Hi,
I've had a few sails now in my new (to me) boat, which has been a lot of fun.
I have had a few minor on the water rigging issues which I'd welcome advice on...
1) On one occasion the knotted end of the downhaul primary line popped out of the slot in the gooseneck fitting. Very difficult to fix on the water without capsizing... Is this normally a problem, and if so, what's the best solution? Can I tie a loop round the gooseneck instead of using a knot?
2) I have quite large feet (size 12 boots!) and when I had the rear part of the toestrap slack enough to get both feet under there is very little of the back strap going through the final part of the back buckle. At one point this strap came out of the buckle completely and I was left with only the elastic holding me in the boat! At the minute I have taped this up, but I'd prefer something more positive. Can I modify this e.g. by sewing the strap end back on itself so it can't slip through the buckle, or even by sewing the loop permanently in place?
3) My boat was supplied with a mainsheet jammer, which I'd like to remove. I have the bottle-opener tool, and I can push the catch down but I couldn't move the triangular plate backwards. Is this normal? Will it be OK to tap the fitting backwards with a rubber mallet or similar?
Thanks!