Full battened mains

[SailArkansas]

Are full battened mainsails difficult to raise or am I just lucky? I have a Precision 28 with the aforementioned main. The first 1/3 of the sail goes up easily but then gets progressively harder the farther up the mast it goes. I bought a Strong Track system from SailCare thinking it would go up like warm butter. It doesn't! I have used McLube on the slides and that seems to help a liittle but until this issue is solved there is no way for me to consider sailing solo. I have changed out the halyard and checked that it rolls over the masthead easily when not under load.

One other thing....the top 3 to 4' of the mast looks like it is raked aft even with the backstays relaxed. I don't know if that is because its bent or if it was designed that way.

Any ideas?

 

[rardiH36]

I've got a full battened mainsail on my 36' boat which I can pull right to the top by hand from cockpit. Attachment to the mast is black marlon type sail slugs in a standard aluminum mast track. I use McClube every few months. (And the sail just seems to fly up right after an application!)

This is probably too simple a solution, but just in case ...

When hoisting my sail, I always have my mainsheet slacked enough and the topping lift adjusted so that the boom angle is slightly above horizontal. This does make a difference is raising the sail, particularly as the head nears the mast top. I've found this is the case with my standard battened mainsail as well. After the sail is fully tensioned with the halyard winch, then the topping lift is slackened so the sail holds up the boom. Similarly, I've noticed that if during a sail when the wind is brisk and my mainsail starts to develop scallops on the lower 1/3 of the luff above the boom, I can't get them out with more winch tension on the halyard unless I first slacken the mainsheet and pull up the boom with the topping lift. (Tensioning the cunningham also removes the scallops, without needed to raise the boom.)

If you don't have a topping lift, but instead a rigid boom vang, is it able to keep the boom raised to horizontal or more?

 

[Joe]

I agree with Rardi here. The other day I forgot to ease the mainsheet and I couldn't figure out why I couldn't pull the halyard all the way up... ease the sheet and vang and let the boom rise to take all tension off the leech.

 

[kczach]

Don't forget to ease up on the outhaul as well as the vang. Makes life a lot easier.

 

[RichH]

Carefully watch the slug attachments (use binoculars if needed) as the sail is being raised. If the attachments are TWISTING or 'cocking' as the sail is going up, then you WILL have a lot of difficulty in raising, and no matter what the sail track material.
For problems such as this sometimes all you have to do is slightly 'loosen' the attachments so that they stay 'aligned' when raising.

As another poster stated .... be sure the vang and mainsheet are loose and 'free to run' when raising.

 

[Ken13559]

If you have single line reefing, make sure the run inside the boom is true and not twisted with the outhaul line or between reef #1 and reef #2. I have had my reef #2 line twisted with the outhaul for last 8 years that I didn't know till now. Always had problem raising the mains thinking that that is normal until I had to work on the outhaul and discover the two lines twisted within the boom section. Cleared it and now its much much easier to raise the mains (as I do take up the slack from the reef lines when lowering the mains).

 

[bffatcat]

Raising main is difficult

Ive got a Pearson 26 W that I can raise with very little effort. 2 top battens are full length.

A full batten sail is a little heavier but it should raise reasonably easy. There is something wrong. jamming slides, Line in the way? like some of the other guys said, 1 make sure
your topping lift is holding the boom up when you raise it. 2 make sure the sail is luffed up when you raise it. and finally try some track ease on the mast slot.

 

[pogo2]

slugs

I've had some what the same problem with the sail jaming going up and coming down. the main is 2 years old and a full batten. today I talked with a sail maker and it seems the problem could be the metal slug at the headboard. so today i added another slug to the headboard and got rid of the medal. I'll let you know how it works out

 

[higgs]

rardi
Your a genius in my book! I have been struggling with raising my main for 5 seasons, now. I have even seriously considered having my full battens made into half battens wondering if that would help. Tried your topping lift idea and the sail went up like a piece of cake. You have changed my life.

 

[Steve Dion]

If you believe that your problems have to do with the battens, I would suggest that you remove them and try hoisting the sail. If that solves your problem then you will know that it may be some or all of the problem. You also need to be sure that you have released the vang & topping lift.

Pogo: I would NOT remove the metal slug and replace it with a plastic one. Bainbridge makes sail slugs with telfon (or some other finish) to make them slide easier. You need to be sure that your track is clean and lubed. You want to use something like McLube (dry silicone). Clean the track & the slugs.

I have had issues with plastic slugs breaking at both the top and the bottom positions. This is not an issue with metal ones that are the correct size and everything else being clean and ready.

 

[SailArkansas]

If you believe that your problems have to do with the battens, I would suggest that you remove them and try hoisting the sail. If that solves your problem then you will know that it may be some or all of the problem. You also need to be sure that you have released the vang & topping lift.

Pogo: I would NOT remove the metal slug and replace it with a plastic one. Bainbridge makes sail slugs with telfon (or some other finish) to make them slide easier. You need to be sure that your track is clean and lubed. You want to use something like McLube (dry silicone). Clean the track & the slugs.

I have had issues with plastic slugs breaking at both the top and the bottom positions. This is not an issue with metal ones that are the correct size and everything else being clean and ready.

Not sure I understand rleasing the topping lift. Wouldn't that put more downward pressure on the sail while trying to hoist?