Tech Talk
Tuning
There are several sources for new Thistle sails, and there are always Thistle owners willing to sell their used sails very inexpensively. The best time to purchase sails is during the late fall/early winter when sail makers provide great discounts. Check out the sail makers tuning guides below!
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Gus Sails |
Technical Videos
Thistle Crew University
Greg Fisher on
Sail Trim and Boat Handling
Rigging a Thistle
Please go to Dan Winchester's page, http://thistle.dwinchester.com, for complete information on rigging a Thistle.
Different Ways to Rig a Thistle
(You may click on a photo to see a larger version.)
 #1668 Traveler © Jim MacMillan |
 #1668 Centerboard Trunk & Compass. © Jim MacMillan |
 #1668 Centerboard Trunk © Jim MacMillan |
 #876 Close-up of the underseat cleating arrangement for the traveller, boom vang and cunningham (stbd side). © William Bruce |
 Port forward cockpit of #876. The blue line on the thwart is the centerboard hoist. The green line is for the traveller, the red line for the boon vang and the pink for the cunningham. The yellow line is the tapered, kevlar spinnaker sheet. © William Bruce |
 #876 © William Bruce |
 #876 © William Bruce |
 #876 boom vang (red line), barber haulers (blue w/ white) and the jib halyard arrangement. The upper cleat mounted inside the stanchions is the jib halyard. The cleat just below it (green line w/yellow flecks) is for the jib halyard tension. The entire 4:1 rig is between the stanchions. Also visible is the centerboard hoist. A wire is dead-ended between the stanchions, runs back to a harken sheave between the centerboard rollers, goes forward to a bullet at the stem where it turns aft to a 4:1 purchase that is cleated on the thwart. The forward hiking strap adjustment line is white w/blue flecks. © William Bruce |
#876 bow looking back at the stanchions. The 4:1centerboard hoist is blue, the white elastic running through blocks is the topping lift retractor and the wire at the top of the photo is part of the topping lift. The blue lines w white flecks are the barber haulers. © William Bruce |
#876 topping lift arrangement above decks. The wire can be broken in two places should the mast need to be removed from the boat. © William Bruce |
#876 bow, with the topping lift (green), topping lift retractor (white) and the CB hoist (wire). © William Bruce |
#876 © William Bruce |
#876 starboard thwart knee with the turning blocks for the traveller, vang and c'ham. These go to the seats under the thwart. © William Bruce |
#876 turning blocks under the thwart for the traveller, vang and c'ham © William Bruce |
#876 underseat arrangement for traveller, vang and c'ham. © William Bruce |
#876 cleat arrangement for the topping lift (green), hiking strap adjustment (white w/blue flecks) and barber hauler (blue w/white flecks, the port side cleat adjusts the stbd side and the port side snatch block is visible at the outboard end of the 45). Note that the mounting board is below deck level- no cleats to bruise the crew. It is not glued to the boat and can be easily removed should changes or additions need to be made. © William Bruce |
#876 © William Bruce |
 #876 transom where the traveller is sent forward to the thwart knee. The reinforcement is the old diagonal from the stern grate, it provides additional support for the lower gudgeon and for the hiking strap terminals. © William Bruce |
#876 traveler above deck. © William Bruce |
#76 CB trunk cap and aft end of the boat. The hiking straps terminate separately at the transom. Shock cord is tied to the aft grate and through the straps to keep them off the sole. The small pink line ties the hiking straps to the aft knee of the cb trunk to limit hiking strap stretch in the middle of the strap. © William Bruce |
#876 port side of the cb trunk. The spin halyard is visible at the top, with the turning blocks for the trav., vang and c'ham at the bottom. © William Bruce |
