Single Handing - Dropping the Main

[Mike G.]

I single handed for the first time yesterday (on my P-323) and wasn't sure of the best method to drop the Main when heading in. My usual method includes the Admiral running the engine at low speed (into the wind) while I go to the mast and bring it down. Since that wasn't an option, I considered putting on the auto pilot and proceeding. However, what if I went over? The boat would continue without me!

Instead, I hove to - dropped the Main and then proceeded to furl the Genny.
It worked perfectly, but winds were only about 10 knots. I wonder if things would have gone so well in stronger winds? How do others handle it?

Mike

 

[Calif. Ted]

I coil the mainhalyard on cockpit seat in a figure 8 so it's ready to run free with no kinks, furl the genny and start the engine (in either order, depending on wind speed). Put engine in gear and turn into the wind, enough thottle for steerage, set AP, drop main, throw a tie on it. Pretty much gotta reef the same way so it works in winds greater than 10 knots. If you must go on deck, wear a PFD, secure the boom so it can't "sweep" you off and remember "one hand for the ship and one for yourself" I usually hang on to the boom if I don't have my arms wrapped around it.

 

[Cpt. Jon]

on our old boat with a tiller pilot, I would use the tiller pilot to point to wind and drop it, never was an issue, always kept in mind what might happen if I go overboard, but same thing could happen if I went overboard at any point while the autopilot is on or when on my fishing boat. I have only single handed the new boat once I think and it was pretty light wind, I think I pointed into the wind with the steering wheel locked and brought the sail down, don't have an autopilot yet which would be easier. Dont have a roller furling jib either, which made the old boat much easier to singlehand as well.

 

[DeniseO30]

consider getting lazy jacks, and at the very least run the main halyard to the cockpit with the mast winch on the cabin top and a rope clutch behind it. When you drop the main by letting the rope clutch go most of the main will drop and lay between the Lazyjacks then you can finish flaking the main after the boat is under power again. You will be very very happy to single hand then!

 

[yakman]

singlehanding

I am on a mooring so I will normally furl the jib and sail to the mooring , yesterday I was out with just the 130 jib out. So when I approached the mooring it was pretty sloppy with the jib flapping around , I missed the pickup stick and tacked off to start the motor and furl the jib.

 

[RichH]

Consider lazy jacks and with the mainsail halyard run back to the cockpit to a clutch, etc.

The lazy jacks (or equiv.) will allow 95% control of the sail's flaking ... and 'good enough' to continue without being 'anal' with the flaking - you can be 'anal' back at the dock/mooring. With lazy jacks, you can 'drop' the main anytime the sail is not windloaded (with the boat up to ~ 45°± off the wind and the boom 'over the side'). If you dont like lazy jacks because they sometimes interfere with sail shape, consider a system that can be 'stowed in-place' such a 'ez-jax', etc.

If the main halyard is run back to the cockpit, you dont even have to 'go forward'; ditto, when raising the sail.

The autopilot will hold a constant heading. Without an autopilot and in waves, the bow can easily be knocked to the side and onto a new heading .... and then you sometimes have to 'run' back to the helm if in 'narrow' water. Autopilot will control the boat.

Such a system will allow you to drop/raise in up to storm conditions ... and from the cockpit.

 

[Quoddy]

Main halyard

Lazy jacks are a great invention.

I took leading the main halyard back to the cockpit one step further. Our Hunter has very strong push pit seats so I installed clutch banks for the main halyard and other control lines on the push pit. I can reach the control lines from the helm (sort of like the Morris M series boats). The boat is a fractional rig so most of the work is with the main (188 sqft). I can raise and lower and reef it with out ever leaving the helm much less the cockpit. This system works great for single-handing and pretty much eliminates any potential overboard problems. I also have a lightweight down haul to help the sail down (usually not necessary) it also keeps it down when it is down.

 

[bffatcat]

dropping the main siglehanded

Ive always found it easier to luff up the main on a close reach keep the jib sheeted then go
on deck and drop the main. The boat seems to move along very slowly while im furling the main. Some sea room is needed for this.

 

[SanderO]

I single hand a 36' boat with a 440sf main. I have a Dutchman system which is quite good for a neat drop. I usually set the engine to power slowly as possible with the auto pilot into the wind. I release the halyard and then go forward to pull the last bits down with a few sail ties which I tie and then return to the cockpit. I continue on with AP will I lean up the reefing lines etc.

Basically you need a decent sail control system - such as Dutchmen or lazy jacks, and an autopilot... and enough room to do the drop without having to run back to the cockpit and steer.

Falling overboard is always an issue. You need to be careful and use a harness when especially when conditions are not calm.

 

[Rick D]

Ditto Rich H

I singlehand and dropping the main is always the biggest PITA even when I had hanked-on jibs. My Hunter Vision 32 had lazy jacks and they were great dropping the sail which dropped much better after I put some loose webbing for the batten sail slides. My current Hunter Legend 40.5 is more challenging. The PO had put a Stack Pack mainsail system on replacing the Dutchman. After replacing the zipper twice and annoyed with it generally, I removed it. I reconfigured the system into one of retractable lazyjacks. In this system, I deploy them just before I am ready to drop the sail. I put on the sail ties and retract the lazyjacks after I'm in a slip, mooring or anchored. The newish mainsail is stiffer and has carbon battens, so it needs some help coming down. I make sure I scrub off most of my boat speed before heading into the wind. I then set the auto pilot and a dead-slow throttle. I help the sail down by pulling back on the leach to keep the battens from stacking up. The whole process takes a few minutes. I wear my inflatable PFD when I go on deck but do not use my tether as I've found it to be more of a hazard than a help in these maneuvers. In all things sailing, practice will help you devise a system best suited for your boat.

 

[SanderO]

I should add that to drop and tie up the sail tales about a minute or two. The only stressful think is sea room.

 

[tommy]

Down haul

I added a down haul line attached to the main sail. When I let the main down I just
keep pulling in on the down haul until the main is completely down. I never have to leave the cockpit.

 

[higgs]

Single handing has its risks and they cannot be avoided. There is no risk free way to lower your main. Accept the risks and go from there.

 

[Dalliance]

I've been single handing alot this summer. I have lazy-jacks; the main halyard runs back to the cockpit with a winch and rope clutch on the cabin trunk; and I have a downhaul run back to the cockpit through a second rope clutch on the cabin top next to the halyard. I don't have to leave the cockpit to lower the main.

I head into the wind with the engine running just fast enough to give me steering control, tighten the mainsheet a bit, lay the halyard coil (coiled figure 8 style) on the cockpit seat, release both rope clutches and pull in the downhaul as quickly as possible. The main usually just drops almost completely under it's own weight and the downhaul pulls down the last few feet. If it doesn't come down smoothly, the downhaul is really helpful. Unless conditions are rough, I then like to put the engine in nuetral and go up to put a couple sail ties on just to keep things neat. I neaten up the sail more at the dock when I put the sail cover on.

By the way, I start the engine first, furl in the jib and then lower the main, and I do this well outside of the harbor mouth, with plently of sea way.

 

[Alan]

I single hand many times in all kind of conditions. If it's blowing stink I will wait to lower the main off a lee shore where conditions are a bit easier. Otherwise after dropping the genoa and putting a bungee across it I simply start the motor and set the pilot head to wind. Dump the mainsheet, open the halyard clutch and holding the line I walk forward to the mast and place one foot on the halyard as it runs across the deck to the base of the mast. This allows both hands to be free to set the luff of the sail in alternating loops as I ease pressure with my foot to allow the sail to drop at any rate I choose. Then starting from the aft end of the boom and three sail ties over my shoulder I flake the main from the back moving forward along the boom while tying it at 5 foot intervals. The whole process only takes a couple of minutes though it will take longer the first time you do it till you get the hang of it. All this of course, is with a sail that will drop under its own weight without any need for a downhaul. For those who have to fight with their main to get it down, a review of the blocks, track and halyard are in order to correct any deficiencies.

 

[DeniseO30]

I would add that I try to set my topping lift and LJs so the boom is low in the cockpit and I can pull the last few folds down without going on the cabin top.

 

[BobM]

Sounds like a great idea

My main is nearly new and even though I have lazy jacks it doesn't drop all that far just because it is so stiff. Although I could probably use my second reef line to help pull it down a bit too.

 

[Alan]

BobM The main being new and stiff does not stop it from dropping. If you were holding the headboard at the masthead and the sail was not in the track would it still remain up when you release it? ....of course not. Something is preventing the sail from dropping under its own weight. Friction due to sheaves, mast track and/or halyard are causing this. In many cases the wrong diameter line is used. Oversize line for the sheave creates a huge amount of friction in the system. and is probably the single largest factor with difficulty raising and lowering sails. A properly operating system should allow the sail to drop to the deck without any assistance other than gravity.

 

[Tom Monroe]

I singlehand a C27 often ... hank-on foresails. I don't like being dependent on the motor for my sail management techniques. Often, you're not just getting rid of sail coming in. You're changing what you have up while you're out.

I think singlehanders need to learn how to set their boat up on a reach something ahead of broad off, where you can get the boat to balance. You can do this with just a tiller tamer or some homemade similar thing ... or an AP if you have one. From that position, you can do most sail management needs.

Coming in, I first dump the headsail. That takes the speed off the boat while still mitigating the motion. On mine, I have the fore halyard led back to the cockpit, by a winch. I'll ease the sheet a bit and take the halyard forward with me, a half turn around the winch. I can then ease the halyard and take down the headsail under control. The boat sails along with a controlled motion cause it's still sailing, but slowly, under main.

Then I go back to the cockpit, adjust course and balance so that I'm sailing pretty close to the wind. Then after being sure the halyard will run true, you just dump the main. Boat stops, and you do whatever you need to do to furl. Get everything together, start the engine, and go on in.

Doing it like this keeps you in practice for when you have to manage sails in open water situations where the wind is building, etc.

I think you have to learn to get the main down without heading directly into the wind. Often, what's happened is that you're out and the wind and waves are building and you've already been reducing headsail area and reefing the main. Then you're finally left with a small headsail up and the main reefed and the wind is still building and the main has to go. In that situation, you need to keep the boat driving a bit, without pouding directly into the waves. So if you have practiced it like above, you're prepared in a tough situation. Also, it keeps you in practice getting around the boat safely. I'm 60. I need to be used to being out of the cockpit, not driven out to do something as a last resort.

Tom

 

[BobM]

Clarification

BobM The main being new and stiff does not stop it from dropping. If you were holding the headboard at the masthead and the sail was not in the track would it still remain up when you release it? ....of course not. Something is preventing the sail from dropping under its own weight. Friction due to sheaves, mast track and/or halyard are causing this. In many cases the wrong diameter line is used. Oversize line for the sheave creates a huge amount of friction in the system. and is probably the single largest factor with difficulty raising and lowering sails. A properly operating system should allow the sail to drop to the deck without any assistance other than gravity.

No, it drops about half way down (headboard at the spreaders), but you are correct in that it was perhaps also due to other friction in the system. In the particular instance it got stuck in the rope clutch on its way down. It is pretty darn stiff though.