Getting familiar with our '88 Pearson 31-2 equipped with a Dutchman System. It works reasonably well except for the following. Neither of the sail control lines go through the very highest fairleads so when I lower the sails they flake reasonably well except for the fact that the sails really "bunch" up when those fairleads are lowered. My question is - how difficult is it to undo the bottom tabs/discs and rethread the control lines down through the sail?
Dutchman Problem
- Thread starter Bama Boy
- Start date
I think those are the right terms. The fairleads are the sewn in holes in the sail through which the "control lines", just monofilament lines run from the topping lift to the bottom of the sail. Sorry if I didn't use the right terminology.
They are vertical. When the main is full the lines seem a bit too tight as well. PO sold us a very sound boat so this may simply be the way its supposed to work but I'd like to be sure.
Like SG says, you need to ease the topping lift when sailing so the Dutchman lets the main fill .
It's pretty easy to rethread the lines.
It's pretty easy to rethread the lines.
And don’t forget to tension them by lowering the topping lift when you drop the sail. Sounds like that’s your issue.
Do you have the Dutchman manual? This one is about 10 yrs old, but is a good place to start, or go hunt around on their web site.
Thanks for all the comments - sounds like it isn't too daunting a task to rethread the lines which is the first thing I will do. After that I will practice lower and raising the sail as several have suggested. Thanks again!
As Justin noted: http://dutchmar.com/sail-flaking-system
http://dutchmar.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Dutchman-A-2015FinalDraftpdf.pdf
You need the control lines, as they move UP from the boom to be on the same (starboard/port) sides of the sail.
http://dutchmar.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Dutchman-A-2015FinalDraftpdf.pdf
You need the control lines, as they move UP from the boom to be on the same (starboard/port) sides of the sail.
On my boat, the main lifts the back of the boom when raised to the top and the monofilament lines are slack. As soon as I start to drop the sail, the lines go tight and the sail flakes very well. I only have 2 monofilament lines on a Catalina 27, and they don't go through the very top area, but it still flakes. Also, on mine, the backstay is the rope the monofilament lines are attached to, and can be used to lower the points much like lowering a flag.
Bob
Bob
NotCook
.
- Dec 29, 2008
- 805
You shouldn't have to rethread the lines, unless it is to go through the topmost holes in the sail. Even then, I'd just remove them from the pockets at the bottom of the sail by loosening the screws in the compression disks on the pocket and pulling out the monofilament. You may have to remove one of the screws completely and slide the disk to the side to free it up enough to rethread the monofilament back into the pocket, but it isn't a bid deal. You have to do this anyway each year to remove the sails, if you remove them each winter. Down here we have to remove them in the event of a named storm in order for our insurance to remain in effect. But, the manual posted above also gives very specific guidance for tuning the system.