Main sail down haul?????

Ron20324 · Jul 23, 2016

I'm about to do that. I suppose you mean not THROUGH the gaps in the slides, but woven left and right of them? This should make it flake more better.

Ilanortho · Jul 23, 2016

I have had two episodes on rental boats years ago where the main got stuck. The first drove me aground and the second into a dock. Thinking of doing this myself

Padrone · Jul 23, 2016

I did this a while ago, with a line straight down from the top. if you "weave" in and out of the slugs I would suggest missing a few in between otherwise it may add height to when you strike the sail.

JohnShannon · Jul 23, 2016

tides marine strong track, sail goes up and comes down easily

Ward H · Jul 23, 2016

I put one on my 25. Ran a 1/8" line from a cam cleat in the cockpit through the deck organizer, to the mast base organizer up through a fairlead at boom level then tied it to the sail slug under the mast head board. When dropping the main the downhaul holds down the luff of the sail while one sail tie holds the rest to the boom until I get into the slip. There I flake and tie properly.
Same concept as a downhaul on a jib.

Allan Frey · Jul 23, 2016

I rigged a downhaul on a 50 ft luft mainsail. I would not sail without one and I have done a lot of open ocean sailing. It is a 3/8 line attached to the headboard. Then run thru three rings I attached near the forward edge of the sail to guide it without interfering with anything else. Then into a turning block on deck at the base of the mast. Then up to two blocks hanging on the underside of the boom that lead it to a small nylon cleat that I installed on a grab rail at the companionway hatch.

It holds the sail down in windy conditions until I'm ready to raise the sail. It can be adjusted from the cockpit for any reef condition. In wind and waves I can rapidly bring the sail down completely from the cockpit and secure it so the top of the sail does not pump up and down in storm conditions. And everything is done from the cockpit.

Allan

Dalliance · Jul 23, 2016

I have a 1/4" down haul line from the head board straight down, through a turning block at the base of the mast, to a deck organizer and back to a cabintop rope clutch in the cockpit. Allan's idea to pass it through a few rings attached to the front of the sail is interesting because I find it does sometimes get caught forward of the mast on the wrong side of the steaming light when I raise the main. I would not weave it serpentine between the slide glides. Seems to me it's likely to get fouled up that way. Keep it simple so it just pulls straight down.