raising the mainsail

gordo · Oct 9, 2008

ScottD said:
I got some great replies, but I want to restate my problem to help get some specific ideas. I am pretty new to sailing, and extremely new to working on my boat.
Mainsail very hard to raise. Two people, with the winch, struggling to get it up. Very hard to pull, and could not get it all the way up (maybe 95%).
Comes down fairly easily. What do you think?
Thanks. It is really appreciated.
Scott

Rub soap on the inside mast channel. works like a dream. You then can send a mate on a beer run.

cheers

letterman · Oct 9, 2008

Could most likely be the connection location of the halyard on the sailhead plate. Get the clip as close to the mast as posssible. (I have two connection points on the top of my sail to connect the halyard to, and if I do the outter one rather than the inner one, it's darn near impossible to raise the sail.)

Phil V25 · Oct 9, 2008

ScottD said:
Mainsail very hard to raise. Two people, with the winch, struggling to get it up. Very hard to pull, and could not get it all the way up (maybe 95%). Comes down fairly easily.

Do you have sail slugs or bolt rope? Is the halyard internal? What size halyard to you use? Is this for your S2? Are you raising the sail with nose into the wind? Is there a pulley at the top of the mast?

Don S/V ILLusion · Oct 9, 2008

Phil V25 said:
Do you have sail slugs or bolt rope? Is the halyard internal? What size halyard to you use? Is this for your S2? Are you raising the sail with nose into the wind? Is there a pulley at the top of the mast?

It's difficult to know precisely what to suggest to you without knowing the answers to phil's questions plus -
can you raise the sail easily while standing at the mast and by hauling on halyard at the mast?
have you checked the block at the top of the mast to see if it's free or might the halyard be off the block and caught at the mast top?
have you tried MacLube or similar lube on the slot?

Bruce Cowin · Oct 9, 2008

Things to try

Here are a couple things you might want to try;
Isolate the problem, if possible;
Make sure you are raising the main sail with the correct halyard. Typically there will be at least two halyards that run through blocks (pulleys) at the top of the mast. One of them is for the head sail (genoa or jib), and one is for the main sail. The halyard for the main sail should run from the head (top) of the main sail, up the aft (back) side of the mast, through a block (pulley), then back down the mast - sometimes to a turning block (another pulley) and then to the wench and/or cleat. If, by chance, you are using the halyard intended for the head sail, then it could be binding at the top of the mast when you try to raise the main sail with it.

Make sure the main halyard raises and lowers easily, without the main sail attached. Instead of raising the main sail, attach another line to the main halyard. Make sure the main halyard goes up and down easily. If not, you may have some problem with the block (pulley) at the top of the mast. Sometimes the sheaves deteriorate and need to be replaced.

Examine the sail track for dents or other defects that could cause the main sail's bolt rope to bind. If the mast was ever dropped or damaged, it could cause the type of problem you described. However, it seems logical that it would also be hard to pull the main sail back down too.

The bolt rope could be binding on the sail slot opening in the mast where the main sail is inserted. Have a friend manually guide the main sail into the track opening as you raise the sail.

If you still find that the main is not going all the way up the mast and is hard to raise, you might want to consider either using a dry lubricant (I saw them mentioned by someone that replied on your previous posting), or modifying the main sail to use nylon sail slides.

I hope this helps you. Please send a reply after trying my suggestions, so I'll know if this really helped you or not.

Thanks,
Bruce

BobM · Oct 9, 2008

Re: Things to try

Another S2 owner reported that there is a break in the track near the top of the mast that was affecting his ability to raise his sail (about the last 4 feet, from what I recall). I have a similar problem on my 9.2A and need to look into it. If true, this is nuts as, while it makes it prettier on deck it sure is hell to work on the top 4 feet!

caguy · Oct 9, 2008

Raising main sail

It really sounds like one of the slugs is twisyed and in upside down.Have you had a chance to check them since your last post? Also the suggestion that your sail is sidewinded is another plausible cause. As suggested make sure you are dead into the wind.Sometimes the halyards get wrap around things. They should be clear of spreaders aad other obstacles.Frank

Ross · Oct 9, 2008

Scott, in your "Stuck" post it was main and jib. Howw did you resolve the problem with the jib?

FrankR3878 · Oct 9, 2008

Do you full length battens in the sail.??

I had the same problem - tried soap in the slot, sail lube, cleaned slugs, ran a clothed soak in stuff up and down the mast. Finally I noticed that the battens were about 1/4 to 1/2 inch too long and were dragging on the mast. I shortened them to fit better in the pockets and now I can raise the main by hand. I was afraid that the halyard would snap before this, but it would drop OK.

Benny · Oct 9, 2008

95% of the time will be a dirty slug track the other 4%

will be sheave at the top of the mast and then 1% other. Suggest you clean the track first. Dunk a piece of cloth into a cleaning solution and the tie it to the halyard (by itself , no sail) then tie a downhaul line to the halyard not to the cloth. Insert the cloth into the mast track and go up and down pulling on the halyard and the downhaul line at intervals. After you have gotten most of the dirt then repeat the procedure with a piece of cloth soaked into a lubricant composed of wax or teflon. The recommended Sail Kote is good. If still tight checke the slugs one by one as it could be one turning and jamming. If all fails is up the mast my friend but the odds are heavily in your favor.

Ross · Oct 9, 2008

Benny said:
will be sheave at the top of the mast and then 1% other. Suggest you clean the track first. Dunk a piece of cloth into a cleaning solution and the tie it to the halyard (by itself , no sail) then tie a downhaul line to the halyard not to the cloth. Insert the cloth into the mast track and go up and down pulling on the halyard and the downhaul line at intervals. After you have gotten most of the dirt then repeat the procedure with a piece of cloth soaked into a lubricant composed of wax or teflon. The recommended Sail Kote is good. If still tight checke the slugs one by one as it could be one turning and jamming. If all fails is up the mast my friend but the odds are heavily in your favor.

Isn't it amazing that from a great, great distance someone can know that there exists a groove and not a track. I can think of a half dozen causes of the problem but wouldn't bet money on any of them. I can suggest a few checks but until I get a difinitive report I can only speculate as to the problem or the remedy.

Mike8193 · Oct 9, 2008

?reefing lines

Do you have reefing lines attached to the sail? My mainsail has two reefing lines attached to the sail. If they are not free and slack when you raise the main it can be very difficult and keep it from being raised all the way. That might explain why it comes down easily and difficult to raise.

Manny · Oct 9, 2008

Re: ?reefing lines

Mike may be on to something with the reefing lines. I know I have forgotten to release mine once or twice and sat there trying to figure out out why my sail wont go all the way up. How about the topping lift? Scott, if you have one, do you raise the sail then release it? It was stated that the main only goes up 95% - if the topping lift is released and the traveler is pulled tight, then it would be difficult at best to get the sail all the way up.
Do you hear any grinding or squealing when raising the main? Can you see part of the sail being stretched tight while other areas are loose?
More info is needed...

Manny

rk · Oct 10, 2008

raising mainsail

You've had lots of good advice. About the only thing I didn't see was to be sure the boat is heading directly into the wind when raising mainsail. If the mainsail is blown off to the side, it results in binding in the boltrope/slot area. RK

sailaway78 · Oct 13, 2008

You will enjoy that boat

Scott, while I have never been on a 9.2, I owned an S2 8.5 for several years. They are really good well built boats. My 8.5 never ever let me down, no matter what the conditions. Sailed well, and was a very good light air boat. It would make 4 or 5 knots with not much more breeze than a good fart. And you will learn to love the encapsulated keel, every time you read a post about keel bolts loose, rusting or leaking.
Fair winds and following seas

RogerHM · Oct 14, 2008

Re: You will enjoy that boat

A-MEN to the topping-lift! Keep the boom end HIGH. With a lubed track for luggs to slide in. Why not? Next, how about hauling down at the mast when it's as high as you can get it??? I had the same prob and solved with both of these efforts, especially the topping lift. Good luck! Roger

RichH · Oct 14, 2008

Re: You will enjoy that boat

Two possibilities come to mind (in addition to all the other post replies):

Does your boat have FULL battens? Sometimes full battens that are attached to 'batten cars', when raising the bat-cars get 'twisted' by the luff edge of the sail. This twisting 'applies the brakes' by forcing the edges of the batt-car in the 'groove' of the mast.

Do you have a boom vang?
Is your vang fully released, so that the leech and end of the boom is allowed to freely 'rise' when you hoist? If the leech of the sail is restrained by the vang pressure, you will have the 'dickens of a time' trying to raise the mainsail.

raising the mainsail

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gordo

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