Melges 15 Assembly - A Comprehensive Look: From Delivery to Ready to Sail

This is a comprehensive look at setting up a Melges 15 sailboat from PARTS delivery to putting on the SAILS to GO RACE. Yes. It’s LONG. We made the video because the other videos skipped over details that were, in fact, important to us. We included timings below so that you can skip to the section of interest.

Ed Furry – Sail22.com – helped with several of the videos and continues to put out videos with some nice upgrades that you might consider. He has a YT channel here where he posts other new upgrade ideas available from him.

If you want to learn more about why Melges Performance Sailboats introduced the Melges 15, see our interview with Eddie here.

Melges’ Eddie Cox created a nice video that does a quick run through of assembling a Melges 15 here.

Line Routing Diagram

DOWNLOAD: We created a Line Routing Diagram for you to print and use. There is a lower resolution one below and a super high resolution one in PDF form.

Melges 15 Assembly Video

Play by Play Steps with Links

00:00:48 Melges 15 Parts

Vang / GNAV Tube
Boom
Sprit – May come pre-installed in bow.
Mast – 2 piece, with halyards installed.
Spreaders – Adjustable, Marked for Starboard (green) and Port (red). Angle toward stern when installed.
Daggerboard
Rudder
Tiller – Aluminum
- Upgrade: Rooster Carbon Tiller – 37″ – Removed ~4″ for better clearance while tacking
Bow Painter – Floating, Class rule
Dousing Bag / Sock with Halyard storage
Main Halyard – Pre-installed in mast, Dyneema
Jib Halyard – Pre-installed in mast, Dyneema
Spinnaker Halyard – Pre-installed in mast, Polyester cover / polyester core.
- Upgrade: Spinnaker Halyard – Tapered, fittings on end to help with spinnaker twisting.
Rig Tensioner / “Boat Breaker” – Used to finish stepping the mast and to detension the rig when not using the boat for a while.
Mainsheet – Polyester cover / polyester core, not tapered
- Upgrade: Mainsheet – Tapered, Robline Coppa 5000 / Dyneema core
Jib Sheet – Polyester cover / polyester core, not tapered, need to knot ends
- Upgrade: Jib Sheet – Tapered, Polyester cover / Dyneema core with soft eye ends
Spinnaker Sheet – Polyester cover / polyester core, not tapered, need to knot ends
- Upgrade: Spinnaker Sheet – Tapered, Polyester cover / Dyneema core with soft eye ends
Jib Blocks – Seldén Autoratchet
Spinnaker Blocks – Seldén Autoratchet
- Upgrade: Spinnaker Blocks – Harken Autoratchet 40 with soft shackle fastener
- or: Harken manual ratchet with shackle.
Jib Clew Blocks – Seldén pair with shackle
Sprit Blocks – Seldén pair with ring
Bridle / Traveler – Dyneema line with Seldén Block on shackle
- Upgrade: Bridle Block – Allen Dynamic 40 TII with soft shackle on Dyneema line
Lifting Bridle – Pre-stretched polyester with stainless caribiners
- Upgrade: Lifting Bridle – Dyneema, 2 color to distinguish back line, Stainless spring clips.
Mast Sheaves / Halyard pulleys – Main, Jib, Spinnaker – Plastic
- Upgrade: Main, Jib, Spinnaker Sheaves – Aluminum with stainless steel bearings.
Rig Tuning
- Upgrade: Shroud handles, Star grips for turnbuckle barrel, Scar Pins with Velcro for tool-less adjustments
- Upgrade: Rig Tension Gauge – Loos Gauge PT-1
Drain Plugs – 3 x One Piece
- Upgrade: 3 x One way Valve
Shrouds – Dyform / compacted strand wire, low stretch, high strength with T fittings and turnbuckles
Forestay – 1×19 wire with T fitting and pin fitting and ball for Boat Breaker.