new sailor million questions

[HamptonMorgan22]

I bought an old boat and restored it.(never sail before in my life) I live on a pretty rural secluded lake. Only one other sail boat on it and they know less than me about sailing. I am getting pretty comfortable sailing and the boat does pretty much everything i expect it to do. My first couple of questions are.

1. My mainsail has only has one grommet on the foot tack corner. (the foot is slid into the boom with bolt rope) is this one grommet considered the Cunningham grommet? I have been trying to use it as one. It really does very little to shape the sail. Think i need to install another one above it to shape the sail more, or is this not needed on all boats/sails? I feal like my main sail has a bit to much belly for stronger winds, but like I said I have no experience other than self taught and read.

2. I installed all new forestay,backstay and shrouds. I adjusted them taught but not enough to bend the mast in any direction. Do I need to invest in a professional tool to adjust them?

3. Of course I chose a pretty rare boat to restore. I can find next to no information about them on internet. A 71 morgan 22 it has a shoal keel that extends about 2.5 feet below water line and about 5 feet long,and 1200lbs, and center board. The boat weighs in at 3400 total. In anyones educated opinion and experience how aggressive can i be with the heeling? How stable a boat do you think it is? I am in a lake so nothing to deal with but the winds, but ultimately will take it to the ocean.

Thanks in advance if you help me with my questions

hampton

[denby]

Hampton,

First, welcome to Sailnet. That grommet is not a cunningham, cunningham is higher up near the reefing point.

The rigging is probable ok, look for a thread on adjusting rigging here on Sailnet by Giulietta.

[paulk]

Hi Hampton.
More on the cunningham. They were invented to allow racing boats to pull the luff of the sail tighter without having to pull the boom down below the "low" mark on the mast. Having the boom below that mark is against the racing rules because it means your sail is bigger than the one-design class allows. You or a sailmaker could have a cunningham added to your sail, but unless you're racing, (and perhaps even if you are) a Morgan 22 probably won't need one. The downhaul on the boom probably works well enough, and a cunningham would add needless complication.