raising the main single handed

Anonymous 121765 · Dec 3, 2014

Walt,

Yes, I've had to heave to,to get me thru the nite but, trying to raise the main in rough conditions, that can be hairy dude.

Reading & expecting rough weather can be a tricky science. Remember at nite, always shorten sail first. You can always shake it out but on the downside, you're options may be more limited.

Your mention of heaving to, I have to believe was from first hand experience, NOT a fun time especially when offshore in bigger conditions. Most heave to's happen because of being shorthanded and/or from exhaustion. In my heart, I really fear what mother nature can unleash. When this happens, it's always at the worst possible times. MN is much more powerful than I so, I try not to piss her off so she gets made at me. The bigger the conditions, the smaller your boat becomes, do the math.

Remember the rules for the, "Prudent Navigator", the first thought that crosses your mind questioning boat/sails or weather, that's the time to jump into action & make your preparations beforehand. I've struggled thru too-long-a-nite like this before. It ain't fun man!

Do your adjustments now before the good window has passed, it's a breeze to shake things out when not attacked by the worst but on the flip side?

Tis best to ERR on the side of caution first, stay smart & stay safe my friend.

CR

Joe · Dec 3, 2014

Raise the main at the dock or mooring. Support the boom with the topping lift, release the vang, then let the boom weathervane so it's always luffing.. i.e. no mainsheet control. If you're pointed down wind at your dock( at a mooring you'll always be pointing upwind.).. flip the boat around.

When I single hand, and 90% of the time with crew. I raise the main at the dock. Any problems show up, you're in a controlled situation.

When you motor out, keep the sail flat and properly trimmed so it doesn't flog... when you reach the sailing area is the time to set the headsail.

Lubricate your mainsail track with a dry lubricant spray.

Meriachee · Dec 3, 2014

Walt,

Funny you should mention that. Our 26c mainsail was a royal pain to raise, or lower in almost any breeze, the slides would bind, load up and refuse to move, and twist just enough to get hung up. Raise it in no wind, perfect, every time. Every boat prior and since, no issue, but the Mac, it was a pita.

Cheers
Gary

centerline · Dec 3, 2014

I dont think the boat will heave to on the jib alone.... it will be too unbalanced and the bow will be pushed down wind, intensifying your problem....

without being able to hold the boat long enough to raise the sails, it can be frustrating and somewhat dangerous to do...

so it kind of goes without saying that the halyards either have to be within reasonable reach of the helm, or the helm needs to stay balanced long enough to go back and forth between it and the halyards....

as I know you are well aware that you cant just lash the tiller and expect the boat to stay where it was pointed a minute ago, because the wind and even our movements/loading on a boat this size, affects the direction it wants to go... so we have to hurry back and forth between the two stations that we must occupy to get the boat under sail....

before the tillerpilot, and before having the lines led to the cockpit, i always found it easier to raise the jib first. but not to heave to.... this created a bit of drive so the boat could be under sail/steerage while I got things in order to raise the main... motor can still be working also if you want.

after the jib was hoisted and cleated off, i hurried to the tiller and adjusted it as necessary...

then I got the sail ties off the main and loosened the main sheet all the way.

when i was ready i got the boat as close to the wind as possible, or even luff a bit.... and run forward, hoist the main and cleat off... and hurry back to the tiller. adjusted as needed, and then back to the mast if necessary to readjust there....

your 26 may be different, but the 25 doesnt sail as well on just the main alone, but does VERY well on just the jib, so that is one of my reasoning's for hoisting the jib first....
the second reason is, when hoisting the main first, if there was any problem when hoisting the jib, (forgetting a sail tie/tangle, sheets twisted, ect) it always took longer to to get it resolved and back to the tiller... then get it sheeted in reasonably close.

and in addition, while trying to resolve any problems with the jib, if the main is hoisted first and the boat is tacking or jibing by itself, and the boom is swinging to and fro while you are trying to move about the deck, its a big inconvenience as well as dangerous. unless you have it sheeted in tight, which is as much fun as having it hanging on a pigtail off the rear stay, when the sail is hoisted....

taking care of the jib first, made raising the main easy work.....

then... after i got the lines to the cockpit, it removed about 75% of the effort and worry/trouble of hoisting the sails when single handed....

then came the tiller pilot...
its like the very best deckhand you could ever wish for.... rather than having someone else on deck, trying to do it the way they interpreted your instruction, you get to work the deck yourself and have it done the way you want it done, the first time....without any real need to hurry.
it will steer the course YOU want, for as long as you want, and it does it dependably without wandering off.... it never talks back or asks questions why....
and if you DO have another crew member on board, it also makes their life easier and better.
and once you use it for the first time, you will ALWAYS have it on board.... you may forget your packed lunch when going out for a day of sailing or motoring, but you wont forget the autopilot

hewebb · Dec 4, 2014

I single hand often. I have learned to steer the boat while on deck with the engine engaged and the tiller locked. On most days, you can move from side to side and keep the boat into the wind. I have since installed a tiller pilot so no longer have this issue. As others have said the sheets and vang need to be loose. Hopefully, you have a topping lift or boom kicker.

Jackdaw · Dec 4, 2014

walt said:
more good points.. (also about steering with balance). Topping lift - definitely another good thing to have to have if trying to raise the main in higher winds (or the boom kicker, I used to have one but it was a hassle with the pop top on this particular boat so I changed to a topping lift).

Centerline, I’m not sure about the hove to on the jib alone. I’m pretty sure that when I’m in hove to, I have no tension at all on the main sheet - but the main sail is still up and if nothing else, still producing drag. And it’s also the angle the boat sits at in heave to. The angle always surprises me in heave to.. higher than what I would expect. Different boats behave differently for heave to..hopefully I can experiment a little next time I have a chance.

The thread keeps creeping over to tiller pilots and I would like to get one so why not move towards tiller pilots as this is very relevant to this subject.

What I guess you would do with a tiller pilot (and rigging the sails) is to get the boat moving directly into the wind with the outboard and with enough forward motion to keep the under water foils working. Then lock the tiller pilot? Boat would just stay heading directly into the wind while you "leisurely" set up the sails? You could do this in just about any wind? The only thing I worry about for the tiller pilot is Ive heard they can have limit issues.. I have seen mods posted on these forums over the years to add limit switches. Is this really necessary?

This is also somewhat of an age related subject (I’m getting close to 60). At 40.. no problem to run up and back to set the sails in some wild conditions. At 60, still not bad on most days... I suppose the tiller pilot will become more valuable to me as I get older.. Good to have a backup plan however for anything that requires power such as tiller pilot.

Hey Walt,

With all of us getting older, finding ways to make a sailboat easier to use with more and more limited mobility is becoming a bigger issue.

Lots of good advice so far. Probably the biggest change you could make to help with your main is to lead the halyard aft to a clutch and winch, and add lazy-jacks to the boom to keep the sail in place. And lowering the sail is as simple as popping the clutch. The sail falls down into the jacks.

Those changes would allow you to set up for raising the main while at the dock, and not leave the cockpit. This will become the single biggest factor or many as they age. You can also raise at your leisure, starting and stopping to attend to the tiller of you do not have an AP.

For sure (and along with roller headsail furling) these changes are not free, but they have extended the ability to sail for many people. If you look at new boats aimed at an aging population, they are all designed ground-up to simply sail handling as a #1 priority. For a GREAT example, take a look at the Express 28.

Clay

http://alerionyachts.com/alerion-express-series/ae-28/

Jackdaw · Dec 4, 2014

walt said:
Good points.. I am estimating that I have launched and retrieved that boat close to 90 times over the time I’ve owned it.. You make trade offs in everything related to sailing and everyone has different lines they draw. My particular boat is good at trailering.. fast setup always gets very high consideration. If I kept the boat in a slip all the time, I would definitely change a few things.

That's a good point as well. Many of the things than make single handed sailing easier complicate the launch of the boat. Furlers, lines led aft, lazy jacks etc all take time and energy to set up. We keep our small boat in a slip, and I would hate to have to rig and unrig it every time.

justsomeguy · Dec 4, 2014

walt said:
the tiller pilot is on the fast setup list - at least as far as I can tell it would take very little time to setup.

Joe2954 · Dec 4, 2014

Back in my Venture days I used 2 bungees hooked to the tiller and cleats on either side to steer into the wind when I went up on deck to raise the main, then jib. I kept the motor in gear moving about 1/2 hull speed.
I never hove to in the venture. I did in my Mac26, Newport 30 and currently in my 343. I reefed the main while hove to and dropped the main while hove to but never tried raising the main.
I don't think I could have hove to without the main. Once the boat stabilized I could always ease the main.
I still heave to to rest, wait out ships in narrow channels and to reef the main using the furler.

Joe2954 · Dec 4, 2014

Installing the tiller pilot on my Mac26, I put the bracket on the port side and the electrical socket in the outboard well. You can reverse the "sense" of the pilot to work from that side.

Benny17441 · Dec 4, 2014

Try hoisting your sail halfway up before leaving the dock or mooring. Let it flap by keeping the boom free until you are ready to put some pressure on it. This will allow for a shorter hoisting time where it may be easier to keep the boat pointed into the wind.

caguy · Dec 4, 2014

walt said:
the tiller pilot is on the fast setup list - at least as far as I can tell it would take very little time to setup.

It is not only fast to set up it allows you to do many of the things you would normally do at the dock while on the way. It allows me to take off the sail , rail and winch covers. I also attach and set up the Garmin GPS/Sounder. Reattach safety lines. Organize dock lines. Dig out the throw cushions. Stow the fenders. Attach the drink holder. Check the gas tank. By this time I'm headed up the entrance channel where I untie the sails and raise the main. When I reach the end of the channel I hit the port or starboard 10* button 4 times depending on the directions I want to go and unfurl the Genoa.
Whew..

no wonder Admiral Cleopatra finds it difficult to relax around me when we go sailing.
I've done all that without the autopilot pilot but it is much safer and enjoyable with it.

MrBill_FLL · Dec 4, 2014

before I got my AP, I used to motor out the channel, toss the anchor, raise main (and often jib too), and sail off the anchor.

same in reverse coming back.

the AP was the single best investment I made.

and I did have both halyards run to the cockpit.

sometimes I could raise the main while motoring, but I had to be fast... I also ran 2 long bungy's w/ hooks under the boom, to contain the main sail. I could release the hooks fast and raise the main. -the biggest problem was unhooking the pig-tail (macgregors answer for topping lift)

Sumner · Dec 4, 2014

caguy said:
.. It allows me to take off the sail , rail and winch covers. I also attach and set up the Garmin GPS/Sounder. ......

.......Whew.. no wonder Admiral Cleopatra finds it difficult to relax around me when we go sailing. ....

Wore me out just reading it

,

Sumner

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MrBill_FLL · Dec 4, 2014

also, I put my AP on port.

not sure why everyone doesn't. I could run the engine/gears/throttle and enable or disable the AP.

one problem I had was the AP (TP-10) would blow the fuse if it went to full lock mode, trying to correct. so I wanted to avoid that...

I could also access the laz while motoring under AP. nice to be able to put the fenders away or pull them out.

edit: I also had slugs on the main, in the track and sail contained before leaving dock.
-no way I'd consider doing it with a bolt rope...