Flaking a sail single handed.

[fredrussell]

I have a fairly crispy new mainsail and a stackpack. At the end of the day I straighten the dropped sail out as much as possible by pulling the leech folds aft along the boom, and then pull the luff folds forward and ‘neaten’ them up a bit.

With two people working as a team flaking a sail, one at mast and one at aft end of boom, you can get nice neat folds running parallel to boom, but I find it’s much trickier on your own. Do other single-handers manage a perfect flake, and if so, what’s yer secret? Do you do one fold at mast, then go aft to put the corresponding fold in at the leech, then back to mast and so on?

Any tips gratefully received.

 

[RupertW]

I guess my folds are not perfect but they look good enough to me.

I basically pull the sail down as fast as I can, folding at the luff by always pulling the sail between two sliders towards me. Then I go aft and work along the boom pulling the leach folds aft from the bottom of the sail. Then I stop and have a look and usually there are one or two folds which have been twisted. I just sort these out if I have time. Finally when the boat is docked at the end of a trip I do it all a bit more carefully.

So I think very similar to you but you may have higher standards. Our main is about 9 years old now and when valeted and a could of repairs in April the sail make thought it was still in good condition.

 

[LadyInBed]

No Stackpack, I clip on a line attached at both ends of the boom. Distributed along the line I have lengths of bungee cord with clips. I start at the leech, pull and fold, then hold that in place with the bungee, working forward repeating the process.

 

[johnalison]

I don't have a stackpack and so don't take trouble flaking. I flake the leach for compactness and let the rest do its own thing, assuming that varying the folds each time will be better for the sail. I agree that starting with the leach and tying off as you go is probably going to be the easiest way of getting a full flake, with the difference that I am probably the last person on earth to still use a single length of line for this purpose. Traditionally, a buntline hitch was used for this but I use a slip hitch that I have contrived.

 

[tross]

I motor into the wind on autopilot and as I let the halyard go I flip the boom one side and then the other as it drops - it tends to fold quite nicely

 

[PlankWalker]

crisp new mainsails are folded by the sail-maker to get into a bag, not on the mast at and between slugs. You may have to put new creases in it.

 

[Obi]

This might be of interest:
Stack packs / covers for loose footed mains.

Particularly the Dutchman system.

 

[Spirit (of Glenans)]

Many years ago, when I was first learning to sail, in Croatia, I saw a man flaking his sail onto his boom which was dropped down onto his coach roof. I thought nothing of it at the time, beyond thinking that he probably had no topping lift, but perhaps he had discovered a way to keep it from sliding off the boom while he flaked it.
Might be worth a try.

 

[Poignard]

I guess my folds are not perfect but they look good enough to me.

I basically pull the sail down as fast as I can, folding at the luff by always pulling the sail between two sliders towards me. Then I go aft and work along the boom pulling the leach folds aft from the bottom of the sail. Then I stop and have a look and usually there are one or two folds which have been twisted. I just sort these out if I have time. Finally when the boat is docked at the end of a trip I do it all a bit more carefully.

So I think very similar to you but you may have higher standards. Our main is about 9 years old now and when valeted and a could of repairs in April the sail make thought it was still in good condition.

I was interested to read that you pull the luff towards you between each slide.

I alternate: one pulled, next pushed, and so on.

It works well enough but next time I will try your technique.

 

[Jonny A]

I find an awful lot of swearing helps, but little else does.

 

[Spirit (of Glenans)]

I guess my folds are not perfect but they look good enough to me.

I basically pull the sail down as fast as I can, folding at the luff by always pulling the sail between two sliders towards me. Then I go aft and work along the boom pulling the leach folds aft from the bottom of the sail. Then I stop and have a look and usually there are one or two folds which have been twisted. I just sort these out if I have time. Finally when the boat is docked at the end of a trip I do it all a bit more carefully.

So I think very similar to you but you may have higher standards. Our main is about 9 years old now and when valeted and a could of repairs in April the sail make thought it was still in good condition.

IMHO alternating the sections between sliders, so that equal areas of sail go to each side will make it easier for you .

 

[RupertW]

IMHO alternating the sections between sliders, so that equal areas of sail go to each side will make it easier for you .
[/Q

IMHO alternating the sections between sliders, so that equal areas of sail go to each side will make it easier for you .

Interesting. I think it’s much harder to push than pull a luff with a lot of weight of sail above but I will give it a go.

 

[Spirit (of Glenans)]

Let the halyard off, then stand in front of the mast with it held down under your foot, lift your foot, controlling the fall of the sail as you pull down each section, one to the right, next to the left and so on, then adjusting and tidying the folds from the clew end of the sail.
Having equal folds balancing each other on either side of the boom will make it easier to keep it all in place until you can get sail ties on, for which the tip is; tie them on progressively, from rear to front, as you get more and more folded, rather than waiting until it's all folded.

 

[LittleSister]

Do other single-handers manage a perfect flake

This one doesn't.

 

[Poignard]

I leave the 'harbour stow' for later and just concentrate on taming the sail quickly so I now use an Octopus made of shock cord. I used to use a 3-strand rope stretched under the boom with tape tyers pushed through the strands which just as worked well. The main thing, I find, is to have a long tyer about 400mm back from the gooseneck: long enough to pass a couple of turns round the bulkiest part of the sail. Tame that and the rest is easier.

 

[RupertW]

I leave the 'harbour stow' for later and just concentrate on taming the sail quickly so I now use an Octopus made of shock cord. I used to use a 3-strand rope stretched under the boom with tape tyers pushed through the strands which just as worked well. The main thing, I find, is to have a long tyer about 400mm back from the gooseneck: long enough to pass a couple of turns round the bulkiest part of the sail. Tame that and the rest is easier.

I used to use an octopus before I had a stack pack but went off in favour of sail tyes after being whacked in the teeth a couple of times when stretching to connect it.

 

[Praxinoscope]

This one doesn't.

Nether does this one!

 

[LadyInBed]

Nether does this one!

Nor me.

 

[Jonny A]

Quick flake at the luff end, tied around with a sail tie to hold it until I can do the harbour stow later on.

 

[Poignard]

I used to use an octopus before I had a stack pack but went off in favour of sail tyes after being whacked in the teeth a couple of times when stretching to connect it.

I bet that hurt!
I try to remember to position it so the plastic toggles will fly away from me if accidentally let slip but it is easy to forget and suffer just retribution ?