Forums39
Topics36,585
Posts291,788
Members26,351
|
Most Online2,218 Jan 21st, 2020
|
|
51 registered members (SANFILIP, Tonythepilot, candu, George1234, maytrix, Whale Tail, samboaty, CarolinaSailor, Rbailey, Scooter, jphart, SteveH, duckfat, CLIFFTOPS, bkigar, road3682, Time Will Tell, wendyk, geomo, lbksxm, Lexington14, jbutah, MamaB, ecm56, KirkB, PML, SXMBND, charlie, MKGrey, dolfer, 48ref, warren460, BillDauterive, barryvabeach, ndfaninnc, 280z1977, OllieEh, 14 invisible),
143
guests, and 111
spiders. |
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
Tips on hoisting the mainsail
#131875
06/05/2017 01:11 PM
06/05/2017 01:11 PM
|
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 340 Ottawa, Canada
UncleLuff
OP
Traveler
|
OP
Traveler
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 340
Ottawa, Canada
|
Hi all; well almost two weeks until our 2nd BVI trip. Last time we went it was a real pain raising the main sail with the lazy jacks as we are on a Moorings 4000 and it was hard to see when the sail got fetched in the lazy jacks. I was wondering if any of you have tried the approach suggested in the following video: Offshore Sailing School - lowering lazyjacks Basically is involves - Putting the wind slightly off the starboard bow, lowering port side lazy jacks, get the main quickly up using electric winch, off you go. re tighten lazy jacks once sails are properly trimmed and boat is under way. would appreciate thoughts on this method and others that would make raising the mainsail less stressful. I will be sailing with my family and 14 year old son who will be helping run the lines. I can just envision some stressful back and forth when raising the mainsail! Thanks
|
|
|
Re: Tips on hoisting the mainsail
[Re: BayCruiser]
#131877
06/05/2017 01:28 PM
06/05/2017 01:28 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,114 West Palm Beach FL
bviboater
Traveler
|
Traveler
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,114
West Palm Beach FL
|
Raise the main while still moored or at anchor. Drink your morning coffee while doing so, that is, take your time there is no rush.
John
|
|
|
Re: Tips on hoisting the mainsail
[Re: UncleLuff]
#131878
06/05/2017 01:57 PM
06/05/2017 01:57 PM
|
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 640 MD, USA
polaris
Traveler
|
Traveler
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 640
MD, USA
|
I have long thought all charter boats should have an easy way to move the lazyjack lines out of the way. They only come into play for 5 to 10 seconds to drop the main, and then to hold the stackpack, so why are they hanging up there all the time? I rigged these, on a friends boat, so they could be pulled back to the goose neck when not needed and quickly pulled into place when dropping the main - and I have seen commercial versions of that rig.
Polaris
|
|
|
Re: Tips on hoisting the mainsail
[Re: bviboater]
#131879
06/05/2017 02:48 PM
06/05/2017 02:48 PM
|
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 340 Ottawa, Canada
UncleLuff
OP
Traveler
|
OP
Traveler
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 340
Ottawa, Canada
|
bviboater said: Raise the main while still moored or at anchor. Drink your morning coffee while doing so, that is, take your time there is no rush. We did this once last year. easiest hoist of the main ever! Bu...there was one boat in our anchorage and the wind was just perfect for us to fall off and get sailing. I guess this depends on how busy the mooring/anchor field is and wind direction? I also assume that you have the main depowered (e.g. loosened Mainsheet and boom vang?) I just watched the "ode to the credit card captain" on you tube again... Don't want to be that guy! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/duh.gif" alt="" />
|
|
|
Re: Tips on hoisting the mainsail
[Re: UncleLuff]
#131881
06/05/2017 03:59 PM
06/05/2017 03:59 PM
|
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 559 Apex, NC
agrimsrud
Traveler
|
Traveler
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 559
Apex, NC
|
I don't know of any charter boats that have a lazy jack setup as you wish for. If wishes were fishes... So not much point in telling you that this would help you since that's not the system you're going to have. Hoisting the main while on the mooring ball is always easiest. But let me suggest two other things to consider. First a couple of observations. (a) The reason raising the main is tricky is that the sail battens get hooked up on the lazy jack lines. You will continue to fight this problem until the battens are past the lazy jack lines, i.e., once the sail is about 2/3's of the way up you are past the problem. That's a good thing 'cause that's about when things are getting heavy. (b) You have a clear line of sight on both sides of the sail from the mast location. Not so much from the winch location. We always send a crew to the mast. His/her job is to "sweat" the main halyard, i.e., he/she is not pulling it "up" but rather towards them. The second crew member is at the winch/clutch and pulls the slack out as the person at the mast is sweating the line. The person at the mast has a completely clear view of the sail and can easily determine if the sail is hooked or not. Sometimes the mast person might tell the winch person to lower the sail slightly or tell him to wait a second. But mostly the winch person will pick up the slack as soon as the person working the mast sweats the line. Once the battens clear the lazy jack lines the winch person can send the sail to the top. In addition to sweating the line at the mast I strongly recommend that you take a look at your auto pilot to see if it has the function to hold the boat at a certain angle to the wind. B&G has this ability and I'm sure Raymarine has the same. I have instructions for the B&G on my web site located here together with a short video. Letting the auto pilot hold the boat 0 degrees to the wind is much much simpler than having the helmsman do this task especially since he may or may not have a clear view of the sail and lazy jacks. https://www.sv-dreammachine.com/operating-hintsAnd lastly - it's not a race to get the main up. Better to make sure you're not tangled in the lazy jacks than getting impatient and giving it a good pull. You will pull the lazy jack lines off the mast if you give it a good enough tug.
Life's short - sail more!
|
|
|
Re: Tips on hoisting the mainsail
[Re: agrimsrud]
#131882
06/05/2017 04:17 PM
06/05/2017 04:17 PM
|
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 340 Ottawa, Canada
UncleLuff
OP
Traveler
|
OP
Traveler
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 340
Ottawa, Canada
|
agrimsrud said:I don't know of any charter boats that have a lazy jack setup as you wish for. If wishes were fishes... So not much point in telling you that this would help you since that's not the system you're going to have. Hoisting the main while on the mooring ball is always easiest. But let me suggest two other things to consider. First a couple of observations. (a) The reason raising the main is tricky is that the sail battens get hooked up on the lazy jack lines. You will continue to fight this problem until the battens are past the lazy jack lines, i.e., once the sail is about 2/3's of the way up you are past the problem. That's a good thing 'cause that's about when things are getting heavy. (b) You have a clear line of sight on both sides of the sail from the mast location. Not so much from the winch location. We always send a crew to the mast. His/her job is to "sweat" the main halyard, i.e., he/she is not pulling it "up" but rather towards them. The second crew member is at the winch/clutch and pulls the slack out as the person at the mast is sweating the line. The person at the mast has a completely clear view of the sail and can easily determine if the sail is hooked or not. Sometimes the mast person might tell the winch person to lower the sail slightly or tell him to wait a second. But mostly the winch person will pick up the slack as soon as the person working the mast sweats the line. Once the battens clear the lazy jack lines the winch person can send the sail to the top. In addition to sweating the line at the mast I strongly recommend that you take a look at your auto pilot to see if it has the function to hold the boat at a certain angle to the wind. B&G has this ability and I'm sure Raymarine has the same. I have instructions for the B&G on my web site located here together with a short video. Letting the auto pilot hold the boat 0 degrees to the wind is much much simpler than having the helmsman do this task especially since he may or may not have a clear view of the sail and lazy jacks. https://www.sv-dreammachine.com/operating-hintsAnd lastly - it's not a race to get the main up. Better to make sure you're not tangled in the lazy jacks than getting impatient and giving it a good pull. You will pull the lazy jack lines off the mast if you give it a good enough tug. Great points, thanks! The moorings 4000 that we are on has the main halyard running to the helm which is good and bad. Good in that there is an electric winch, bad in that you can't see the @#%$'ing mainsail! we did have someone looking at the mainsail but (since they didn't know port from starboard) communication was an issue. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/duh.gif" alt="" /> The auto pilot can hold a course based on wind direction we did this last year and used it to raise the main sail. Now that I am going back over what we did, I think that our main sheet was way too tight and, as such, the boom wasn't free to move with the wind and any small deviation caused the sail to lean into either lazy jack and get caught. I think that I might try loosening the main sheet so that the boom can point towards the wind more freely. Not sure why this didn't occur to us but on my 26 mirage, we don't have lazy jacks so never a problem! If anyone has any more tips, keep them coming! They are much appreciated <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" />
|
|
|
Re: Tips on hoisting the mainsail
[Re: UncleLuff]
#131885
06/05/2017 06:46 PM
06/05/2017 06:46 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,114 West Palm Beach FL
bviboater
Traveler
|
Traveler
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,114
West Palm Beach FL
|
I also assume that you have the main depowered (e.g. loosened Mainsheet and boom vang?)
Yes. and I also put a reef in the sail. Leave the sail depowered as you motor off the mooring
John
|
|
|
Re: Tips on hoisting the mainsail
[Re: GeorgeC1]
#131890
06/06/2017 09:44 AM
06/06/2017 09:44 AM
|
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 5,718 Massachusetts
maytrix
Traveler
|
Traveler
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 5,718
Massachusetts
|
We just go slow as well - If I can't see it myself (which is the case on our boat with the dodger and bimini blocking my view), then I just have someone tell me when to stop and go. It doesn't take look long to get past the lazy jacks, but it does take some patience.
Matt
|
|
|
Re: Tips on hoisting the mainsail
[Re: maytrix]
#131891
06/06/2017 11:31 AM
06/06/2017 11:31 AM
|
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 226 West Chester, PA
ligot
Traveler
|
Traveler
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 226
West Chester, PA
|
Funny that I'd read the post and answers without watching the video. We're relative newbies and might or might not have messed up a lazy jack on an early charter after lessons. Now that I've seen the video that seems like overkill. We started loosening but not releasing the lazy jack lines to give a little extra play for the battens. We also let out the main sheet and have a little more patience. Much less stress than the early days. It's a two person job with lots of hand signals but so far so good.
S/V Tortuga Lagoon 46
|
|
|
Re: Tips on hoisting the mainsail
[Re: UncleLuff]
#131893
06/30/2017 07:46 AM
06/30/2017 07:46 AM
|
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 35 MARYLAND
Crown31
Traveler
|
Traveler
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 35
MARYLAND
|
That's why I love this forum. Getting ready to do my 2nd ever cat charter August 1st and had the same problem on a Moorings 4000 last October. Never remember hoisting the main being a problem when I was training so, not only do I feel a little vindicated but I know what to try next time. Thanks!
Brian
|
|
|
Re: Tips on hoisting the mainsail
[Re: NCSailor]
#131898
07/01/2017 04:42 PM
07/01/2017 04:42 PM
|
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 6,645 GA/NC
GeorgeC1
Traveler
|
Traveler
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 6,645
GA/NC
|
NCSailor said: I don't understand why Moorings doesn't put a screen flap in the Bimini so the captain can see the sail going up. I had this on my 393 and it made life very easy. Not to mention I didn't have to lean out to see the top of the mainsail while underway. I have not sailed the Moorings 4000 however I have sailed the other models including the 4800. You have a great view from the helm on the 4800 and other models so this seems to be a 4000 specific issue. G
|
|
|
|