kind of gaff will not go to windward very well. The leading edge of a sail is what determines your windward ability. The  Menger Cat gaff is set at an angle of about 10 degrees. In effect the gaff is an extension of the mast it is so closely in line.  (Technical books term this rig a gunter rig rather than gaff.)  To raise the sail, first untie the sail ties. Pull on both the peak and throat halyards together; pulling the gaff so it raises  parallel to the boom. Make sure the gaff does not go on the wrong side of the topping lift as you are pulling up. DO NOT  run the halyards through the inside hole of the cleats but let them run freely on the outside of the cleats. (The reason for  tying a stopper knot through the hole in the cleat is to stop it from running up the mast.) Throw the line into the inside of  the cabin. Don't worry about being neat. Keep on pulling until the throat halyard becomes taut. At that point make it fast.  Keep on pulling the peak halyard up until it becomes taut.  While making sail in open water, lay the boat on the port tack. When the gaff is hoisted it will swing to starboard,  preventing the sail from fouling under the topping lift  This gaff enables you make adjustments to the sail shape. Once again you can hoist the sail and leave it alone or “play”  with the shape. The sail shape to go to windward should be set by increasing the tension in the peak halyard. While  hoisting the sail bring the throat halyard as taut as possible. Continue raising the peak halyard until a crease extends  from the peak to the tack. This crease will disappear when you haul in the mainsheet. Do not raise the peak too high as  you will “double block” the peak blocks. This will prevent the saddle from rotating. An inch or two adjustment in peak  halyard will drastically change the shape of the sail. When the halyards are new they will stretch shortly after being  tensioned. Therefore tighten them again 15 minutes after hoisting sail. The outhauls on the boom and gaff should be  stretched very taut for heavy airs, but loosened for light airs.  A leech line runs up the leech of the sail. This line stops the fluttering of the leech while going to windward. Do not adjust  it in advance as you will end up with a curled leech, ruining the shape of the sail. After you've had a chance to sail the Cat  a while, adjust it only if there is excessive flutter in your leech, otherwise leave it alone. Only pull in a very small amount  at any one time. There is a small “clam” cleat on the side of the sail to secure it.  The mainsheet is your primary sail adjustment. The sail should never be hauled in closer than the corners of the transom  (quarters) no matter how high you're trying to point, unlike the mainsheet on a sloop. Your Cat's mainsheet is like the  sloop's jib sheet. For optimum adjustment while going to windward watch the aft end of the boom. While pulling it in note  its travel. Keep pulling while it moves toward the center of the Cat; stop pulling when it moves in a downward direction.  (The downward movement is flattening your sail and taking out the draft. You are in effect pushing the Cat sideways.)  Off the wind, you can increase your speed by slacking off peak and throat halyards. Raising the centerboard all the way  will decrease your skin friction, reduce weather helm and thus increase your speed.  Reefing is the most important part of learning to sail your Cat. Since the catboat has only one sail, it has to be a light  weather sail. The mainsail of your cat is equivalent in area to that of a sloop with a large genoa or spinnaker and a small  mainsail. However, the catboat's beamy hull fools the novice into thinking that since the Cat doesn't heel like his old sloop  did; he can carry all that sail in any kind of wind. WRONG! The end result is she rounds up in the puffs, has heavy  weather helm and becomes uncontrollable. In rail-down wind conditions, reefing your catboat will make it sail faster (and  more comfortably) than under full sail. You wouldn't carry a number one Genoa or a spinnaker on a sloop in those wind  conditions, would you? The problem really comes down to making reefing easy to do in the conditions of high winds and  rough seas. We at Menger Boatworks have been striving toward that end and have developed a new single line reef system  for the first reef, in which a combined downhaul and outhaul leads to the aft end of the cabin.  One of the most important things to remember when reefing is that the sail must be FLAT when reefed, with little draft.  It is not enough to just shorten sail; it must also have less draft.  Reefing   First Reef  1. Let go of mainsheet and raise topping lift to take weight of boom.  2. Lower peak and throat halyards so lower cringle on the luff is at the level of the boom.  3. Haul in on the first reef line (aft end of cabin, port side, inboard cleat) to set the reef downhaul and outhaul, tight!  4. Raise peak and throat halyards.  5. Release topping lift, haul in mainsheet, and resume course.  14