I just got my 1993 H23.5 in February so I am still learning. Sailed Saturday with the wife and kids. We only put the main up. My sail shape was terrible. It would get an S shape with leading edge luffing from the batten being compressed. As the wind filled it would finally pop in and I would have a wing shape. This was closer to correct but still very deep. I notice that I can not get the main fully up or fully out. My outhaul is in the boom with a boom cleat at the base (next to the mast). I can not pull it enough to get the sail out to the band mark on the boom. My old boat was a 17 foot O'Day Day Sailor, on it I could just brut force the lines to get the sail fully to the bands. It did not have full battens, so this is a new experience for me. How do I get this outhaul to do the job? Is my S shaped sail caused from not getting sail stretched to the bands both up and out? Russell
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Bill O'Donovan
Perhaps too tight
The battens may be so tightly packed within each sleeve as to bow the sail inappropriately. Try easing off one at a time, but be sure it's still fastened closely from slipping out and into the blue yonder. If that works, go on to the next one and ease it out a bit.
The battens may be so tightly packed within each sleeve as to bow the sail inappropriately. Try easing off one at a time, but be sure it's still fastened closely from slipping out and into the blue yonder. If that works, go on to the next one and ease it out a bit.
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Steve Carpman
Tight Battens
Full battens, in general, exert a compressive force of the mast/sail track, increasing the friction forces and making the sail difficult to raise. If your battens are too tight, the forces on the sail track would be increased, which would also increase the friction force making the main that much more difficult to raise. Full battens are nice for cruising and sail life, but everything is a compromise.
Full battens, in general, exert a compressive force of the mast/sail track, increasing the friction forces and making the sail difficult to raise. If your battens are too tight, the forces on the sail track would be increased, which would also increase the friction force making the main that much more difficult to raise. Full battens are nice for cruising and sail life, but everything is a compromise.
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Ron Mehringer
Battens
Like the others have suggested, sounds like your battens are too tightly compressed. On my beach cat you would adjust the battens per the wind conditions. Tighter, for a fuller sail, on lighter wind days. Loose, for a flat sail, on high wind days. On my H26 I never play with the tension. Set them once, with only moderate tension, and then leave them that way for the season. Good sailing, Ron Mehringer h26
Like the others have suggested, sounds like your battens are too tightly compressed. On my beach cat you would adjust the battens per the wind conditions. Tighter, for a fuller sail, on lighter wind days. Loose, for a flat sail, on high wind days. On my H26 I never play with the tension. Set them once, with only moderate tension, and then leave them that way for the season. Good sailing, Ron Mehringer h26
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Ed
Russel
Try taking the load off the sail by tightening the topping lift. You might be able to get the foot of the sail pulled out more towards the end of the boom. Could the S in the battens be from sailing too close to the wind? It sounds like the sail may have straightened after you bore away a bit.
Try taking the load off the sail by tightening the topping lift. You might be able to get the foot of the sail pulled out more towards the end of the boom. Could the S in the battens be from sailing too close to the wind? It sounds like the sail may have straightened after you bore away a bit.
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Rick Macdonald
Outhaul
Your outhaul is probably rigged like mine was: from the clew, around the sheeve to the gooseneck with only a foot or so hanging down. I couldn't budge it at all. Do you have the manual? On the page with the "boom and reef layout" (H19 but it's the same), there is a blowup of the outhaul connection that was not labelled in my copy so I missed the point. You can change the 1:1 rigging to a 2:1 purchase by running the line as it comes out of the aft boom around the sheeve, through the clew grommet and back to the aft boom end. Tie it off to the little cross bar above the three sheeves. I went beyond this and put two little blocks for (I think) a 3:1 purchase. I did this after I took the boat out for the winter. With the blocks there I had only 3 inches of line left at the gooseneck so I really couldn't get a feel for how it will work. Just today I bought a longer line to re-rig it for the new season. ...RickM...
Your outhaul is probably rigged like mine was: from the clew, around the sheeve to the gooseneck with only a foot or so hanging down. I couldn't budge it at all. Do you have the manual? On the page with the "boom and reef layout" (H19 but it's the same), there is a blowup of the outhaul connection that was not labelled in my copy so I missed the point. You can change the 1:1 rigging to a 2:1 purchase by running the line as it comes out of the aft boom around the sheeve, through the clew grommet and back to the aft boom end. Tie it off to the little cross bar above the three sheeves. I went beyond this and put two little blocks for (I think) a 3:1 purchase. I did this after I took the boat out for the winter. With the blocks there I had only 3 inches of line left at the gooseneck so I really couldn't get a feel for how it will work. Just today I bought a longer line to re-rig it for the new season. ...RickM...
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Wright Ellis
Does your boat ...
... have a topping lift? and did you take it up to take the pressure off the boom as you set sail?
... have a topping lift? and did you take it up to take the pressure off the boom as you set sail?
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Russell
Topping lift
I will try this along with putting 2:1 on the outhaul. Unfortunately can not try this until next weekend. I did put Spinlock's on this weekend, even fit the existing bolt pattern. Still adding cup holders. Amazingly the boat came with none.
I will try this along with putting 2:1 on the outhaul. Unfortunately can not try this until next weekend. I did put Spinlock's on this weekend, even fit the existing bolt pattern. Still adding cup holders. Amazingly the boat came with none.
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