Monique
Well-Known Member
I would start by removing all gear from the clew outward. Then replace with dyneema of a length suitable to reach your coach roof winch...
GL and HNY!!
GL and HNY!!
Mainsail foot tension
- Thread starter Ardenfour
- Start date
Uricanejack
Well-Known Member
Not really a sail trim guru.
My new boat has a loose footed main, A new concept for me. out haul back through boom and blocks to the coach roof and a jammer well within reach of winch. It does the trick.
I don't bother with it much but ease it light airs, harden til I put a slight crease in the sail then ease till its gone.
on older boats I used a tackle along the boom, used it when reefing as well,
My new boat has a loose footed main, A new concept for me. out haul back through boom and blocks to the coach roof and a jammer well within reach of winch. It does the trick.
I don't bother with it much but ease it light airs, harden til I put a slight crease in the sail then ease till its gone.
on older boats I used a tackle along the boom, used it when reefing as well,
howard easton
N/A
the basic idea urricanejack is that you end up with the same fore / aft shape at the bottom of the sail as all the way vertically up it. Yes you can haul in a bit to flatten the bottom half of the main in a blow
lw395
Well-Known Member
Is the problem that the line in the existing tackle is stretching as the wind increases?
Deal with that, and try to remove friction from the system.
Also, sometimes the bolt rope in the foot shrinks, so the tension does not get to the sailcloth.
A sailmaker can fix that easily.
Also consider a flattening reef and/or a cunningham.
Deal with that, and try to remove friction from the system.
Also, sometimes the bolt rope in the foot shrinks, so the tension does not get to the sailcloth.
A sailmaker can fix that easily.
Also consider a flattening reef and/or a cunningham.
charles_reed
Well-Known Member
Mine has a 2:1 purchase on the wire to the clew and then straight out to the 8:1 reefing winch. It used to have a further 4:1 Tackle inside the boom, which proved such a problem that I dispensed with it.
If your mainsail is loose footed you might be able to flatten it by using the outhaul but that would be impossible with a bolt-rope foot and I suspect the sail needs recutting to flatten it.
You don't mention if the main is crosscut or radial cut, if the latter some hope of flattening by outhaul, the former recutting or a new main advisable.
PS If you've attempted to put full battens on an existing unbattened main I'm afraid you're on a hiding to nothing - the cut of a fully battened sail is quite different to a manipulatable mainsail.
If your mainsail is loose footed you might be able to flatten it by using the outhaul but that would be impossible with a bolt-rope foot and I suspect the sail needs recutting to flatten it.
You don't mention if the main is crosscut or radial cut, if the latter some hope of flattening by outhaul, the former recutting or a new main advisable.
PS If you've attempted to put full battens on an existing unbattened main I'm afraid you're on a hiding to nothing - the cut of a fully battened sail is quite different to a manipulatable mainsail.
Ardenfour
Well-Known Member
The main is good condition and seems fairly modern. Loose footed. It has a Cunningham at clew and tack. Cant get tension on that either. Actually there's only one sheave at the boom end, so I've tried a line through the first reefing block on the boom but it's too far forward I think, and pulls down more than along. If I can get some small enough blocks I'll try a small tackle with a longer line along the boom. To get to the coachroof winch I would need a turning block at the gooseneck, then another at the mast foot, then to the winch?
knuterikt
Well-Known Member
Any pictures?
Both ends of the boom and the mast (goose neck & mast ring)
There are many ways to get purchase.
PeterWright
Well-Known Member
Hi,
I assume you're asking about the Nic 30 listed in your profile, so not a massive main, in which case your goal should be the system siggested by Silver Fox in post 5.
It's likely that the forward end casting of your boom is held in the alloy tube by pop rivets - if you get the boom off the gooseneck these will come out fairly easily by drilling. To make up the new rig, use wire, or better still Dyneema, for the single part from the clew to the new block and make sure the block is small enough to fit inside the boom. Use the old outhaul to pull a mouse through as you remove it. You should find a feature on the inside end of the fwd end casting to which you can secure the fixed end of the two part line (braid on braid polyester will do for this). Once you've threaded it all together and pulled the single part out of the aft end of the boom with the messenger, push the end casting back into the boom and refasten it with monel pop rivets. If you don't have a pop riveter, you can generally beg or borrow one in boaty places.
Once the boom's back on the mast, by adding a block at the mast foot, you can probably arrange for the tail to be led to the winch fot which you have yet to find a purpose. Add a clutch on the lead to the winch, and you will have a really good system. if your main is loose footed, it should transform the sail's performance.
I assume you're asking about the Nic 30 listed in your profile, so not a massive main, in which case your goal should be the system siggested by Silver Fox in post 5.
It's likely that the forward end casting of your boom is held in the alloy tube by pop rivets - if you get the boom off the gooseneck these will come out fairly easily by drilling. To make up the new rig, use wire, or better still Dyneema, for the single part from the clew to the new block and make sure the block is small enough to fit inside the boom. Use the old outhaul to pull a mouse through as you remove it. You should find a feature on the inside end of the fwd end casting to which you can secure the fixed end of the two part line (braid on braid polyester will do for this). Once you've threaded it all together and pulled the single part out of the aft end of the boom with the messenger, push the end casting back into the boom and refasten it with monel pop rivets. If you don't have a pop riveter, you can generally beg or borrow one in boaty places.
Once the boom's back on the mast, by adding a block at the mast foot, you can probably arrange for the tail to be led to the winch fot which you have yet to find a purpose. Add a clutch on the lead to the winch, and you will have a really good system. if your main is loose footed, it should transform the sail's performance.
PeterWright
Well-Known Member
Generally every time we come on or off the wind - in all but the lightest airs I want a flatter sail when on the wind. Certainly more often than we adjust the halyard tension (no Cunningham) which we tend to do for significant changes in wind speed, to keep the draft in the best position.
William_H
Well-Known Member
The Cunningham at the clew is usually known as a flattening reef. ie a reef which does not take a lot of area out of the main sail but does take away that area along the boom where the real fullness is. Typically 20 cms up from outhaul clew. So if you are not too serious about adjustment you can simply use a non adjustable lanyard out from the bottom normal clew to a saddle or similar at the boom end, set up for light winds. Then set up the adjustable outhaul to the flattening reef to haul in and tighten when the wind gets stronger. A high fieled lever might be worth trying near the front of the boom (giving on or off) or all of the suggested methods to bring the outhaul (flattening reef line) back to winches or a tackle. If you are like me you will probably end up trying a few different things. good luck olewill