Lowering the Mainsail. (single handed)

[KenF]

I sail single-handed with a rather large main and have resorted to dumping the main, usually requiring me to go to the mast to pull the final section of the mainsail down and securing with a sail tie, and stowing it properly once berthed.

This means that I have a large amount of sail drooping over one side of the boom when motoring into my berth.

- I have tried lazyjacks - and removed them due to issues with fouling on battens during hoisting.
- I have tried a downhaul - unsuccessful due to the amount of 'string' in the cockpit.

Any suggestions?

 

[Wansworth]

Overhaul mainsail track and ensure good hoisting and lowering,oiling track slides in good condition,to lower slow ahead under autopilot pull down sail and lash to boom

 

[dunedin]

Not sure the size of your boat, but over about 30 foot you will find that 95% or more of boats # have lazyjacks and a stack pack sailcover.
This is because they work very well and avoid the issues you describe. Drop the sail instantly, and held in the sailcover to be dealt with at leisure. And particularly beneficial if short handed or solo.

Some lead the lazyjacks forward when hoisting the sail. In our case the lazyjacks are permanently set, and simply hoist the sail when the sail is between the lazyjacks. Hoisted solo that way hundreds of times, but helps if have good autopilot.

As our boom is quite high, we have a short length of sail downhaul - tied to the headboard (with a Velcro “fuse”) and then to the third slide down. This gets the last few metres of the sail down, and tied off, without any excess of ropes.

# Clearly this excludes boats with furling mainsails, whether in mast or the increasingly popular in boom reefing

 

[Stemar]

I can't help thinking that, if you were having real problems hoisting the main with lazyjacks, they were set up wrong. On Jissel, I set mine up so they looked about like those on other boats. The first batten had a magnetic attraction for the first line and would regularly get stuck, so I added another line close enough to the mast that the top batten wouldn't hook it, and that pretty much fixed the issue.

I had the same problem as you lowering the main, and tried Wansworth's solution to no avail, a 3mm line was all I needed as a downhaul. Yes, it's more string, but nowhere near the bulk of a halliard, and I'd just throw it all down the companionway to get rid of it, then tidy up at leisure.

 

[Sandy]

I sail a 10.1 metre boat with lazy jacks and a sail bag. No issues raising the main and when I get go the clutch the sail as the sail drops neatly into the sail bag. When did you last clean and lubricate the slot in the mast.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Elastic, and the odd extra line pretty much solves the lazyjack issue. We’ve modded ours now, to pull forward as soon as they are given any slack. With ours, the top batten went through ok, it was the second or 3rd that would catch.

 

[RunAgroundHard]

I don't use a stack pack or lazy jacks on a 41' yacht, occasional single handed sailing. I have slab reefing, or jiffy reefing as it was called, with reefing pendents. First of all, I always drop the sail, well clear of the entrance to the marina, so I have sea room and time to sort it. When I drop the sail, I pull the reefing pendents in so that the clews all bunch up. This greatly reduces the amount of sail hanging down and also controls any flapping material. I keep my gybe preventer tied to the back of the boom, but stored at the gooseneck when not in use. If it is windy enough, I used this to wrap around the main sail and reduce the loose sail even further. Once alongside I stow the sail by flaking it neatly, after backing off the pendents. It works for me, maybe it will give you some ideas.

Caution when dumping the main halyard. I once dumped the clutch on the main halyard and the sail dropped fast breaking slides and sail shackles; lesson learned, control the speed of descent.

I agree that lazy jacks and stack pack work well when set up and are a great idea for short handed sailing.

 

[Norman_E]

The problem with lazyjacks fouling the batten ends when hoisting can be solved. The best way is to ensure that the batten ends hoist clear of the point where the lazy jacks join. That is done by adjusting the lengths. The other trick on a big boat is to pull the jacks apart near the top if they are fitted to the mast, not the spreaders. Mine passed through steel rings tied outwards towards the cap shrouds so that the gap between them was held open enough for easy hoisting. The other solution is to slacken the lazyjacks before hoisting the sail, and tension them afterwards.

 

[Boathook]

My main occasionally catches the lazyjacks so I just lower a tiny bit and then carry on raising the main.
To the OP, you are releasing the mainsheet before starting to hoist the main ? I see quite a few boats heading into the wind to hoist the main but don't bother to release the mainsheet and it just takes them so long.

 

[Tintin]

I just take time hoisting to avoid snagging the battens, with the wheel locked off into the wind - the AP goes haywire with the electric winch.































































When dropping again I leave time so that I can take a leisurely stroll ttieo the mast to pull down the final bit then secure with two ties, one mid boom.

 

[dunedin]

I just take time hoisting to avoid snagging the battens, with the wheel locked off into the wind - the AP goes haywire with the electric winch.

You need to fix your electric winch and/or autopilot compass, as that should never happen. Certainly doesn’t happen with our electric winch.

 

[Tintin]

Yep, I know. It's a right royal PITA sometimes. Have tried many things. It isn't a proximity issue AFAIK, and most likely is voltage drop related. An ongoing mystery.

 

[JimC]

Consider fitting a Tides Marine sail track

 

[johnalison]

My battens occasionally catch on the lazyjacks and the only answer is to drop the main a little, sometimes quite a lot. On the whole I have got the hang of hoisting the main while steering with the tiller between my legs. If anything, I find it easier when there is a moderate wind, when the sail flaps a bit and is less likely to catch. I wouldn’t want to move the aft lazyjack forwards since I already have a bit of floppy sail near the clew that needs tying to make it neat.

 

[Daydream believer]

The lazyjacks can be rigged such that they are close to the mast higher up but further along the boom lower down. Mine are set once all season on a 31 ft boat. Having a self tacking jib the main is fairly large.
It is all down to the set of the lines. They form a sharp angle rather than a straight line from the end of the boom to the spreader. As well as that my sail has battens that finish flush with the leech.

It helps if the sail is allowed to flog a little when hoisting & the boom can swing freely so the sail is always head to wind. I do have a sail bag for lowering but if I drop too quickly the battens can tip & catch the leech & stop the sail dropping. I have to be careful to control the drop a little. There is always 6 ft of sail to pull down manually at the end.

 

[Buck Turgidson]

The solution is lazyjacks. Mine have enough adjustment that when I loosen them to hoist the main they fall downwards and forwards so my fully battened main doesn't snag. You can tell they are the solution by looking at the IMOCA fleet. They wouldn't use them if they didn't work.

 

[Yealm]

Yes, gotta have lazy jacks
I also have problems with battens catching if raising in chop.

Does anyone have photos of a solution for this eg a cockpit led line that pulls the lazy jacks forward out of the way, immediately before a hoist ?

 

[Daedelus]

Crusader sails had some sort of lash up that pulled the lazy jacks out of the way of the batten ends on hoisting. Might be worth a follow up.

 

[Poignard]

A light line each side, attached to the aftermost lazy-jack thimble or eye, and routed forward to a cheek block on the mast, then down to a turning block on the coachroof, and finally back to the cockpit ought to do it.

Plenty of scope for experiment without spending much money.

 

[Wansworth]

Hada boat with a battenless main,nicely cut it didn’t flutter or shake…….by Ratsey