to the eye at the end of the backstay. In order
to make the cylinder fit, you must release the hydraulic valve and pull out the SS shaft and fully extend
it.
•
Boom: Run the reef lines so the red line (port) is led through the port sheaves and the green line
(starboard) is led through the starboard sheaves at both the outboard end and the gooseneck. The
starboard reef doubles as the cunningham.