removing the sails for the first time.....any tips?

[iSailor]

I will be removing the sails this weekend and this will be the first time for me with the Cat. 310. It has the dutchman system and Shaffer roller furling. Any tips/procedures would be welcome.

Thanks,
Matt

 

[eliems]

Mark the Dutchman (weedeater lines) where they attach to the pockets on the bottom. That way you will know how to re-attach them with out stretching/breaking them later. Just put a piece of tape to mark them.

 

[Barnacle Bill]

With the Schaeffer system you just unfurl the sail and then ease out the halyard while someone collects the sail on the foredeck so it doesn't go into the water. It is best to do this while the boat points into the wind rather than the wind coming from behind. If it is calm out, then no worry.

 

[PrincessoftheLake]

I will be removing the sails this weekend and this will be the first time for me with the Cat. 310. It has the dutchman system and Shaffer roller furling. Any tips/procedures would be welcome.

Thanks,
Matt

I guess it is a matter of personal preference but if you are removing the sails for winter storage I would suggest just removing the dutchman lines. I noticed they would get all brittle sitting over the winter and I would just end replacing them in the spring so I always took mine off.

 

[rpwillia]

Not to worry

I guess it is a matter of personal preference but if you are removing the sails for winter storage I would suggest just removing the dutchman lines. I noticed they would get all brittle sitting over the winter and I would just end replacing them in the spring so I always took mine off.

POTL, I tend to leave mine on as they take years to fail. Last set lasted almost 10 years.

 

[Tom J]

As far as the Dutchman Flaking system goes, I like to detach the lines at the topping lift, then coil them up and stick them inside the zippered pocket at the bottom of the line. They stay neat and secured and ready to be deployed next season. Removing the mainsail is pretty much like any other mainsail. I prefer to raise the mainsail just enough to get at the bottom batten, then remove the batten and then the others as you lower the sail. It definitely helps to remove the sails on a calm day, or at least no more than a breeze over the bow. I also like to remove the sails before the boat is hauled. I'd hate to think what could happen if a gust caught a sail while the boat was on stands.
In any case, you'll find what works best for you as you go along. Hope these hints help a little bit.

 

[JK_Boston_Catalina310]

For the Dutchman system, I just disconnect the looped portion of the topping lift used to make adjustments to the Dutchman from the boom (the vang keeps the boom up) and lower the topping lift to access the top of the looped section. Disconnect the top of the looped section and connect the actual topping lift to the end of the boom. The looped section can then just be coiled up (with the monofiliment) and put in the sail bag with the mainsail.

 

[iSailor]

With the Schaeffer system you just unfurl the sail and then ease out the halyard while someone collects the sail on the foredeck so it doesn't go into the water. It is best to do this while the boat points into the wind rather than the wind coming from behind. If it is calm out, then no worry.

How is the sail connected to the roller furling? Does it just slide out of the track from the bottom? The boat is on the hard and I want to remove the sail quickly for obvious reasons.

Main sail was removed last week, thanks for the Dutchmen tips.

 

[gpd955]

Unfurl the sail. If you have someone else available, have them keep enough tension on one of the sheets so you don't get too much luffing, but not enough where the sail will actually catch the wind. Release the jib halyard and pull the sail down the slide. It should come down onto a pile on the deck.

Another option would be to unfurl manually right from the forestay/furler and bunch the sail up so it doesn't catch wind and then release the halyard and lower the sail.

Make sure that you secure your halyard somewhere on the deck so it doesn't accidentally get hoisted back up sans sail! And make sure that at some point to remove the shackle from the tack or you'll be in for a surprise when you're carrying the sail off of the deck and it decides to stay put.

I don't know if this explains it well. It's easier to show then explain!

 

[paulj]

After installing all lines......Sometimes tying knots on the end of all sheet and halyard lines
has been proven
to be useful.


paulj :troll:

 

[rbmcintire]

I disconnect the genoa halyard from the "top part" of the furling system, then run it through the furler's "bottom part" shackle (where the sail's tack connects) and then re-connect the halyard back up onto to the "top part's" shackle (where the head of the sail connects). This keeps the two furler sections snugged together over the winter.

 

[iSailor]

thanks for the tips.

 

[MarkZ]

I disconnect the genoa halyard from the "top part" of the furling system, then run it through the furler's "bottom part" shackle (where the sail's tack connects) and then re-connect the halyard back up onto to the "top part's" shackle (where the head of the sail connects). This keeps the two furler sections snugged together over the winter.

I rig my foresail halyard for storage the same way as RB described. But first, before I run it through the bottom shackle I wrap it around the furler a half a dozen times and let it spiral down from the top. This keeps it from flapping in the breeze.