I have recently purchased a Merlin 2871, which happens to be the only one in Malta. The previous owner sadly passed away and left the boat to his only daughter who is basically inept when it comes anything with sails; so she couldn’t provide me with any information about the history of the boat. The boat doesn’t even have a name! 

However that is the least of my worries, for the boat is in dire need of work and fittings. I’ve got the original sales that date back to 1975 and show heavy signs of wear and tear. I could always patch up the tears, however I’d prefer if I could get my hands on a set of 2nd hand sails, even if it means a flight to England. 
Here are a couple of things about the sails.

Mainsail: 
Ø	Foot: 2.23m
Ø	Luff: 5.56m
Jib Sail Area: 
Ø	3.07m²
Sail-maker:
Ø	Michael McNamara Sails, Exmouth, Devon

The original mast was replaced by a new Proctor mast, whose fittings are probably installed to suit current measurements, however the previous owner may have specified to Proctor the dimensions that he required. Will any set of sails fit the mast I have, or is there a standard sail plan for boats built in 1975. The boat has a hog stepped rig… however after seeing some of photos on the Rigging Guide page, I quickly realised the complexity with which these boats are rigged. I also noticed 2 distinct differences on my boat, one being the traveller situated horizontally on the thwart and the other being the kicker tensioner which is a metal wire that winds round a sort of winch.

If anyone can give me any pointers and information on how to rig the boat with new sails, ropes etc in a simplified manner, and also any history or clues to what design my boat might be, would be much appreciated!

Thanks in advance
Dave

The boat was actually built in 1974, and i have a hunch that the design is a Keith Callaghan Hornblower, since the boat has a beam of 2.05m. However i need your expertise on this.

According to the book you are right on year and design and the name is "Gillygog".
There appear to be a few of these about with current association members: Chris Homer (2706), Andrew Rawson (2775) and Steve Ward (2824) (none of whom I know).
I expect you will get some advice on rigging here and I'm sure you'll get an offer of some sails - perhaps delivered in return for a sail in your Merlin in Malta!

I've got a couple of suits available that should fit that rig - drop me an email!

I'm not sure if anyone uses a winch on the kicker anymore. Cascade (pulley) systems seem to be much simpler.

Keep the traveller though, as it's better than a hopp for your age of boat (see link).

IIRC Steve Ward's 2824 is still in regular service and was the bright yellow boat with a black spinny I remember well from Salcombe.  Went OK too

She was originally called Cabaret and was sailed at Waveney and Oulton Broad YC

The traveller and kicker sound like the standard kit for the age of the boat! We've just replaced the wind-up kicker with a led back system and it's a huge improvement.

Thanks alot for the info guys, there's alot i keep learning about this boat and i'm sure there's a way lot more to go! Also, excuse my ignorance on this.. but how do you adjust the rake on the mast and is a puller system required on a hog stepped rig??

Adjust the rake by changing the shroud length - crank the levers up, or shift the pin down on the chainplates. The jib halyard then takes up the tension.

Pullers are used on deck-stepped rigs to avoid inverting the mast (bending the wrong way). Hog-stepped masts normally have a ram (strut) in the same position, which pushes to straighten the mast.