raising and lowering sails

[Gary Meckes]

Does anyone have any advice on keeping the bow of the boat into the wind while raising and lowering the main sail. I am single handing a Oday daysailer and I keep it at a dock in a cove. I have a small 2 H.P. motor that I use to motor out into the lake. I point the bow into the wind while I shut the motor off and raise it, then lock the tiller pointing windward. By the time I get ready to hoist the main the bow always swings around and I am drifting downwind bow first.(I have the main's foot attached to the boom and the boom resting in the boom crutch before I shut the motor down)
The same thing happens when I lower the sail and this causes the battens to get hung up on the shrouds and I have a hard time getting the sail pulled down. I recently ripped my sail, which is now repaired, but I don't want this to happen again. Any help is appreciated.

 

[Steve Morris]

Keep your engine running

I keep my engine running until after I raise the sails. That allows me to keep up enough momentum to maintain control of the boat.

 

[emergpa1]

Gary, i can say how i do it, but there is probably a better way. I am usually single handing also, though my wife often joins me later on. I always like to get to the club a day ahead of her for a little solo time. that is where i really learn things.
A tiller tamer really helps.....otherwise you are tying and untying your tiller everry time you have to run back to adjust your tiller, and that looses preciouis seconds. With your boat headed into the wind, loosen the main sheet, lock or tie or tighten down you tiller, then head forward and raise that main like you life depended on it....now here is a trick...while you are motoring out, go over in your mind step by step what you are going to do...and be sure, double sure, no triple sure, that the standing ends of your halyards and sheets are ready to run freely through their fittings as you raise sail, or are they going to get caught by a kink or knot or across your gennie pole, etc etc. Time is of the essence, so be sure you are really ready to make sail with out a hitch. i think you will find if you can get that main up quickly you are good to go. Raise the main, making sure that the main sheet is loose so she doesn't begin to fall off the wind quiet so fast.
Then as she is beginning to fall of anyway,( due to the wind acting upon the hull and now, your flapping main) turn and raise your jib. Again, nothing can get hung up or your are stuck (or your sails are anyway). you will want to have already figured out in your head which side your jib will end up on after you raise it because it will be way better to have put your jib sheet in it's block on the correct side, then all you have to do is run back, sheet in your main, then your jib.
I guess the main thing is to be sure all those lines are going to feed smooth, that you can do it quicly without fumbling (sorta like that first date haha) and think it out ahead of time.
also i wouldn't hurt to lube the foreward stay and the groove the main sail raises in to buy you a little insurance.
solving those kinds of problems is one of my favorite parts
let me know how it goes.
p.s. i don't turn my motor off till my sails are up just in case i have to have a second go at it., it helps to get the boat back onto the wind if your sails get hung.

then as she fall of to windward

 

[John Stevens]

Here's a few things that will help:

1. Put sail slugs on the main, it's a 1000 times easier to raise while alone because the sail is already in the mast slot, just has to be raised.
2. Don't put the boom in the mast cruch, rig a topping lift, allow the boom to swing free so that part of the main doesn't catch wind and turn the boat.
3. Keep the motor on at low speed to give the boat some forward motion for control and... tie off the tiller in that direction.

I single hand my Daysailer One and I've never had a problem doing it this way.

John

 

[caguy]

if you are going to solo consider bringing the hlyards back to the cockpit.

 

[John Stevens]

The mast on the Daysailer is just about a foot or so forward of the cockpit, no need to leave the cockpit to raise.

John

 

[SchwarckT]

making sail

Hi Gary: With my boats, I just raise the jib first and come up on a close reach(point as high as possible) and use a bungie cord to hold the tiller in place. At that point the boat will sail itself and I can then go to the mast to raise/lower the main. You have to be careful that the boat does not try to tack as you move forward. You can adjust the jib sheets or centerboard to avoid this. This way I can just shut off the motor (I have oars on my 15) after leaving the dock and raise the sails without any hurry.
Tom

Does anyone have any advice on keeping the bow of the boat into the wind while raising and lowering the main sail. I am single handing a Oday daysailer and I keep it at a dock in a cove. I have a small 2 H.P. motor that I use to motor out into the lake. I point the bow into the wind while I shut the motor off and raise it, then lock the tiller pointing windward. By the time I get ready to hoist the main the bow always swings around and I am drifting downwind bow first.(I have the main's foot attached to the boom and the boom resting in the boom crutch before I shut the motor down)
The same thing happens when I lower the sail and this causes the battens to get hung up on the shrouds and I have a hard time getting the sail pulled down. I recently ripped my sail, which is now repaired, but I don't want this to happen again. Any help is appreciated.

 

[Joe11688]

Gary,
I go along with John. I would install sail slugs on both the luff and the foot of the sail. Put a couple of drops of Dawn liquid detergent on each sail slug to make them slide fast and easy. Install a topping lift from the top of the mast to the end of the boom. You can install a sail slug stop to keep the sail slides from falling out of your mast and it can be as simple as a short piece of 3/16" braid rope held in place with a plastic wire clip screwed to your mast and tied with a "Reef Knot".
You can either use your outboard to keep the boat heading into the wind, or while powering your boat, head up into the wind, let the tiller go and quickly run the mainsail up and cleat it off. Here's some pics of the sail stop that I use on my boat. Fortunately, I have a mast winch that holds the rope from slipping down and I have no need for the wire strap.

 

[emergpa1]

The mast on the Daysailer is just about a foot or so forward of the cockpit, no need to leave the cockpit to raise.

John

i realized after my post that your boat probably is much different than mine. but still, setting sail is that moment of joy for me when going out sailing, and i had a blast just thinking through it while typing my reply to your post.
keith

 

[billh]

Gary,

Good advice from the others. Keep that motor running and in forward until the sails are up! Use a tiller tamer to hold the tiller. I single hand almost always, and put my little 8hp in gear and head into the wind. Tighten up the tiller tamer and run as safely and fast as I can onto the deck. I hoist the main and the jib from the deck.

Granted sometimes I end up swinging about once or twice as well Just wait till she comes around again and hoist away.

Ensure as someone mentioned that your lines are clear and ready. any tangles will hamper your efforts. Slugs lubed, I use that dry lube, I get mine from Tractor Supply a bit less than marine stores.

90% of the time I do well, but it''s that pesky 9% when the wind is up that I get lines whipping my face and so on when I wonder why I don't have the lines running to the cockpit Always and I mean always have on that life vest when on deck. That one time when I flew off the deck missing the cockpit and ended up in the lake that reminds me being as safe as I can is never quite safe enough! But the life vest will keep you afloat until some bystander, when done laughing at you and typically a motor boater, comes over to assist you back into the boat. Not that I am familiar with that particular occurrence, echem.

Happy sailing.