Keeping into wind to raise sail single handed

[LordNelson]

I have moved off a mooring to a dock for the remainder of the season. i must motor out a narrow channel into the lake. i have been having trouble raising the main while sailing alone. i believe my sail slides are worn and need replacing, but i am only able to raise the sail when directly into the wind.

since i am sailing alone, i am unable to use the motor/tiller to keep heading into the wind. i am searching for a method to keep into the wind without the use of the motor. any suggestions?

(every sailing book i own only discusses sailing off a mooring or raising sails at the dock.)

 

[RFerraro]

two ideas

two simple solutions..
first, don't cleat the mainsheet and she'll just luff as you raise the main.
or. once clear of the channel and out in the lake, drop your anchor while raising the sail.

 

[LordNelson]

Re: two ideas

true, but these two methods also have their own problems. to let the main free i have to unhook the wire clip support on the back stay allowing the boom to beat the fiberglass while i hoist the sail. setting the anchor means i have to raise it, always a pain in the back. maybe a small sea anchor would work.

 

[Scott On Eagles Wings]

Re: two ideas

Do you have a topping lift? The topping lift will hold your boom up while it luffs in the wind.

 

[LordNelson]

Re: two ideas

you are right, but there is no topping.

 

[Scott On Eagles Wings]

Can you add one?

I don't have the same boat so I can only share what I did on my 23' 1980. I purchased the topping lift from D&R marine, it was very reasonable. I have a clevis pin built into the mast head specifically for the topping lift. It was one of the cheapest best upgrades I have made to the boat. Hopefully your mast head can accomodate one as well.

 

[caguy]

I don't know about the Oday but the Mac25 has a pigtail

on back stay that holds the boom up. It was not only a problem in raising the main but also lowering it solo. I replaced it with a topping lift that allows the boom to swing and the sail to luff.
As far as your slugs (slides) are concerned spraying them with silicon spray makes all the difference in the world. If you remove your main regularly make sure that a slug is not twisted. This happened to me when a guest helped me rig the boat. Its easy to do and is not apparent until your main gets jammed half way up.
Frank

 

[Napa Ed]

topping lift

or a boom kicker. something to do over the winter. I had almost forgot about the short line with the clip that came on my boat.

 

[Joe]

86 the pig tail...

Your problem is the pigtail. Don't use it to raise or lower the main. In fact, don't use it at all! Instead, install a topping lift, a solid vang or a "boom kicker." I prefer the solid vang from Garhaurer. A great investment for any boat and it will change your sail handling life.

When I single hand I raise the sail at the dock with lots of slack in the sheet so it just luffs as I back out of the slip. (One less thing to do once under way) If you're tied up facing upwind this method is easy. Downwind it's not a good idea, so tie your boat upwind or wait till you get out to an open area.

Here's another single handing tip: Straddle the tiller and steer with your knees while standing in the cockpit. That will free up both hands to trim sheets or work halyards.

 

[Joe11688]

Getting the Main up

Like Joe said, get rid of the pig tail. You want that boom to be able to swing while you raise the sail. A topping lift will accomplish this task. Boom kickers are great. My friend has one on his boat and he likes it, but what if you lose your balance and fall against the boom? Will the kicker croak? The topping lift will hold. If your slides are sticking, replace them and clean out the sail track and lubricate it. Check out the mast sheave. Is the sheave plastic? Is it broken? Mine was on my Jib halyard. I saw Rudy yesterday and he is going to get me a Garhauer mast sheave bracket with a larger sheave made out of Aluminum. Check out your mast sheave at the end of the season by making sure that the halyard isn't binding in the opening. Unless you can get your Main up in a reasonable amount of time after you head her up into the wind and walk to the mast, you may want to consider buying a tiller tender or an autopilot and use your outboard to keep her heading into the wind until you get the Main up. A lot of guys are leery of doing this, but I do it all the time. Just keep low and hold on as you make your way to the mast. Another thing that you may want to consider is a sail jock. I made one for my boom out of 3/16" Bungee and plastic hooks, that stays attached to the boom all the time, and it's easy and fast to use when needed. I simply remove my sail cover as the boat is powering to windward, and throw the cover down through the forward hatch and undo the sail jock and run the Main up. It's that simple. Good Luck!
Joe

 

[LordNelson]

Re: Getting the Main up

d&r marine does not have a topping lift listed for the oday 20. i will have to call rudy and ask him. it may be that the roach of the sail is too large and the leech may chafe on the back stay. the oday 20 also has a limited space between the boom and cabin to install a kicker or solid boom vang.

i do have a sail jock on the boom and it works pretty well. i used plastic gutter clips for christmas lights for hooks trimming on side to make it easier to hook the cord. the other end is slipped onto the cord and the hooks are small so as to not get in the way.

i have not scene any evidence of a mast sleave. i wonder if they oday 20 came with one and it has long since disintergrated. (it is a 1974)

 

[Joe11688]

No mast sheave?

Bingo! That could be your problem and not the sail slides. You can probably remove the pin in your mast and install a sheave that will fit. The pin can also be replaced with a bolt and lock nut, if need be. Make sure that the halyard fits well and moves freely in the opening where the sheave is. As for the topping lift; You can make your own by using a cheek block on the side of your mast up high, along with a halyard, halyard shackle, and cleat at the bottom of the mast. I installed a topping lift on one of my sailboats years ago. I got the idea from Small Boat Journal magazine back then. They have since ceased publication. You can get some ideas by Googling Topping Lifts on the web.
You should be able to head her up into the wind, unlock the Main sheet block and get the sail up with no problem, or keep her motoring into the wind and get the sail up. Experiment. Remember, it's always a good idea when you prepare to anchor under sail, to always lift the centerboard first to prevent the anchor line from getting tangled with it. These centerboard sloops are notorious for going around in circles when you let go of the tiller. Once the anchor is set, she will come up into the wind again and you can let the Main down. When your ready to weigh anchor again, raise the Main and pull the anchor up and walk back to the tiller. If you do this enough times, you won't even have to think about it and it just becomes-- "Ole' Hat."