Can you really stretch the main?

[Jeff]

I am a new sailboat owner (Catalina 22). I was on the lake last weekend and a fellow sailor (one with much more experience than myself) noticed that my boom was hanging at greater than 90 degrees off the mast. He explained that the line sown into the luff of the main had drawn up and needed to be stretched. He tried to explain the process, but it included cutting around the rope and using a come-along or block and tackle to stretch the main back out. I have never heard of this and cannot find any reference to this process anywhere. Is this familiar to any of you? Thanks in advance for any advice to a new sailor.

 

[John Manfredi]

Easy to stretch a luff

Stretching the luff is something you can easily do yourself, or a loft could do in less than 30 minutes. For our Catalina 30 we could see the sail gathered up over the rope sewn into the luff. No amount of halyard tension could stretch the gathering tight. All you need to do is cut the cross stitching holding the internal rope into the top of the luff. Then simply stretch the luff. As you do the top of the interior rope will slip down some into the top of the luff; for our C30 the rope slipped down about 3 inches into the luff. When you believe you have the slack out of the luff, and the correct relation between the luff and the interior rope, resew the luff and rope together near their new upper position. The interior rope and luff will then stretch together as you raise the main and tighten the main halyard; no more gathering. It's easy to do. For small boats I wouldn't worry about a winch. We pulled the slack from our C30 easily by hand. You will need a room or hallway as long as your sail is tall. You'll be glad you did this.