Embarrassing question. Raise headsails on the hard?

[whynot929]

Water is a lot softer than the ground if you fall.

[meirriba]

Originally Posted by boatsisboats

Have never had to raise head sails after being on the hard before.
Wondering if we should wait until after the splash?

Total newbie to this, have previously only bareboated.

Both head sails are down and we splash soon. Would you wait or hoist on the hard. Of course not attaching any sheets and of course with no wind in early morning.

Seems like it could end in tears.

Be kind...

ONLY if you mean a sailing dinghy (e.g. 420, Laser etc.) 😂

[Mlp48]

I have done it .. but then thought.. "what if I'd fallen off the #%#% boat ?" Like they've said.. SHOULD be Ok to do with no wind, no projected wind.

[Clivevon]

I would say absolutely NO most definitely do not. The marina I am in insists all canvas is off the boat before lifting out. Ignore others saying they have done it & got away with it. The ones that didnt wont be posting on here...
Why, anyway?

[Hoodsail]

bend on my headsail while tied up to the yard's dock after she's been splashed. Also run the genoa sheets aft and ready so if by slim chance while motoring away from the dock and into the channel to the sound, my diesel quits, I can quickly unfurl the gennie and sail out the channel & not run aground.

[ggray]

I've got a cat, yet the yard I just hauled at said get the jib down first.

I'm not sure that I haven't in the past unfurled the jib while hauled out, to drop it, but wouldn't consider doing it except that it is a cat.

[skipper53]

It can and has been done safely. No or little wind, head to wind and completely clear sheet lines are a must.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by skipper53

It can and has been done safely. No or little wind, head to wind and completely clear sheet lines are a must.

Perhaps it has been done successfully, but I reckon NOT safely. Safely would imply that there was no risk, and risk there surely is.

Jim

[ChrisJHC]

Agree with 99% of the others: don’t do it.

The question I have is why are you even considering it?

If it’s to make sure your rigging is okay then just tie a rope to your halyard and haul that up.

If it’s to check the sails themselves (or to fit them to a furler) then wait until you’re on the water.

[malbert73]

NEVER! Even unsheeted a gust will flog a headsail enough to wiggle a boat free of jack stands I bet. To the 2 who think it’s ok I hope your boat is sitting with a clear radius equal to your mast height otherwise other folks have to suffer consequences of your fools bet. And sure chances are high you pull it off but why??

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by boatsisboats

Have never had to raise head sails after being on the hard before.
Wondering if we should wait until after the splash?

Total newbie to this, have previously only bareboated.

Both head sails are down and we splash soon. Would you wait or hoist on the hard. Of course not attaching any sheets and of course with no wind in early morning.

Seems like it could end in tears.

Be kind...

Hi, boatsisboats,

What you could do for an experiment, some time, is at anchor, where you are not crowded, is try it. See how much force is actually generated, even in very light air. Even though we've done this more than once, it always comes as a bit of a shock to me, it puts huge loads on the anchor.

I agree with the risk always present, and think it's not a good idea to hoist headsails on the hard. You can lay one out on deck, tied down, ready to hoist, even have the halyard near the head of the sail and the tack tacked down, but don't actually hoist it. If, after the hard, you go onto a berth, and it is head to wind, yes, you can hoist it, and then furl it if you have a furler..

I think you got the warning, not intending to hassle you.

Ann

[johnn33]

Do check your luff grooves after the long Winter
https://www.practical-sailor.com/sai...uff-track-cure
John

[Reefmagnet]

I've done it on every boat I've ever had every time up on the hard. No way am I launching a boat without the sails ready to go at the dodgy places my boats get hauled out for the long term. You need to make sure the vessel is secure on the stands ( preferably strapped down), pick your weather (wind) and obviously never sheet off. No doubt there is a risk factor of sorts, but since when is sailing risk free?

[rfkneller]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Perhaps it has been done successfully, but I reckon NOT safely. Safely would imply that there was no risk, and risk there surely is.

Jim

When have you ever done anything on a boat that is completely safe?

[Clivevon]

Originally Posted by Reefmagnet

I've done it on every boat I've ever had every time up on the hard. No way am I launching a boat without the sails ready to go at the dodgy places my boats get hauled out for the long term. You need to make sure the vessel is secure on the stands ( preferably strapped down), pick your weather (wind) and obviously never sheet off. No doubt there is a risk factor of sorts, but since when is sailing risk free?

"No way am I launching a boat without the sails ready to go" No engine, then? Strapping down? I think many of us here are talking at cross purposes.
You are maybe talking about large dinghys or similar ? I am talking about a heavy 36 foot cruiser sitting on her 7500 lb wide flat bottom long fin keel with timber pit props wedged in under the bulkhead positions to prevent any sideways movement and connected together with timber battens nailed in. Over here, that is the usual way its done. Very few boats have cradles. There is NO WAY you should raise any canvas with that arrangement or anything like it.