Raising the Main Solo

[radsailor]

It should be simple. No autopilot, tiller tie off, motor, anchor, no mooring required.
You just need room and confidence.

As you raise the main with sheet eased as soon as the main catches some breeze, the boat will round up into the wind. It may even tack. Just be patient.

You can also raise the main on any heading except dead down wind by easing the sheet all the way. The only thing you need worrying about is getting the sail snagged where the shrouds meet the mast.

[Epikur]

I do it dinghy style on my 30‘ boat:
- boom lift taut to keep the boom up
- main sheet taut to keep the boom midship
- tiller free
- engine on, gear disengaged (since I‘m usualy near to a shore)

Than hoist the main first. The bow will keep to windward.
Than hoist stays‘l & jib.

Back to the cockpit & off you go.

[Hamish_ct]

I run the Sailing program at our club FYC. I have the students raise the main on the dock. The theory is, if the engine, for some reason fails, then you have the main to control the boat.

Taking it down then is the issue. Honestly, a piece of line to hold the tiller is the cheapest and best option.

[Goodxcharly]

Try McLube Sailkote. A dry slippery lubricant which works wonders and doesn’t leave a greasy residue like WD40. Sails go up faster and come down faster and no grease marks on your sails.

[radsailor]

McLube is very good.

Re taking down the main: I get the main halyard ready to release and run, partially release the sheet, let go of the tiller, and as the boat heads into the wind, release the halyard while pulling down the leech of the sail. I have a sail tie ready to bundle the main just to get it out of the way. If the sail does not come down fast enough and is still drawing wind, the boat tacks and then heads into the wind again.

Again, patience and confidence are key. Go out where there is plenty of water and no boats around. Practice this so you see how the boat reacts.

[sengland]

Not to go over other responses..... some things I've done.
1.Get underway with jib, engine off, find a close haul tack and let boom out all the way then hoist main with the tiller tied (am assuming you can balance the tack with a fixed tiller) You may have to go back and forth to thread the slugs into the main.
2.Before stowing the main, put a stop at lowest guided position in mast, this way when you hoist there is no slug threading to do and you can hoist from the cockpit.
3.I recently installed a locking cam cleat to the mast on my Irwin 34, so I can lean out on the main halyard AT the mast where I can thread the slugs and pull up as I go. If yours are tight then yes some grease will help. Check if any are worn and look at replacing or filing straight again.
(4. As I get older the autohelm I have is a game changer in many aspects,
although I do tend to sail with others) (You can see all our adventures at YouTube Sailing With Faith https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCof...-lqhlidQjCUykw)

[Yojimbo]

This thread has produced lots of good insight- thanks to all. I'll get with the maintenance operator and start with the slugs, lubing the track, checking the gate and slug replacement if needed/possible. Next will be to get a good day in light 7-9 knots max and smoother conditions to go out with my regular crewmate as backup and start trying some of these suggestions- they've obviously worked for others so it should be just a question of baby steps and practice. Summer conditions tend to be light wind in this region so the opportunities to experiment with this may just produce some improved competency. Thanks again.

[merrydolphin]

2 good solutions. But will cost a little but well worth it in so many ways.

1. Get a Tides marine sail slide system. Very easy to install, no need to go up the mast. The main will glide up and down effortlessly.

2, Get a tiller pilot. A lot of people are have great luck with the Pelagic brand pilot.

These two items will change your sailing experience, especially single handing. No need to run halyard into cocpit. It will go up hand over hand so fast that it “slaps” when the head of the sail hits the top! This was my experience with my 46’ Cal.
In my late sixties and average build all I had to do after hauling it up was about a crank on the winch to tension to appropriateness for wind conditions. And when lowering once the halyard was taken off of the winch, it would literally fall almost all the way down except for the last coupe of feet. And an auto pilot EXPECIALLY when single handing is invaluable. Allowing you to handle the boat while it becomes your second crew member/helms person.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by merrydolphin

2 good solutions. But will cost a little but well worth it in so many ways.

1. Get a Tides marine sail slide system. Very easy to install, no need to go up the mast. The main will glide up and down effortlessly.

2, Get a tiller pilot. A lot of people are have great luck with the Pelagic brand pilot.

These two items will change your sailing experience, especially single handing. No need to run halyard into cocpit. It will go up hand over hand so fast that it “slaps” when the head of the sail hits the top! This was my experience with my 46’ Cal.
In my late sixties and average build all I had to do after hauling it up was about a crank on the winch to tension to appropriateness for wind conditions. And when lowering once the halyard was taken off of the winch, it would literally fall almost all the way down except for the last coupe of feet. And an auto pilot EXPECIALLY when single handing is invaluable. Allowing you to handle the boat while it becomes your second crew member/helms person.

You want him to put $1,000 or so into a club boat?

And wire it for the Pelagic Autopilot?

Those of us that single hand and own 27' sailboats do exactly this, but when you don't own the boat different story

[h20man]

Originally Posted by Yojimbo

I'm sailing a Catalina 27 tiller steered Club Boat where maintenance is always and issue and often behind schedule. Looking for recommendations on raising the mainsail when solo. Usually there are two of us, one on the helm, engine engaged, into the wind and tailing the halyard while I help the sail slugs up through the track as they get stuck.

Last weekend experimented with tying off the tiller with some 3/16" bungee to keep the boat in irons, engine engaged so I could hoist at the winch and go forward to free the stuck mainsail slugs. Didn't work as hoped for- the boat wouldn't hold and the bow would slide off heading so it was a no go.

Would a beefier bungee work better? I plan to try again with some 3/8" cord to see if will will hold head t wind to get the sail up.

Increased engine rpm?

I've looked at most of the tiller attachments and read mediocre reviews. Also making changes or attachments to the clubs boats is a tricky political maneuver.

Not looking for a self steering sheet to tiller set up right now just keeping the boat to wind to get the main raises.

Your experienced successful tactics appreciated.

TIA

The hardest issue with this is that this is not your boat.



I initially just went out on OPB (Other People's Boats), then club membership and chartering, and the frustration of not being able to do what I want with the boat to adapt it to what I would prefer.. made me do the crazy thing of buying a boat.


They say that the best days of ownership are the day you buy it and the day you sell it..


In my case... I love my boat more every day. I like how it works for me, and when it doesn't work, I have a clue.. and can fix it.. without calling the charter company, or the club, or ....


The biggest problem is that sailing is an addiction for me. And they have 12 step programs for alcohol addiction, heroin addiction.. but nothing for sailing.... so be warned...

[barryglewis]

Originally Posted by Don C L

Not sure with the Catalina, but with my boat, before I ran the halyards back to the cockpit, I'd leave the tiller free, no engine, and the mainsheet very slack so that the boom was free to swing a bit. As I raised the main, if the boat fell off and the main was not luffing, I'd just wait until what I had up would eventually round the boat up. As soon as the main was luffing again I'd get back to hoisting. Of course you need a bit of room to do that. Do you find your boat will fall off and not round up at all? To me the idea of the tiller tied off and more thrust sounds like potentially a bigger problem, not a better solution.

First thing to do though is to spray the track with dry lubricant as high up as you can go.

This works for us on Risky Business, 13.5m Adams with moderately swept back spreaders, and full length buttons , 500 sq ft main.

[lo2jones]

Your first guess was right. Make sure you have room and give the boat enough speed to keep steerage. On my 1965 Columbia 29, Sylvia, I used a piece of three strand with three wraps around the tiller. What ever position you move it to, it would slide with a little effort and stay put. It worked for all points of sail, including close reach and close haul where to till is offset to windward.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by lo2jones

Your first guess was right. Make sure you have room and give the boat enough speed to keep steerage. On my 1965 Columbia 29, Sylvia, I used a piece of three strand with three wraps around the tiller. What ever position you move it to, it would slide with a little effort and stay put. It worked for all points of sail, including close reach and close haul where to till is offset to windward.

What works for your longish keel with deep forefoot is not so successful with skittish, light fin keeled boats like the OP's. Until there is some rudder load from sail forces his boat will likely wander badly with a fixed helm.

Your tiller lashing method is good, though. Getting the
right amount of friction in the lashing is tricky, but once achieved works well.

Jim

[lo2jones]

Whoever responded to my suggestion about using the 3 strand as a “autopilot” got one thing right and one thing wrong. The right part is that the boat won’t stay on course with the sail down…even with my not very long keel Columbia 29. What they got wrong: I didn’t say it would stay on course. Of course that adjusting is temporary and requires a few of changes on a windy day. It worked about the same on the Ranger 23 I sailed on a bunch before I bought the Columbia.

[Rightbrainer]

IF the slugs are sticking at one bad spot on the mast, you could push them all above that spot and hold them with a stopper. Then you should be able to hoist away from the cockpit while correcting the course.