Doyle Cradle Cover Frustrations

[Bubba4137]

I have an '87 Hunter 31 that I just purchased this spring. It is rigged with a Doyle cradle cover. I'm a bit confused. The sail cover is in the slide on the boom that would normally hold the foot of the mainsail. As it sits, the main is only attached to the boom at the tack and clew. This can't be right, right? Also, having a heck of a time figuring out how to reef the sail with this cradle cover on. It didn't come rigged to reef- there's only one reefing point with a line on it and I can't for the life of me figure how this is supposed to go. Any help would surely be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[stephen Penny]

The attached Doyle Cradle Cover Installation Manual should help. Otherwise maybe the previous owner or local sail loft can show you how it works.

 

[Charisma]

Sounds like you may have a loose footed main

 

[Jake N Eggs]

With the cradle cover installed the bolt rope on the sail is left out of the groove thus making it a loose footed sail. There should be slots in the cover to allow the reefing lines to tie to the boom.

 

[Bubba4137]

Thanks, all. I'll check for the slots. I wonder if the sail was designed to be loose-footed from the get-go.

 

[Rick D]

In my experience, the majority of the mains are modified to be loose footed when a pack is installed. FWIW.

 

[Ken13559]

If you do not like loose foot mains, you can mod the sailcover to be mounted on an add-on on each side of the boom. Sailcover need to be tailor fit with some "piping" that slot into the add-on rail. These can be bought from Sailrite. That's how my 326 is factory fitted.

 

[Bubba4137]

Thanks again. No slots in cradle cover for reefing- dang!

 

[Tally Ho]

I was looking for an integrated lazy jack/sail cover for my new to me O'Day 322 322. I looked at most of the primary ones, Doyle, Mack,Sails,,etc and settled on the Mack Sails Mack Pack.

I have a bolt rope footed main, and did not want to,convert to a loose footed main, and did not want to cut slits in my sail.

Mack Sails has a new mounting solution for bolt rope main sails that worked very well for me - basically, the 2 halves of the cover are held together at the bottom with several tabs that will slide into the groove with the sail. It went on very easy.

She looks and works great!

 

[Tally Ho]

I was looking for an integrated lazy jack/sail cover for my new to me O'Day 322 322. I looked at most of the primary ones, Doyle, Mack,Sails,,etc and settled on the Mack Sails Mack Pack. I have a bolt rope footed main, and did not want to,convert to a loose footed main, and did not want to cut slits in my sail. Mack Sails has a new mounting solution for bolt rope main sails that worked very well for me - basically, the 2 halves of the cover are held together at the bottom with several tabs that will slide into the groove with the sail. It went on very easy. She looks and works great!

here is a photo....