I have a 1998 Hunter H340. Any ideas as to why the main sail is so difficult to raise the last ten feet or so? It puts a load on the halyard and person raising the main. My boat does not have back stays or topping lift, I do however have a spring loaded rigid boom vang which keeps the boom from falling on the arch and raises the boom to take some load off the main halyard when raising.
Raising the main sail question
- Thread starter Tom Mulligan
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main sheet/boom van set too tight??
Does the boom pull on main sheet or boom vang during the last few feet??
Most mains have a less than 90 degree angle at the tack. That is of no concern until the last few feet then the boom end must rise. If the main sheet or boom vang is set tight to keep the boom from moving around while the main is down it will not let the boom end rise and you will have to really crank on the halyard to get the main luft tight.
Loosen the main sheet and boom vang before hoisting the main and you should not have this problem
Does the boom pull on main sheet or boom vang during the last few feet??
Most mains have a less than 90 degree angle at the tack. That is of no concern until the last few feet then the boom end must rise. If the main sheet or boom vang is set tight to keep the boom from moving around while the main is down it will not let the boom end rise and you will have to really crank on the halyard to get the main luft tight.
Loosen the main sheet and boom vang before hoisting the main and you should not have this problem
Tom:
We had a similar problem with our H'31. I installed a 1/2" Sta-SetX halyard. It was fine for the first season and then was progressively more difficult to raise. I replace it with 7/16" and it was much better.
The spec from Hunter was for 1/2" line. I think that the halyard must have swelled up from moisture or something. I am not a fan of Sta-SetX because of this problem and the line is not very soft.
We had a similar problem with our H'31. I installed a 1/2" Sta-SetX halyard. It was fine for the first season and then was progressively more difficult to raise. I replace it with 7/16" and it was much better.
The spec from Hunter was for 1/2" line. I think that the halyard must have swelled up from moisture or something. I am not a fan of Sta-SetX because of this problem and the line is not very soft.
I found raising the main at the mast made things easier, crew tailed the halyard in the cockpit. Also the reef lines and main sheet must be loose. Getting rid of most of the drag is the answer. Last few feet, needed the winch.
Is it a boltrope system? There is a lot of friction involved. I use one of the dry lubricants on the luff when I'm hoisting and have the luxury of a helper. Mine is furling so I only hoist it once a year. It's still a chore.
Sta-set X is a very stiff line. If it has to go around several blocks its even worse in terms of friction. There are supple lines that have as good or better stretch characteristics - and you do need very low stretch. If the line stretches 1%, and you have a 100' halyard, it stretches 1 foot.
Sta-set X is a very stiff line. If it has to go around several blocks its even worse in terms of friction. There are supple lines that have as good or better stretch characteristics - and you do need very low stretch. If the line stretches 1%, and you have a 100' halyard, it stretches 1 foot.
I would take Steve's suggestion a step further and down size to a 3/8" spectra halyard. Both the turning friction and the stretch in the halyard will be significantly reduced.
Make sure your mainsheet, cunningham, and vang are all released for the hoist.
Make sure your mainsheet, cunningham, and vang are all released for the hoist.
The B&R rigs with the reef lines tied in are hard to raise. First of all, with the fractional rig, the main is huge and has some weight to it. In addition, there is a terrific amount of friction with all of those reef lines dragging up the sail then back down to the boom, then back to the cockpit, etc. The easy solution is to pull them through the boom and keep them hanging loose before you raise the main. I also installed 4 medium blocks where the reef lines run through the grommets on the sail and this has reduced the friction a fair amount.
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