Referring mainsail

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send54sail

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Hi
We took the fully battered main off our 44' sailing boat and have cleaned it and the stack pack so ready to reinstall.
Is it best to unfold the sail on deck and reinstall the battens before lifting the sail onto the boom and sliding the cars along the luff back into the groove up the mast?
Or is it best to get the sail refitted before putting the battens in and then insert the battens once the sail is attached to the mast and boom?
Expecting it to be difficult shorthanded but grateful for any tips.
Cheers
Andy
 
On my 33 footer the sail has a boltrope at the foot and the stackpack fits around the boltrope into the boom groove. For that setup I find it easiest to first fit the sail and stackpack to the boom. I usually put the sail in the stackpack and zip it up, then use the main halyard and topping lift to level and raise the boom to the gooseneck. When the boom is secured with mainsheet in place I then tighten up the lazy jacks and put the track sliders in the mast groove. All done singlehanded but on much smaller boat.
 
I have a 34-footer; it has never occurred to me to fit the battens before installing the main, but I suppose it must be possible. Come to think of it, the reason is probably that fitting the battens is quite a fiddle, and it is easier to do this job when the sail is already securely fastened. I think that getting the mass of the sail under control first is the better option, but why not give it a try and let us know how you get on?
 
With the main, I normally just put the battens in on the pontoon or side deck then lift the whole sail on board.

Definitely easier with a helper.
 
I have loose footed main with stack pack and full length battens.
My procedure
Slide stack pack in place, attach lazy jacks (slack)
attach tack, outhaul and halyard
Hoist head of sail level with goose neck
insert some slides
hoist sale to next free slide is level with goose neck
when batten slide is inserted hoist until slide is secure in track and insert batten
repeat
 
My boat is 41ft and the mainsail is pretty stiff as it’s fairly new. The boom is very high and it’s never occurred to me to try to fit the battens with the sail (partially) hoisted. I always fit them with the sail on the deck, usually after something resembling a wrestling match. I do it single handed but only on a windless day.
 
We have a 42 footer with loose footed main and full length battens attached to Harken cars . Stackpack and lazyjacks. Having tried most alternatives we now fit the stackpack into the boom , follow with lazyjacks on one side, hoist the main onto boom, attach tack, outhaul and halyard. Then hoisting bit by bit we attach main to Harken cars, tighten lazyjacks on second side, fit reefing lines. Last of all come the battens.
Two absolute requirements: two of us who know what we are doing, and either a calm day or heading into the wind.

Quite hard work to be honest, but well worth it for a good shaped sail when it's all up and running.
 
Huge difference in sail weight between 30 footers and 40+ footers.

We fit the battens with the sail laid out on the pontoon. Then loose tie up with sail ties.

Attach spinnaker halyard to a rope round near the tack. Sail lifted at that end using using electric halyard winch, manually lifting the much lighter clew end.
Lift on board and swing round - lift higher on electric winch if necessary. Then thread clew through stackpack.

Once threaded in untie sail ties and start to fit sail.
 
We only have a 30 ft boat, but the mainsail is very big, quite heavy as laminate, with four full length battens two of which are very long and awkward to handle. We always fit the battenless sail complete, drop it and hoist again progressively sliding on the battens. Would be impossible to fit them all on the deck or even pontoon (30 footers get smaller pontoon fingers than 40 footers...)
 
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