Novice having trouble hoisting main at sea single handed.

[Twister_Ken]

Unless I've missed it, nobody has suggested heaving to, doesn't work for all keel types but give it a try- slack off the mainsheet completely, tack the boat from hard on the wind but do not release the sheet so the genoa/jib (you may have to partially furl/let out a little bit of sheet to get the balance right) is now aback.

The boat should now lay gently repeatedly luffing and bearing away a few degrees at a time and probably inching forward. This will then permit you to do the necessary with the mainsail; do the same for the drop

Heaving to, strictly, requires the main and the foresail (aback), with the helm to leeward. You may be lucky to have a boat that will heave to under foresail alone, but not many will.

 

[Mrnotming]

If you do fit lazy jacks,allow length enough in the fall,to undo same,and gather the leeward lazyjacks,bunched at the gooseneck,on a hook.This ensures space for the main to belly out to leeward without having anything to snag on.
This would apply to those who like to hoist whilst the Genoa is set and drawing.Just release the fall of the lazyjacks when finished the rehoist.Small plastic balls like on bungees are ideal,each junction on the lazyjack say 2mm line has a smal bowline which tucks inside the plastic ball.You will need a serious amount of 2mm line so buy a big roll or drum.Plastic balls will be inexpensive. All easy DIY for an easy life.you may need to fit a few small pad eyes here and there as required.Hooded block kits sold for the purpose like say Barton are an overkill on small boats say up to 10/11m

 

[scottie]

And always do it on starboard tack if close hauled which is why your main halyard is on the stub side

 

[dolphin]

instead of tiller tamer, i fix the tiller in required position with bungee cords on both sides, engine tick ahead just to maintain the course,
plus a short rope, tight to the tiller and via blocks lead to the winch on the mast
as the winch is on the port side, the rope go from the tiller via blocks - starboard side / port side / winch
this way , i can steer the boat upwind during hoisting the main
once the sail is up a few meters, the wind fill the main and the boat start to fall, slight pull on the line and boat is back on course and the main flapping again
with 2-3 correction the main sail is up
for dropping, heaving to is ok as the boat heave to only with main sail without foresail

 

[fredrussell]

Another +1 for tiler pilots...

...Good luck with your s/h learning curve, and enjoy the freedom of being master, skipper, navigator, crew, photographer, galley-mate, steward, purser, deck-hand, lines-handler, fender-dropper, radio-operator, bosun, engineer, electrician, rigger and all the other positions single-handing requires!!!!
Somewhere in that lot you will also be able to enjoy "just sailing" :encouragement:

Thanks Robert, most of my sailing is in fairly sheltered estuaries (Orwell and Stour) with occasional jaunts out to sea when conditions permit (<F4). I like to think I'm performing a valuable service in entertaining the numerous old salts with my ham-fisted efforts and my mantra whilst afloat seems to have become "we all have to start somewhere".

Unless I've missed it, nobody has suggested heaving to, doesn't work for all keel types but give it a try- slack off the mainsheet completely, tack the boat from hard on the wind but do not release the sheet so the genoa/jib (you may have to partially furl/let out a little bit of sheet to get the balance right) is now aback.

The boat should now lay gently repeatedly luffing and bearing away a few degrees at a time and probably inching forward. This will then permit you to do the necessary with the mainsail; do the same for the drop

I did consider this actually but with the wind on the beam wouldn't the mainsail be pressed too hard against the mast track as it went up? I'll certainly try it though. Nothing ventured etc...

Will start looking at tiller pilots - Simrad TP10 seems to be entry level one people use a lot, will keep an eye on ebay.

 

[Ammonite]

Hi Fred

Sailing S/H is a great way to improve your skills once someone has shown you the basics - just give yourself plenty of space / time so you don't ruin someone elses pride and joy while you are getting the hang of it.

I guess it depends on the boat but a tiller pilot and lazy jacks (and central cleats) are a massive plus when S/H - essential even in my book
I have a fully battened main with the main halyard led back to the cockpit and even with copious amounts of silicon spray on the mast track the only way to raise the mainsail efficiently is to motor gently into the wind (or close to it) with the headsail furled. Any other way and the sail jams in the track and/or the battens foul the lazy jacks. Doing it this way it takes me no more than 30 seconds to raise / set the main like this when on my own and because you are crawling along you can do it within 50 yards (or less if the tide is in your favour) which is a big plus in busy waters like Chichester. The winch is only needed to tension the halyard in my case. Generally speaking I don't find I need to use the TP when raising the main as it takes so little time - the sail is up before there's a chance to drift off course.

 

[lw395]

How big is this boat?
Is the main on slides?

With a small-ish boat, it should be possible to get the main far enough up to sail just by luffing up and pulling hard and fast on the halyard.
This can be a lot easier if you can get rid of as much friction as possible.
Change any stiff old rope, get the sheaves turning nicely, wax the track and slides.
Make sure the topping lift works if you have one.
Dump the outhaul. (it loads the slides on many boats)
On the dayboat I used to sail, we had a cam cleat so you could whip the main up without the drag of the clutch etc. Get it 99% up, get sailing, then sort the winch etc. Then another quick luff to tension.
If it's a big main, then I think the auto pilot is called for.

 

[Giblets]

On the subject of lazy jacks the boat that I now sail on has these fitted and a fully battened main sail plus stack pack. We do suffer from the batten ends getting caught in the lazy jacks which can add to the (human) tension. I did think about replacing the current l-j's with elasticated cord so that they could be held back towards the mast with a bungey but would be interested to hear others thoughts on the problem.

Note to OP: Sorry for the slight thread hijack but the answers may be part of the learning curve!

 

[Spirit of Glenans]

Another +1 for tiler pilots
Another +1 for main (and all string) back to the cockpit. Khamsin is rigged thus and it means I hardly ever have to go forward or leave the cockpit.
As for steering with knees, this needs knees(therefore legs) close together which means I'm on the point of balance and if it's choppy/roly-poly keeping balance is difficult/impossible. I'm no Nureyev, and my antics must provide mirth to anyone watching!:

Recently while doing an ISA Keelboat Instructor Revalidation, (yes, over here we have to revalidate every 3-5 years, depending on experience), I had to do three gybes in a (almost straight )line in 50 metres while both helming and mainsail trimming. The technique demands steering with the tiller between the knees, but, on this particular boat the tiller was dropping down too low, which meant that I had to crouch down and steer, literally by the seat of my pants

 

[Spirit of Glenans]

Heaving to, strictly, requires the main and the foresail (aback), with the helm to leeward. You may be lucky to have a boat that will heave to under foresail alone, but not many will.

When you are hove-to, the main is fully sheeted out, i.e. flapping,not drawing wind, so if it is actually only being hoisted at that point, it amounts to the same thing, although it is very difficult to go about (in some boats) under jib alone. In this case it would be easier to heave -to by backing the jib manually, then quickly pushing the tiller across so that it is pointing at the boom.

 

[Boo2]

If I furl the headsail before hoisting main will the bow be less likely to come about? Would some sort of auto-pilot be better than my tiller tamer at keeping the boat pointed straight at wind?

Yes, and yes : leaving the headsail furled helps stop the bows blowing off when motoring into the wind and an autopilot will be even better, especially if it is set up to helm to the wind angle instead of the compass.

Fwiw I do what you are suggesting and it works more or less ok though there is the occassional time when I need to steer by hand half way through the process just to get the head back into the wind. That's ignoring the issue of the battens getting hitched up on the lazyjacks which I am sure I could cure by leaving them forwards until after raising the main

Boo2

 

[Spirit of Glenans]

I'm always a bit fraught after hoisting main whilst sailing single handed. With genoa unfurled I point the boat at the wind, lock the tiller tamer, motor forward at a crawl and haul on the main halyard. Nine times out of ten before I can get the main all the way up the bow catches the wind slightly and round she comes.

If I furl the headsail before hoisting main will the bow be less likely to come about? Would some sort of auto-pilot be better than my tiller tamer at keeping the boat pointed straight at wind?

I've seen a few mentions on web of people hoisting the main whilst boat is close hauled via headsail - this seems preferable to above method to me but never gets mentioned in any of the books I've read on sailing technique. Anyone on here favour this method?

I usually get the main up whilst on the mooring, which is no problem, but any tips re hoisting main whilst on the go would be appreciated.

I usually find it best to put up the main on the mooring and motorsail out. But you should be aware that normally, at an early stage of a Level 2 sailing course, you would be shown how to explore the relative effects of sheeting in one sail while letting the other flap. In doing this you would discover that, with no power from the mainsail and with the jib sheeted in, the boat would bear away, while, with the main in and the jib flapping, the boat will luff up. So, to answer your question in that regard, it becomes obvious that you can not do this Close-Hauled, as you cannot actually achieve that point of sail. The best you can do is a Close Reach. Remember how to control the speed while picking up a mooring, picking up a MOB or coming alongside under sail? Yes, a Close Reach, while "filling and spilling"
On a Close Reach, your mainsail should flap when sheeted out fully and is thus "head-to-wind", so if you can sail on a Close Reach under jib alone, you can hoist your main without any additional friction caused by wind in the sail.
You will still, of course, have to have your main halyard brought back to the cockpit and steer with your knees to do this single handed.

 

[Sailingsaves]

Heaving to, strictly, requires the main and the foresail (aback), with the helm to leeward. You may be lucky to have a boat that will heave to under foresail alone, but not many will.

Under sail only and with no engine:

I used the afore mentioned technique in the past on a 22 foot bilge keeler.
Hove to under jib only, tiller lashed and main up.

I preferred to be close hauled(ish) with tiller pilot and hoist main however (in fine conditions that is). Boat was moving nicely and stable rather than bobbing around like a cork.

I never clipped on. FOOLISH if single handing (as hoisting was all at mast). So consider clipping on if not already mentioned and lines don't lead aft.

 

[Boo2]

It does care very much whether the boat id heeled or not, and whether the air-flow is smooth. By hoisting the main when heeled over a bit the boom lies quietly out of the cockpit, and rolling does not cause the boom to slam around. This is a really important advantage of doing it while sailing under foresail.

Agreed, but as Pete says the battens on my boat get caght in the lazyjacks if not heading direct to wind.

Boo2

 

[kolster]

Agreed, but as Pete says the battens on my boat get caght in the lazyjacks if not heading direct to wind.

Boo2

My headboard gets caught in the lazyjacks if the wind's not direct on the bow

 

[nigelmercier]

Under normal circumstances it makes sense to hoist the mainsail before unrolling the jib, not the other way round.

It never occurred to me to do it any other way.

 

[Mrnotming]

On the subject of lazy jacks the boat that I now sail on has these fitted and a fully battened main sail plus stack pack. We do suffer from the batten ends getting caught in the lazy jacks which can add to the (human) tension. I did think about replacing the current l-j's with elasticated cord so that they could be held back towards the mast with a bungey but would be interested to hear others thoughts on the problem.
Hi Giblets,
Yes if the elastic would not weather after only 3 months,as happens in sunshine (Med in my case)
So I go for an over length fall of the halyard instead,no grief.
All these remarks are intended to help the original poster,and I'm sure the replies will be well appreciated by all.

Note to OP: Sorry for the slight thread hijack but the answers may be part of the learning curve!

 

[Mrnotming]

Apologies Giblets,I goofed and my reply became part of the quote,sorry readers!

 

[fredrussell]

Funnily enough I too have recently been pondering the use of elasticated lazy jacks that could be unclipped from their positions on the boom and allowed to sit near gooseneck whilst sail is hoisted. The catching of battens on lazyjacks just adds to the fun of hoisting main single handed.

 

[Tam Lin]

Like many others I use the tillerpilot, point into the wind, go to the mast and hoist the mainsail, back to the cockpit, sort out the main sheet, pull out the genoa, turn off the engine, bliss!