Raising the main

[Geek_Guy]

I need ideas or suggestions please. When I raise the main on my 1987 Hunter 37 it is extremely difficult. I have to put the halyard on the winch for the last half and it is still nearly impossible. Last time I literally put blood blisters on my fingers.

I've seen suggestions of lubing the track and slides, but this seems much more of a problem that that would fix. I'm wondering if the pulley at the top of the mast is broken.

I'm not much of a mast climber. Should I get a rigger to go up and check, or does someone have a better plan or idea.

Thanks

[Vasco]

Drone

[Tetepare]

Had the same issue on a friend's Hunter last weekend. Part of it is the big heavy main, but I think the halyard jumped the sheave.

[GordMay]

The key to reducing the friction on a track is to make sure the track is clean first. Clean the track all of the way up with mineral spirits or denatured alcohol on a rag, being sure to stuff the rag into the slot, and change the rag often as it becomes dirty.
After the mast track is clean, lubricate the sail slugs with McLube Sailkote, making certain the slugs have dried before putting them back into the mast track.

[alctel]

I have the 36 version of your boat and I can pull the main up all the way without having to use the winch at all - sounds like you are getting snagged somewhere. Is the topping lift the wrong side of the halyard?

[ontherocks83]

The halyard very well could have slipped off the sheave, or the sheave is bad/broken. If you have a Spinnaker halyard, find a boat yard teenager and ask if they want to go check it out for you. Most will do it for free because it's fun.

[zboss]

It's probably a number of factors. Old design, slugs that need replacing, dirty track, a stuck or bent sheave pin, or halyard skip.

Or you could be a weakling Arnold say "we are going to pump you up!"


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[Geek_Guy]

Hey,

No poking fun at the geek-boy and his sniveling muscles!?!?!

Won't a rigger go up and fix? I don't mind the teen ager, but not sure I would trust his opinion or fix.

Dave

[Geek_Guy]

No doubt on the age, and design. (Especially mine) Those are factors, but this is much more than I would expect with just those factors.

What is halyard skip?

[StuM]

First thing to do is attach a line to the halyard, put a bit of tension on it and raise and lower it. That will tell you whether the problem is with the halyard/sheave or the sail track/slugs.

What you from there depends on what you find.

[jeepbluetj]

Originally Posted by StuM

First thing to do is attach a line to the halyard, put a bit of tension on it and raise and lower it. That will tell you whether the problem is with the halyard/sheave or the sail track/slugs.

What you from there depends on what you find.

This is exactly what I'd do - isolate it between the halyard and the sail track/slugs.

[Sandero]

All good suggestions above... Does the sail have a a bunch of slab reefing lines attached? Are the slack? Is your sail heavy to begin with? Full battens? What sort of cars?

My main was 440sf and heavy cloth, full battens 3 reef (6 lines) and a Dutchman. Even head to wind I had a hard to hand raising it and had to complete the last 10 feet or so... with a winch.

A few years ago I got a Milwaukee Lith ion right angle drill with winch bit. Expensive but it is fabulous to raise the main. It too does a bit of "struggling" for the last bit. It's a lot of weight folded up in a sail bag... let along with the battens, reef and friction.

Try an experiment.. bag your sail and lift it with the halyard all the way to the top... toss in some extra weight to simulate friction. If you can lift it easy peasy... you have mast track friction issues... clean, lube, new slugs.

[Tayana42]

Same issue here ... and it gets worse as I get older. I have a Dutchman and mid weight cruising Dacron main with three reefs, two full battens and three partial battens. The main's shipping weight was close to 90 lbs. There are Harkin Bat cars on a T track and no problem there. I replaced the block at the mast head and that helped a good bit. Now I'm looking at the slab reefing as a source of resistance. The sheaves at the aft end of the boom may need replacement. And I'm thinking something thinner and more slippery than stay-set for the reef lines?


S/V B'Shert

[Sandero]

Originally Posted by Tayana42

Same issue here ... and it gets worse as I get older. I have a Dutchman and mid weight cruising Dacron main with three reefs, two full battens and three partial battens. The main's shipping weight was close to 90 lbs. There are Harkin Bat cars on a T track and no problem there. I replaced the block at the mast head and that helped a good bit. Now I'm looking at the slab reefing as a source of resistance. The sheaves at the aft end of the boom may need replacement. And I'm thinking something thinner and more slippery than stay-set for the reef lines?


S/V B'Shert

Your reefing lines need to be completely slack when you raise the sail. Sheaves for reefing are needed to lower/reef the sail. Of course they need to work properly. When you drop the main DO NOT "tighten" the reefing lines. Leave them in the full extended length of the full hoist sail. When you "clean up" roll the reefing lines around the sail and boom... like a sail tie essentially.

Main sheet must be slack. Vang loose... head to wind, reefing lines loose. Wind helps jiggle the slides and mitigate friction.

If it's a 90# sail... you probably need to be pretty strong or get help from a winch at the end.. or use a power assisted winch.

You're no longer the young stud you once were... so don't expect to have the strength of one.

[Tayana42]

How do you know I'm not a stud?


S/V B'Shert