Raising the Main Solo

[Perna]

Your problem is being able to steer upwind when standing up by the mast.

You can probably do this by running a line from each side of the tiller out through a stanchion or pushpit, up each side of the boat and then back in around another stanchion to the mast area. I used to do this as a nice way of steering under motor when sitting on the cabin top. OK, so now you have the ability to steer from the mast area, all you need now is a few extra hands and maybe feet. But hey, that's sailing isn't?

[Auklet]

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.

Yeah, I think the quick try would be to motor out where you have room alee. Completely slack the boom by easing out the mainsheet. Physically push it forward to get ithe sheet completely slacked. Go to the mast, wait until the wind comes abeam then host quickly. Yes, the mainsail will flop the boom up and down some, but you should need less than one minute for full hoist.

Then return to the cockpit and trim.

[keelhauled]

I’m not sure if anyone has mentioned this, and I’m reading this on my phone, so rather than scroll through everything, I wanted to get my method out there. I thought sailing since I was in high school, and one of the things that I think is always underappreciated is heaving to. You don’t need both sails to heave to; the boat is a seesaw on its side with the keel as the pole that the seesaw balances back-and-forth on. The gym is a kid on one side of the seesaw, the Rudder is the kid on the other end and your job is to get them to balance. Your boat doubtlessly has a roller furling jib like most boats, but this will work with a hank-on as well. Set the jib first, and set it for about a broad reach; tack and heave to. Play with the jib until you get the boat balance to where the wind is about 45° off the beam. Remember, the boat doesn’t need to be head to wind to raise the main, it only has to be in a position where the main is luffing so that there’s no sideways tension on the slides. Once the boat is hove to (ideally on a starboard tack), you can take your time, raising the main without having to worry about the boat continually going forward and running out of sea room in a small harbor. Once the main is up, and you’ve had time to neatly stow all your lines, calmly stride back to your cockpit and tack the jib, and sail off.

Fair winds,
Greg

[JBP]

Another alternative to anchoring is a good old fashion sea anchor, basically a big canvas bag. Attach it's line to the bow and toss it in the water. As you drift downwind, it's drag should keep you pointing into the wind. As long as you have some sea room to drift.

[79Endeavour32]

Raise the job first, put her in irons, then raise the main with the boom free.

[TrentePieds]

Hm... how d'ye run a Cat27 in irons with only the hdsl raised? That'd take some doing. Ye can't even do it with only the mainsl working :-)

Maybe we've just confused about the terminology ;-)?

TrentePIeds

[keelhauled]

Not only that, but putting the boat in irons doesn’t give you any steerage. Heaving to keeps the rudder engaged.

[wholybee]

Don't put the boat in Irons, and don't heave to. Perhaps it would be worth spending an entire day sail with the Jib only to see how well the boat can sail without a main at all. And then to see that you can balance the boat with Jib only to reach and hold a course with no one on the rudder at all. And then realize there is no reason to be in irons or head to wind to raise the main. Raise it while reaching with the Jib.

I singlehand often, and never raise the main first. I unfurl the jib, get sailing, balance the boat, then go forward to the mast and raise the main.

[keelhauled]

Hi Warren, I think it’s fine to sail while if you have the sea room. I would often singlehand out of Shilshole Marina in Seattle, with a very busy harbor. Heaving to allowed me to not worry about running out of space. In addition, a boat heaved-to is less heeled over than a boat underway, so it’s a more stable and safer platform.

[Yojimbo]

Sailing Sat. 8-10 knot winds predicted, have crew backup to try some of these great suggestions/solutions. This is gonna be fun. Will report back. Thanks all again.

[aberglas]

Indeed, try raising the head sail first. Get it balanced and sailing, should keep direction. Then with the main sheet loose, raise the main. Works on my boat but I have autohelm as well.