Anyone else having problems getting it up?

[Tsunami]

The mainsail that is......other bits working well.

I replaced my original (2001) mainsail with a tri-radial from Precision Sails in Sydney BC in June '24. I have been very happy with it but was afraid that I gave them incorrect measurements regarding the length of the luff.

While raising the sail I didn't want to pull down on the halyard any more forcefully for fear of pulling the block off the top of the mast and yet the tack was still not tight down to the gooseneck. I decided to live with it and tensioned the luff with a line to the gooseneck (Cunningham?)
At the end of the season with my 26X in the back yard I removed the mast, boom and mainsail and put them all together while flat on the grass. Everything looked good and fit together nicely with enough room between the head of the sail and the halyard block. The sail dimensions were correct.

I will clean and lube the mast track so the slugs will slide properly for next spring but my question is how much force should be required on the halyard to fully raise the sail? I have the halyard back to the cockpit so I could use a winch but that puts a lot of force through the deck organizer and turning block at the mast base. And yes, the topping lift was used to keep the leach slack.

This new sail is much more robust than the original so more force to raise it was expected. I would love to hear from others that have used heavier sails. Has anyone needed to use the winch or a 2:1 setup at the mast base?

Dean

[Stickinthemud57]

OK, forgive me if this is something you are aware of...

Sometimes I have trouble getting it up (the mainsail, of course) with the sail loose at the gooseneck as you describe. Then I realize that the mainsheet is still under tension, preventing full hoisting. I curse under my breath, uncleat the mainsheet and finish hoisting the sail.

[NiceAft]

I have found that before raising the mainsail, use the topping lift to raise the boom a few inches. This removes all sorts of lateral pressure on the sail. I noticed this when I could not raise the main the last few inches. When the boom was raised a bit, no difficulty in raising the main all of the way. once up, I release the topping lift.

[dlandersson]

Sometimes I too have trouble getting it up (the mainsail, of course). I noticed that the lines at the top of the mail occasionally cross. I have to lower it a few feet, make sure the lines aren't crossed over, and raise it again.

[Tsunami]

Thanks for the replies guys.
At the time I didn't want to apply any more force thinking that perhaps the head of the sail was right up to the block the halyard ran through.
Now that I have verified that is not the case the cause must be the cumulative drag of all the slugs.
Hopefully a good cleaning of the slot and some dry lube will fix the issue. The weather is usually nice enough in April to step the mast in my driveway for a test.
Thanks again.

[NiceAft]

If you have not done this yet. Just try using the topping list to raise the end of the boom. Just in case, raise it significantly. If this does not work, then proceeded with your plan. If it does, your life is made easier.

[Jimmyt]

At the time I didn't want to apply any more force thinking that perhaps the head of the sail was right up to the block the halyard ran through….

Good call. These sails are not large enough to require a lot of effort to raise. Unless you were in a gale, no winch should be required. You don’t want to tear up anything while you’re figuring out the problem.

Is your halyard block and all of your turning blocks, running freely (and in good shape)? Is your line too large for the blocks or frayed to the point that it’s binding? A line may run through the blocks ok without a load on it, then bind up under load under these conditions. Maybe try raising at the mast instead of from the cockpit - so you’ve only got the top block working - just to see if that changes anything. I have seen an oversized line cause the exact problem you’re having.

Several good possibilities given above - two of which I’ve personally experienced; twisted halyard, and tight main sheet (or use topping lift to raise boom). I see in your original post that you were using the topping lift, so that eliminates main sheet/boom angle.

Your thoughts about cleaning the track/slugs and lubing the track is also a good thought. Also, are the slugs in good shape and right for the slot?

Good luck! We’ll be waiting to see what you find.

[DaveC426913]

This may go without saying but:

Are you ensuring you are in-irons or under power when raising the main? I never try to raise the main unless it is completely luffed. Sideways tension on the slugs can create a lot of friction preventing the set of a good, tight leech.

And yes, as others have mentioned,

• ease your main sheet
• raise the boom with the topping lift
• apply spray-on teflon to slugs and slot at the beginning of each season

[Tsunami]

Just a "follow up" so we can put this thread to bed.
While the mast was down I used a wire bottle brush to clean out the mast track then sprayed the track with a dry lube. I also gave each slug a shot of the lube as they were fed into the slot. That did the trick, no issues as the halyard pulled the sail completely to the top.
Thanks again guys for all your suggestions.

[leefrankpierce]

Our slot was designed for a bolt rope not slugs.
Added a track to mine mine, seems to help.
https://www.tidesmarine.com/shop/track- ... sailtrack/