New Headsail Adjustments

shank

.
Apr 20, 2016
135
Catalina 27 5231 Lake Champlain
I bought a stock hankon headsail for a Catalina 27. I put it on for the first sail and it's hitting the bow pulpit and lifelines. Would adding a pendant and raising the tack off the deck help with this issue?
1000017464.jpg
1000017463.jpg
1000017460.jpg
 

JRacer

.
Aug 9, 2011
1,389
Beneteau 310 Cheney KS (Wichita)
Unless it is not all the way pulled up to the top of the stay, it's a "deck sweeper", intended to be at deck level.
 
Feb 26, 2004
23,311
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
What is the situation at the head of the sail? Photos? Of course you can add a pennant at the foot.
 
Jan 1, 2006
7,938
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
It looks to me like the sail needs halyard tension. Is the top of the at the sheave or stopper? If so, I think it may be too long.
Nevertheless it is a deck sweeper and interference with the pulpit or lifeline is normal. If I had a nickel for every jib I've seen with an imprint of a lifeline on it ...
 

colemj

.
Jul 13, 2004
1,043
Dolphin Catamaran Dolphin 460 Mystic, CT
When that sail is fully raised, it looks like it won't interfere with the lifeline anymore. Why isn't it fully raised?

Mark
 

shank

.
Apr 20, 2016
135
Catalina 27 5231 Lake Champlain
It was fully raised. I wasn't sure if it's normal for a sail to rest against the lifelines like that. I guess it is.
 
Jun 9, 2008
1,845
- -- -Bayfield
To me, it looks like, when close hauled, the sail should be inside the lifelines when trimmed. That will give you the best performance when going into the wind. Of course, off the wind, it will have to drape over the lifelines as you ease it out. I assume you have genoa tracks on the deck inside the lifelines. If your boat does not have inboard tracks and there are tracks outside your lifelines, then either the sail has to be modified so the clew is higher and the sail is not a deck sweeper anymore, or you can add a pennant per your suggestion. Your photo shows that the luff of the sail has not been raised the full extent. If the head of the sail is topping off at the top, then the leading edge of the sail is too long and needs to go back to the sailmaker for a proper fit (to shorten the luff). If you just don't have the sail hoisted to its full extent when you took the photo, then that is what we are seeing. Personally I would not put a pennant at the tack if there are inboard genoa tracks.