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. jeff
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Boltropes Shrink With Time
Boltropes shrink with time so this can cause added draft in the sail. A clew that the boltrope has shrunk may be some small horizontal wrinkles in the luff of the sail when the sail appears fully hoisted and the boltrope is tight. If the main has a problem it's very possible the jib has one too because they are ususally the same age and made by the same company. Too much added draft will really hurt upwind performance as well as make the boat seem more tender.
Boltropes shrink with time so this can cause added draft in the sail. A clew that the boltrope has shrunk may be some small horizontal wrinkles in the luff of the sail when the sail appears fully hoisted and the boltrope is tight. If the main has a problem it's very possible the jib has one too because they are ususally the same age and made by the same company. Too much added draft will really hurt upwind performance as well as make the boat seem more tender.
mainsail
jeff, How is your boom attatched at the mast? Mine is in the slide track, and I can slide it up and down. If you first make sure the mainsail is up to the masthead, maybe you can use a downhaul to pull the luff end of the boom down untill the boom is closer to level. This should also flatten the sail out.
jeff, How is your boom attatched at the mast? Mine is in the slide track, and I can slide it up and down. If you first make sure the mainsail is up to the masthead, maybe you can use a downhaul to pull the luff end of the boom down untill the boom is closer to level. This should also flatten the sail out.
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