Hard to raise mainsail
- Thread starter Bronte
- Start date
Use a dry lube like McLube SailKote on the slugs and in the track. Cleaning the track with a little McLube Sailkote on a rag that you pull up and down the track can help. You can make a cleaning cloth that fits the track and is hauled up using the main halyard and pulled down using another attached line.
My H356 could be a bear to get up. That boat had in mast furling so I only had to raise it a couple of times a season. You can use dry lubricate spray which helps some. But if the mast is up it is difficult to do much above the first spreaders. I would do the sail as it went into the track if I had a helper.
You should take out any pre-bend as that doesn't make it easier.
The best track system I've ever encountered is the Tides Marine external track or similar product. On a 34 J boat I used to sail on I could have the main up in 10 seconds and it only took a few cranks to set the luff tension. I'm sure it's pricey but I would judge it as a value. How often do you decline to sail because it's such a hassle to put the main up?
You can go electric winches but my concern with them is tearing of damaging the sail or other hardware with all that forces.
You should take out any pre-bend as that doesn't make it easier.
The best track system I've ever encountered is the Tides Marine external track or similar product. On a 34 J boat I used to sail on I could have the main up in 10 seconds and it only took a few cranks to set the luff tension. I'm sure it's pricey but I would judge it as a value. How often do you decline to sail because it's such a hassle to put the main up?
You can go electric winches but my concern with them is tearing of damaging the sail or other hardware with all that forces.
I used to use any dry silicone lube and would run a rag up and down the mast slot. Also, check your slugs and make sure they are not broken, split, etc.
I eventually bought a new full-batten mainsail and North Sail suggested the Tides Marine strong track... a HDPE track that slides into the mast slot and really heavy duty stainless steel slugs that work great.
And then, just because I am lazy, I raise the sail with a Milwaukee Right Angle 28M drill and a winch bit...
I went out the other day with my buddy...his boat has a Seldon in-mast main... and I was on my Oday with the traditional main. I had my sail raised and was bearing away before he had his main unfurled ;-)
I just noticed @shemandr posted before I got mine sent... another vote for Tides Marine.
Greg
I eventually bought a new full-batten mainsail and North Sail suggested the Tides Marine strong track... a HDPE track that slides into the mast slot and really heavy duty stainless steel slugs that work great.
And then, just because I am lazy, I raise the sail with a Milwaukee Right Angle 28M drill and a winch bit...
I went out the other day with my buddy...his boat has a Seldon in-mast main... and I was on my Oday with the traditional main. I had my sail raised and was bearing away before he had his main unfurled ;-)
I just noticed @shemandr posted before I got mine sent... another vote for Tides Marine.
Greg
Yes, but two improvements.
- Make a track cleaner out of a length of luff tape and two grommets. You can glue on cloth for a tighter fit. Easy to haul up and down.
- Either a solvent (xylene for wax and grease) or soap (for dust, bird and bug junk) will work even better. You will need to rinse the soap out or it will be sticky.
It could be a seized masthead sheave. Fix it. (Commonly the sail will be easy to drop and a bear to raise, because of the difference in load on the sheave--a common tell.)
Hi Bronte.
Do you have an internal track that runs a bolt rope or bullets on the sail.
If you have slides that run on an external track, check all the slides for wear or twist. You should be able to see a damaged or worn slide, One bad slide is all it takes to bind the haul up. Replace any suspect slides.
If your track is internal I will ramble on and add one of my old posts.
Gary
Do you have bolt rope or slugs?
If slugs, check then all for attachment and damage.
Do you have an internal mast track or an external mast rail?
If it is internal it could be restricted at the choke point by salt, sand or some other build up.
To both clean and check the condition of an internal track I highly recommend the
AMAZING DOCTOR GARY'S FREE TRACK CLEANER.
You need about a foot of rough cleaning rope that fits the track pretty snugly.
Parallel to the rope you whip on a piece of lighter line that is 2 or 3 inches longer at each end (See Pic 1).
There should be an eye in each end of the lighter line.
The whipping will make the diameter of the rough cleaning rope even snugger in the track.
Connect the main halyard to one eye and feed cleaning rope into track. (See Pic 2)
Connect a light down haul line to the bottom eye.(See Pic 3)
Haul up a yard or so and haul down a few times then repeat as you raise the line up the track.
Pay attention to the spot where you think the sail is binding.
When you have cleaned the whole track haul the cleaning rope
down , spray it with track lubricant and repeat the haul up/down to lube the complete track.
Will take 30 minutes to make the cleaner and 30 minutes to clean and lube the track. I do it once a year as a part of maintenance.
Good luck
Do you have an internal track that runs a bolt rope or bullets on the sail.
If you have slides that run on an external track, check all the slides for wear or twist. You should be able to see a damaged or worn slide, One bad slide is all it takes to bind the haul up. Replace any suspect slides.
If your track is internal I will ramble on and add one of my old posts.
Gary
Do you have bolt rope or slugs?
If slugs, check then all for attachment and damage.
Do you have an internal mast track or an external mast rail?
If it is internal it could be restricted at the choke point by salt, sand or some other build up.
To both clean and check the condition of an internal track I highly recommend the
AMAZING DOCTOR GARY'S FREE TRACK CLEANER.
You need about a foot of rough cleaning rope that fits the track pretty snugly.
Parallel to the rope you whip on a piece of lighter line that is 2 or 3 inches longer at each end (See Pic 1).
There should be an eye in each end of the lighter line.
The whipping will make the diameter of the rough cleaning rope even snugger in the track.
Connect the main halyard to one eye and feed cleaning rope into track. (See Pic 2)
Connect a light down haul line to the bottom eye.(See Pic 3)
Haul up a yard or so and haul down a few times then repeat as you raise the line up the track.
Pay attention to the spot where you think the sail is binding.
When you have cleaned the whole track haul the cleaning rope
down , spray it with track lubricant and repeat the haul up/down to lube the complete track.
Will take 30 minutes to make the cleaner and 30 minutes to clean and lube the track. I do it once a year as a part of maintenance.
Good luck