Mainsail raising issues

[Catigale]

Welcome Ahmed, As-salaam

It looks to me like the main is about one foot short, a lot more than an inch.


Can other owners comment? Your sail shape looks pretty good IMHO, though.

I have often tried to pull the main up against the main sheet or the vang..is it hard raising the main the whole way up the mast or just the last few feet?

[mika]

Ha ha! This post made me laugh out loud - at myself - and brought back memories of my first couple of times out with my new M. Then I realized, "DUH!". I had the mainsheet cleated down! Even though it was loosely cleated, it severely impaired the ability of the halyard to hoist the sail all the way up!

It sounded like some of you implied this man's new boat was delivered without slugs on the main. Is that possible? My new M came with them and I don't recall that having been an upgrade when I ordered. Hmm.

[kurz]

It sounded like some of you implied this man's new boat was delivered without slugs on the main. Is that possible? My new M came with them and I don't recall that having been an upgrade when I ordered. Hmm.

Well, my 26m arrived also WITHOUT sails slugs - unfortunately. Had to bring the main to sailmaker... Was worth any penny

[BOAT]

No slugs on my boat from the factory and I raise the sail no problem - even in the driveway with the wind at my back it goes up and down with ease.

The only thing I'm still not sure about is that little bit of sail left over at the bottom (the tack) that does not go into the mast slot. I often unhook the goosneck to slide that exposed part into the bottom becaue I forget to slide it in before I slide the foot into the boom.

Do any of you guys do that? (Forget to tuck in the tack) or do you just leave it out? Is it okay to sail that way?

[parrothead]

Hi Boat,

Our had sail slugs on the luff of the main, but I'm having a hard time picturing how you end up with any excess at the tack that needs to be tucked in. Perhaps it is because (as I understand your last post), you hoist the main prior to feeding the foot into the slot in the boom? Our mainsail spent its entire life attached to the boom. We'd have the boom disconnected from the mast for trailering and winter storage, but the mainsail remained attached, with the sail cover wrapped around it.

I'd say that the preferred sequence is:

1) Pull the foot of the sail into the boom slot (if it isn't already there)
2) Attach the boom to the mast via the gooseneck, and secure the tack of the mainsail
3) Attach the topping lift to the end of the boom and pull it up so the end of the boom is a little higher than normal sailing position
4) Hoist the mainsail, pulling the luff TIGHT.
5) Tension the outhaul as appropriate for the wind conditions (tighter in higher winds)
6) Release the topping lift, so the boom is being supported by the sail
7) Tension the boom vang as appropriate
Head off the wind and go sailing

One afterthought.... not knowing the age of your mainsail. The luff rope (inside the sail) will shrink over time, so if you haven't cut the stitches that are securing the lower end of the rope at the tack of the sail, you will probably have a pucker after a while. Just cut those stitches and the end of the rope will retreat up inside the sail. From that point onward you should be able to fully flatten the luff with halyard tension.

[BOAT]

"2) Attach the boom to the mast via the gooseneck, and secure the tack of the mainsail"


At this point you could not put the rope on the luff side of the tack into the mast slot BELOW the mast opening. If you do this with the factory sail (no slugs) you're leaving the rope part of the tack hanging out of the mast at the very bottom.

You would need to feed the rope part of the sail tack into the opening of the mast slot doing DOWN, and THEN attach the gooseneck. (You can't get that tack into the mast slot if the sail is outhauled on the boom).

It's too close to dinner time over here to raise the main to get a picture with the tack but I can get a picture of the slot for you because I raised the mast yesterday.

If you look at this picture, you see that the rope on the luff side of the tack must go DOWN the slot. The rest of the main goes UP the slot. Am I making any sense??




You see? there is a big area (the "bunch of space from here to here" in the picture) where the sail would not be in the mast slot if you only pulled the main UP. At some point it needs to go DOWN, too.

If it still does not make sense I can raise the main tomorrow and get a better picture. I'm planning some major mods on that goosneck too.

[DrV]

Some of the advises, I already tried after my first sail. The halyard indeed seems to look for that bolt in the top to get stuck. I had the mast down and visually check if there is anything stuck in the groove, I point her straight in the wind to prevent any load, etc... However, I did not try to run one slug up and down. Maybe that could solve or show something. I got one major sailing tip which was to use soap as a lubricant. No stains, and theoretically washes out with rain (it never rains in Dubai ), but still after each sail the boat gets hosed down, so that's wet enough. I will try that over the weekend

If you want to know my opinion, it isn't about lubricating. Lubricating can make in 30% easier, some dirt can make it 30% harder (and you have a new boat!), but when it takes four guys and 30 minutes to do what you should be able to do singlehanded - then something is wrong about the rigging.

Maybe I rigged her wrong. When under full sail, the Genoa seems to be fighting and rubbing the bow rail. Does it look the same on any of your ?

Genoa looks right. Mine rubs the rails as well.

Below picture is the Mona Lisa under sail, after pulling at the main for about half an hour with the full crew. As you can see the Genoa is rubbing the bow rail and if you look closely, you can see that the main still had about an inch or so to go up.

Looks good! By they way, welcome to White Hull Community. Everybody knows that beautiful girls get crazy only about white hull Macgregors.

Direct image link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ciz6o73gjx12n3u/IMG_4144.JPG

This one isn't working for me.

Thanks very much to everybody once again for the tips and warm welcome.

Welcome.
In March, I am coming to Dubai on business, if there is still need - I don't mind to take a look. I'll be fun for me, too (too early to sail in my area!!!).

[DrV]

It sounded like some of you implied this man's new boat was delivered without slugs on the main. Is that possible? My new M came with them and I don't recall that having been an upgrade when I ordered. Hmm.

Are you kidding or what? Mine (2011 make) arrived without any kind of slugs whatsoever

[dlandersson]

I'm free to come with you to Dubai, if you need someone to hold your bag and help you get around, I spent several years in KSA, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq.

In March, I am coming to Dubai on business, if there is still need - I don't mind to take a look. I'll be fun for me, too (too early to sail in my area!!!).

[DrV]

If you look at this picture, you see that the rope on the luff side of the tack must go DOWN the slot. The rest of the main goes UP the slot. Am I making any sense??

You see? there is a big area (the "bunch of space from here to here" in the picture) where the sail would not be in the mast slot if you only pulled the main UP. At some point it needs to go DOWN, too.
If it still does not make sense I can raise the main tomorrow and get a better picture. I'm planning some major mods on that goosneck too.

It is 100% clear what you mean, after you published that picture. Why do you think that it is that important to feed last foot of the mainsail into that slot? I don't think that I would gain anything, even if there is a way to do it. So, I sail without that last foot feeded in. At least, I can give you a guarantee that it is EASIER my way.

[Russ]

Are you kidding or what? Mine (2011 make) arrived without any kind of slugs whatsoever

Okay, so how is your main connected to the mast?

My 2008 Doyle main has slugs that go up the mast track. It never did this well, but it never took 4 people to hoist it either. As mentioned before, if my halyard is not perfectly straight (my lines run aft to cockpit) it becomes hard to hoist. Mine used to tangle around the forestay hound bolts. I covered the bolts with tape to help prevent this but it still happens. I would attach a line to the halyard and make sure it hoists up freely. Maybe the block on top is jammed.

--Russ

[BOAT]

Thanks DrV - I was wondering about that. I do indeed run the bottom of the sail into that last few inches of slot!! I'm really anal don't you think? It's true! As a kid my dad hammered on me constantly about being a "messy boat" if I left a fender out after leaving the dock or, (God forbid!), I did not raise the genoa high enough and it touched the pulpit! (We had a masthead rig). And all 'hull' was to pay if there were any loose ropes on desk!

You know how bad it is? When I sat in Captain Mike Inmon's office to detail the boat he gave me a brochure and on the second page was a nice picture of Mike sailing a blue boat with clouds and you know what I noticed??

The line to the furler was slack and hanging below the front window.

(!) (!)

That's just TOO anal man - I think I have a problem. When I pointed it out to Mike he gave me a real strange look.

Yes, I must have ALL the of the luff IN THE SLOT and the furler line must be taught at ALL TIMES and I HATE fenders on the side when under way and wrinkles in the genoa irritate me - I think there is no hope for me. My dad would ride my butt all the time.

I was just wondering if anyone else was also putting the sail in the slot at the bottom or if it was just me.

Where are you at man? You can't sail yet? Is it too cold?

[Russ]

It sounded like some of you implied this man's new boat was delivered without slugs on the main. Is that possible? My new M came with them and I don't recall that having been an upgrade when I ordered. Hmm.

Are you kidding or what? Mine (2011 make) arrived without any kind of slugs whatsoever

I'm beginning to think that some of you have main sails without slugs. See slugs below. That might explain why your main is so hard to hoist.

The loose tack is from not having the halyard tight enough. Nothing is supposed to be fed into the track below the mast gate. This is not my boat. Mine has a luff rope that tightens this up. Gonna have to drag the sail bag out of the closet to check.



This mast gate (for inserting the slugs) doesn't look like mine. Mine looks like the manufacturer preyed the track wider to allow the the sail slugs to be inserted. I then have a gate lock that prevents the slugs from dropping out of the gate.
I don't see anything like that here.

[BOAT]

I did not want slugs. They are not standard from the factory. In my opinion slugs are ugly, they make the sail look ugly, and they are a detriment to sail performance. Now, please, don't get mad - it's just my opinion, okay? I know that BWY provides slugs on all their boats, but that is not factory. I picked up my boat at the factory in Costa Mesa.

Why no slugs?
Well, I'm an old fart and that is what I am used to and:
I wanted my main sealed tight at the luff so no air escapes the foil. I am a really big fan of the rotating mast too, and I believe the rotating mast improves sailing performance greatly along with a well-sealed main luff. I just don't like the look of slugs and the puckers they put in the sail nor do I like the air leaks all up and down the mast.

So, for those of us on factory boats we have a rope in our luff that goes up the mast slot snugly. The big question for me was:

Do you guys also put the sail in the BOTTOM of the mast slot? On a factory boat that is easily done and optional because there is no gate on the mast slot. It's wide open. After the main is up you just unhook the gooseneck and drop the sail into the slot OR release the outhaul and pull about 4 feet of slack into the foot and drop in the tack into the lower slot. It's easy, it looks nice and finished, and it seals up the air leaks around the tack.

Also, I raise the main in my drive way ALL THE TIME and the house faces the ocean so the wind is from astern - and it's a pretty good breeze too (I can see the ocean from my driveway). The sail slides up the mast real easy with no trouble, even with the breeze hitting it. As long as I feed the rope in the hole she goes right up no trouble.

My only fear is that too strong of a breeze will hit and try to tip me off the trailer! (If that's possible?)

[kmclemore]

And all 'hull' was to pay if there were any loose ropes on desk!

"Ropes"? "Ropes"??!!??

Somewhere your dad is screaming.