Calling Beneteau 331 owners (or anyone for that matter) for help with sail rigging advise!

[Still Grinning]

If any 331 Oceanis owners out there can help, that would be much appreciated!

Please see photo of my masthead - I have been using the same halyards / pulleys for the genoa since I purchased the boat 4 or 5 years ago (and that is how I purchased it), but have had a few issues with binding when furling. Could never see the issue when afloat, but in looking at the boat now in the yard, I am wondering if I am actually using the correct halyard / pulley? The halyard is tight against the swivel disc, and might be causing the binding? The most forward halyard (spinnaker pole lift??) was also pushing on what is currently the genoa halyard, and I wonder if that extra pressure was causing the binding? I plan to secure the pole lift halyard differently now so it is not touching the genoa halyard at all, and hope that will make the difference....

Does anyone have a similar set-up and can advise on what, or if anything, is wrong with the set up?

All help gratefully received ASAP, as the boat is supposed to be launched this week - have done in one week what I would normally do over 6 weeks prior to launching, and unfortunately I forgot about this until this weekend....

Thanks in advance!!

Simon

 

[ex-Gladys]

Deffo wrong! The halyard angle should be about 10 degrees. The lower sheave a few inches above the swivel is also too low. Do you have a strop on the lower end of the jib by any chance? If so that needs to come off, lowering the top swivel enough to use that sheave...

 

[Still Grinning]

Thanks Larry for your speedy reply! You are parked not so very far from me on Mersea too.....

Unfortunately I agree with your feelings about the relative heights of the halyards / sheaves. Worse, is that the furling mechanism is mounted as low as it can be - deffo no strop!!

We had the problem on the old sail, and the new (which is identically sized), so it looks like it was set up wrong right from the beginning.... (It's the original mast / forestay as far as we know). Would I be better off using the spinnaker pole halyard (the most forward one)? It may not be 'correct' but if it is an improvement, it will have to do for at least this year - I don't use a spinnaker (the work of the devil!), so this is one of 3 spare halyards I have at the mast....

Or any other suggestions? Not being 100% confident in the ability to furl adds a certain frisson to manoeuvres at times....

What might be a longer term suggestion? The sail is brand new, so hoping not to cut it.... (And if I did we would almost be looking at a fractional rig!).

Thanks again.

 

[Javelin]

Just need to fit a deflector on the halyard slightly higher than where your cap shroud enter the mast or use a block off that eye I can see.

 

[Still Grinning]

Doh! Why are answers always so simple and obvious, just after somebody else has pointed them out...... I think the deflector will give a better angle than the block, unless it is a very small block.

Thanks Javelin! That might be tomorrow mornings project then! Have to see if I can find a deflector locally.

 

[ex-Gladys]

Try Z-Spars who are out Hadleigh way....

 

[davidwf]

That top Disk is the Halyard diverter and the halyard should be pushing against it hard, that stops the halyard wrapping around the foil. If you watch it as you furl you should see the halyard stay in that position and not wrap itself around the foil.

If it is wrapping you could try a strop at the top of the sail to raise the halyard swivel up a few inches so the halyard has a more acute angle against the diverter. Also how much tension have you on the halyard? It needs to be fairly tight, again to stop the wrapping.

If you do not see the wrapping I suspect the halyard swivel is binding it's probably a Facnor mine did that , lower the sail and check it moves freely if not you will need to try to lubricate it with some dry lube . If all that's ok worth getting up the mast and check the diverter, I seem to recall its attached to the forestay it may have dropped and is binding on the foil.

I also had a fore stay start to fray and caused the foil to jam against it. Now that was exciting as I saw the stay was unlaid as I was sailing. Got the sails down pretty quick.

Facnor have all the instructions on their website, this set have a good explanation of halyard angle. Facnor instructions

Just found this picture on a used Oceanis 331 for sale strikes me the foil is a lot further up and its using a diverter . As a quick fix assuming its wrapping you could attache a block to the eye on the mast to alter the angle.

In the worst case scenario and I had this happen once the forestay was starting to fail hidden inside the foil and as it was catching on the inside of the foil it was unraveling itself and causing a jam. So check everything moves freely by hand at the drum itself.

 

[Still Grinning]

Thanks David, more food for thought... I am pretty sure it is the halyard at the top causing the binding, as I saw it do it this time (assuming it was the cause before when sailing....). There seemed to be no resistance of the drum, and when the halyard stayed in place furling seemed pretty smooth. I am going to try a block to the eye for now, it should ease the pressure a bit at least. I will seriously consider a halyard diverter next winter, pending how the season goes.

It may be that the disk is rotating with the foil, hence causing a wrap? If the block eases it, I will have a good look in the winter, and probably get the mast down, as I think only some of my LED anchor light is working too....

Boats!!!

 

[davidwf]

I recall fitting a diverter to the mast of my Beneteau. It's good news it all rotates freely and a block is a nice quick fix that will prove the fix.

 

[bottomlesspit]

I have a 331 and have exactly the same issue, upon releasing particularly, the self - furler will just not free itself unless I go forward and turn the whole foil/sail manually. generally about twice during the un furling process. I have a rectangular slot in the mast, which is empty, I did wonder of that should have som efittting but looking around a 331 in the marina, that is exactly the same

Out of interest, where does the diverter get fitted exactly?

 

[Still Grinning]

See the attached sketch - what it calls the 'halyard lead' is the diverter - just holds the halyard against the mast to lower the point it angles off to the halyard swivel. Usually mounted direct to the mast. For speed, I am mounting a block on an eye that is in about the right place - not pefect, but should give me a little clearance for now.

I've never had the issue unfurling - I would check some of the points davidwf mentioned above - your issue might be different to mine!

 

[TLouth7]

Surely the foremost line is the spinnaker halyard, not the pole uphaul? If you secure this to the pulpit it will no longer press on the jib halyard, which you say is the issue.

What is the purpose of the u bolt that is level with the black band? Could this be used as a temporary diverter? It is hard to see the orientation of it from the picture.

 

[Still Grinning]

Looking at it that would obviously be right - it is the spinnaker halyard! I don't fly them - the work of the devil.... I will attach this to the pulpit - I think that should clear the genoa.

The U bolt is for the secondary / emergency forestay, which I have tucked away presently. Quite a lot of the 331's don't even have this, and I'm not sure why this one does! The U is orientated vertically, so can't be used directly, but we might hang a block off it to use as a diverter as stated in msg #8 above.

Thanks all for your help - these forums really are so useful!

 

[Elemental]

TLouth7 is right. the Forward line is the spinnaker halyard. I have a 351 with same mast top casting and halyard arrangements.

Z-Spars made the spars.

The spi halyard should be stored on one the long U brackets that should be at the base of the mast. Moving it onto the pulpit will risk fouling during the furling process - especially if the sail is flapping about during the furl. Looking at the photo, I'd say that that the halyard is too straight. Definitely try increasing the angle of the halyard onto the diverter wheel with a strop at the top or bottom of the sail. As stated above, the halyard should be pressed hard against that wheel.

A couple of further points. The spinnaker halyard attachment is prone to cracking the alloy into which it is bonded. My rigger fabricated a top 'plate' out of aluminium (or somesuch) and fastened that to the masthead before bolting a U bolt into it to serve as the spi attachment. Similarly, that forward U should not be used for mast climbing as a failure would result in a catastrophic fall.....

I fitted a halyard diverter to the mast. Which results in a perfect furling action.

 

[jimi]

Bit late to the party but I had the same issue with halyard wrap on my 331. I resolved by keeping the halyard very tight. I kept the spinnaker halyard which I used for the cruising chute attached to the foot of the baby stay.

 

[Tomahawk]

As Jimi says.. Halyard tension is a must..
On the winch and bar tight.
Even a bit loose can allow the halyard to twist round the forestay.

 

[Old Harry]

As Jimi says.. Halyard tension is a must..
On the winch and bar tight.
Even a bit loose can allow the halyard to twist round the forestay.

I always release luff tension when finished for the day, before furling

 

[Tomahawk]

You should release tension after furling up..
And retighten before unfurling.

Don't ask my how I know ..... please

 

[Old Harry]

You should release tension after furling up..
And retighten before unfurling.

Don't ask my how I know ..... please

That is liable to damage the luff tape

 

[Tomahawk]

How so?
I saw a boat where the halyard was permanently tensioned with a bottle screw. My genny halyard stays tight. from when set up to a sail change. The luff take it fine.