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Raising the main on your own

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steelenick
Deckhand

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USA
3 Posts

Initially Posted - 04/08/2021 : 17:52:04

Sailed and raced dinghies for many years, but new to this size of boat. Any advice on how to raise the main sailing solo on a lake (Travis). Struggling to stay pointing to windward and raising the main. Drop anchor? Leave the motor running on slow idle with the tiller secured to windward? Any advice gratefully received

Nick Steele

Edited by - steelenick on 04/08/2021 17:59:13

Leon Sisson
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1889 Posts

Response Posted - 04/08/2021 : 18:26:56

Raising sail single handed

Rig up some convenient way to quickly lash and release the helm. One long or two short lines to stern rail stanchions, loop with slip knot over the tiller. There are several ways to get this result.

Raise the jib first, which doesn't require pointing as high as would be needed to keep the main from snagging under the lower shrouds or slugs jamming in the luff groove. Jib alone can then point high enough to raise the main without snags.

Lead halyards, and as many other control lines as practical, to the cockpit where they're within reach while still managing the tiller.

When rerouting halyards aft, add a way to take your hands off a partially raised halyard without the sail sliding back down. The final halyard tension on a Catalina 25 is too high for a cam cleat. I use line clutches aft for final tension, with cam cleats at the mast for temporarily holding halyards.

Get an auto-pilot, you won't regret it.

� Leon Sisson

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5851 Posts

Response Posted - 04/09/2021 : 08:10:38

The easiest way to raise your sails is to motor over to a nearby dock. Tie up alongside on the lee side of the dock where the wind is abeam or forward of abeam. Release the boom vang, the mainsheet and the pig tail, and raise the mainsail and jib, allowing them to luff. Release your dock lines and the boat will drift to leeward, away from the dock. Trim in the sails.

Leon's method of raising the jib first obviously works for him, but I prefer raising the mainsail first. Leon's method requires that you be using an overlapping jib, about 125% or larger. If the wind is too strong for a big jib, then you can't get the boat to beat to windward without a mainsail. The wind will blow the bow off to leeward.

If your boat has a topping lift, and if the halyards are led aft to the cockpit and if your boat has a tiller tamer-type device, or an electronic autopilot, it will make it easier to raise and lower sails singlehanded while under way. Rig your boat to make singlehanding easier.

At the outset, you need to understand that, like a dinghy, you can "steer" a C25 simply by shifting your weight. When the wind is forward of abeam, if you move your weight to port, the boat will turn to starboard, and vice versa. You can even tack the boat without using the rudder simply by shifting crew weight. Thus, if you must move forward to the mast to raise a sail, you must not upset the balance of the boat by stepping on the gunwale. Keep your weight as close as you can to the centerline of the boat.

Here's one method. If your main halyard is led to the cockpit, motor slowly to windward, release the boom vang, release the mainsheet, grasp the main halyard in one hand, release the pig tail, steer with the tiller between your legs, hoist the mainsail. If your boat has a topping lift, ease it slightly after the sail is up.

If your halyards terminate at the mast, the procedure is similar, but, if you don't have any kind of self steering device, you have to let the tiller go when you go to the mast to raise the mainsail. The boat will continue to coast to windward for a brief period if you don't upset the balance of the boat by stepping on the gunwale. Keep your weight as close as you can to the centerline of the boat, move to the mast and raise the mainsail.

Taking the sails down singlehanded can be challenging in a strong wind. My crew became incapacitated once when we were about to start a race, so I had to lower the sails alone in strong wind. I hove to. The boat drifted slowly to leeward. I lowered the motor and started it, leaving it idling in neutral gear. I lowered the jib, letting it fall on the foredeck, with part of it draped over the side in the water. I pulled the jibsheet taut to keep it out of the water as much as possible. Water won't hurt a sail. Putting it away wet will hurt it. Then I lowered the mainsail, put on the sail ties and motored to the marina.

Try all the methods that are suggested here and use the one that works best for you.

Steve Milby J/24 "Captiva Wind"
previously C&C 35, Cal 25, C25 TR/FK, C22
Past Commodore

Lee Panza
Captain

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USA
465 Posts

Response Posted - 04/09/2021 : 22:43:29

Steve mentioned a topping lift; I'd never go back to using a pigtail from the backstay. Getting broadside to the wind while the boom is hanging there and the sail is ballooned-out to the side can put an awful lot of stress on the rig. And I'd hesitate to even consider raising the main while moored to a dock unless the boom could be eased way out.

Another thing that you should consider if you expect to be single-handing much, is a set of lazy jacks. Mine can be stowed along the spars, but I always deploy them as soon as the sail goes up, in case I ever need to drop it in a hurry.

Motoring directly into the wind is surely the easiest way to put the mainsail up or take it down. As a matter of personal pride, however, I prefer to raise it while under sail alone, although it can be challenging. I generally try to get up some momentum on a close reach, and then point up almost directly into the wind to hoist the main a few turns on the winch. Of course, the momentum is quickly lost, and it's necessary to fall off and build up some speed again for another few turns. I find that I often wind up doing a series of tacks through the wind, raising the sail more each time it weather-vanes straight back.

This brings to mind another point of advice that you might not read about. Make sure that you have plenty of water to windward before starting to put the sail up (or before taking it down, for that matter). Once you start either process, you're in a somewhat precarious condition until you get the sail nearly all of the way up or down. If you run out of water when the sail is partially up it can get pretty unmanageable with the wind on the beam or farther aft, and so can the boat.

The trouble with a destination - any destination, really - is that it interrupts The Journey.

Lee Panza
SR/SK #2134
San Francisco Bay
(Brisbane, CA)

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5231 Posts

Response Posted - 04/10/2021 : 19:13:54

Wow! I never realized that raising the main singlehandedly was such a delicate maneuver!
I usually just set my boat dead into the wind using my homemade tiller tamer under power and reach over to pull on the halyard to raise the main sail. Thankfully the halyard is led back into a clutch on the top of the cabin within reach of the cockpit.
I also have a very magical homemade tiller tamer, because I can set it and run on the same course for a few minutes without having to make any adjustments.
Sometimes before I raise the sail, if it�s windy, I�ll walk up to the mast and set the reef. I usually set the forward reefing point first, then pull on jiffy reefing line to reef the rear part of the main.
Then I walk back into the cockpit to raise the sail as I normally would.
Piece of cake. I guess I just take it for granted.

Bruce Ross
Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032

Port Captain � Milford, CT

Edited by - Voyager on 04/10/2021 19:18:06

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5851 Posts

Response Posted - 04/11/2021 : 05:17:02

Like many things, it's easy if you know how and the boat is rigged for it. It's much harder to do if the boat isn't rigged for it, but it can be done. It's intimidating to someone new to the boat. Like all of us, he'll figure it out.

Steve Milby J/24 "Captiva Wind"
previously C&C 35, Cal 25, C25 TR/FK, C22
Past Commodore

islander
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3992 Posts

Response Posted - 04/11/2021 : 06:07:41

I motor into the wind and with the Tiller tamer holding the tiller I loosen the mainsheet some then pull up the sail (halyard led to cockpit) Then I fall off the wind some and adjust the mainsheet so the boat starts to sail. Kill and pull up the motor then unfurl the Genoa.

Scott-"IMPULSE"87'C25/SR/WK/Din.#5688
Sailing out of Glen Cove,L.I Sound

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9013 Posts

Response Posted - 04/11/2021 : 20:45:07

quote:
Originally posted by Voyager

Wow! I never realized that raising the main singlehandedly was such a delicate maneuver! ...Thankfully the halyard is led back into a clutch on the top of the cabin within reach of the cockpit... Piece of cake. I guess I just take it for granted.

...because the $+!nkp*++er rigged Passage's lines to the cockpit.

For single-handing, my main halyard led to the cockpit and roller furler were beyond wonderful! I ran the motor just fast enough to hold a course directly to windward, raised the main first, then fell off, trimmed the main, cut the motor, and unrolled the genny. (I never tried it the other way around.) Best of all, at the end of the sail, I pulled the furling line and the genny disappeared. That was all from the cockpit. On a smaller boat without a roller, I rigged a "dousing line" from the top hank to a block at the bow and back to the cockpit, to pull the jib down and hold it without having to go to the foredeck.

The roller furler was so nice, we often did our short "sails to nowhere" on the genny alone, leaving the cover on the main. "Pull one string and we're sailing--pull another and we're not." Barely even a need to stand up.

My crude "tiller stay" was a bungee from stern cleat to cleat with about three wraps around the tiller--engaged by pulling the wraps forward to tension it, disengaged by pushing them back to slacken it, adjustable by grabbing and twisting them, and quickly overridden with a push of the tiller. If we were more into distance sailing, I'd have added an electronic tiller pilot to hold a true course, but that was down the list.

Dave Bristle
Association "Port Captain" for Mystic/Stonington CT
PO of 1985 C-25 SR/FK #5032 Passage, USCG "sixpack" (expired),
Now on Eastern 27 $+!nkp*+ Sarge

GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4275 Posts

Response Posted - 04/16/2021 : 19:50:11

quote:
Originally posted by Stinkpotter

quote:
Originally posted by Voyager

Wow! I never realized that raising the main singlehandedly was such a delicate maneuver! ...Thankfully the halyard is led back into a clutch on the top of the cabin within reach of the cockpit... Piece of cake. I guess I just take it for granted.
...because the $+!nkp*++er rigged Passage's lines to the cockpit.

For single-handing, my main halyard led to the cockpit and roller furler were beyond wonderful! I ran the motor just fast enough to hold a course directly to windward, raised the main first, then fell off, trimmed the main, cut the motor, and unrolled the genny. (I never tried it the other way around.) Best of all, at the end of the sail, I pulled the furling line and the genny disappeared. That was all from the cockpit. On a smaller boat without a roller, I rigged a "dousing line" from the top hank to a block at the bow and back to the cockpit, to pull the jib down and hold it without having to go to the foredeck.

The roller furler was so nice, we often did our short "sails to nowhere" on the genny alone, leaving the cover on the main. "Pull one string and we're sailing--pull another and we're not." Barely even a need to stand up.

My crude "tiller stay" was a bungee from stern cleat to cleat with about three wraps around the tiller--engaged by pulling the wraps forward to tension it, disengaged by pushing them back to slacken it, adjustable by grabbing and twisting them, and quickly overridden with a push of the tiller. If we were more into distance sailing, I'd have added an electronic tiller pilot to hold a true course, but that was down the list.

Yep, I agree with Dave. I do mine the same way as he described.

Then again, if I'm just going for a day sail I almost NEVER put up my main. The boat is almost as fast, I don't have to spend time before or after the messing with the main. Just pull one line and sail, pull another and go home when I get back to the dock.

The furler has been the best investment I've made.

Where are you based on Travis? I love thaT lake.

Association Member

GaryB
Andiamo
'89 SR/WK #5862
Kemah,TX

canadiansailorkid
Deckhand

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Canada
12 Posts

Response Posted - 06/15/2021 : 18:53:52

Generally, the few times I've been soloing I have set the tiller clutch while under motor power, then raise the main from on deck at the mast. I'm still working on a method to bring the halyards to the cockpit, however the each main sail lug seem to get stuck on the slug gate. It makes for a long and involved process to help the sail up the mast. Any ideas on how to fix this? Could this be a problem with the slugs, or the mast gate. Or perhaps the tension of the stays/shrouds? The mast looks straight when eyeballing the slug track up the mast...

Anyways, once the main is up I kill the motor then haul the jib/Genoa. It seem to go up fairly easy, getting it down I've washed it a few times but adding a downhaul seems to prevent any drastic miscalculations.

1978 Catalina C25 Standard Rig Swing Keel

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9013 Posts

Response Posted - 06/16/2021 : 10:41:05

quote:
Originally posted by canadiansailorkid

...however the each main sail lug seem to get stuck on the slug gate. It makes for a long and involved process to help the sail up the mast. Any ideas on how to fix this?

The gate I had was the Gater CD sells now... The bars should be ground/filed to fit into the track opening so they form "track" flush with the inside of the mast slot, positioned so the slugs can pass through easily. They don't need to be too close together--the slugs aren't under much stress at that point--they just need to pass through. Rounding the ends can help the slugs to feed into the track. I recall mine taking some adjustments to get a smooth hoist and drop--they are made to be adjusted.

If worse comes to worst, you can put a "track stopper" just above the opening, or maybe even in the gate, to hold the slugs above the gate, and if you have the sliding gooseneck, another stopper to keep the boom from dropping so far when you drop the sail. (I had a stopper below the gooseneck, positioned so the boom could still create the necessary luff tension but wouldn't fall all the way to the downhaul cleat.)

Dave Bristle
Association "Port Captain" for Mystic/Stonington CT
PO of 1985 C-25 SR/FK #5032 Passage, USCG "sixpack" (expired),
Now on Eastern 27 $+!nkp*+ Sarge

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 06/16/2021 10:43:52

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5851 Posts

Response Posted - 06/16/2021 : 13:04:34

When you're raising your sails singlehanded, your tiller should be held in place by a tiller clutch or tiller tamer, and your speed should be as slow as possible, i.e. barely moving. Even idling in gear is probably too fast. Put it in neutral and let it coast nearly to a stop. If it's going too fast, the boat can wander far off line quickly. If it's barely moving, it can't go very far very fast. When raising the mainsail, you don't have to be pointing directly into the wind. As long as the wind is a bit forward of abeam, you can raise the mainsail. At dead slow speed, you'll have enough time to even go to the mast to hoist the mainsail. If the water is choppy, you'll need to make your speed slightly higher, but still, barely enough to avoid the bow being knocked off by the chop.

When raising and lowering sails singlehanded, too much speed is your enemy.

Steve Milby J/24 "Captiva Wind"
previously C&C 35, Cal 25, C25 TR/FK, C22
Past Commodore

JohnP
Master Marine Consultant

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1519 Posts

Response Posted - 07/09/2021 : 10:29:42

I find it helpful to lubricate the plastic sail slugs on my boat with lithium grease to get them to pass more easily through the mast gate. That helps with dropping the mainsail more quickly also.

JohnP
1978 C25 SR/FK "Gypsy"
Mill Creek off the Magothy River, Chesapeake Bay
Port Captain, northern Chesapeake Bay

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5231 Posts

Response Posted - 07/09/2021 : 21:01:09

A down haul is very helpful to pull the mainsail down even if it�s a little sticky. I have a 3/16� line that�s tied to the 2nd top sail slug to quickly pull the main down. Too often an errant gust will back around the main in the harbor and give me too much speed at precisely the wrong time. By positively dousing the main I don�t need to worry about that.

Bruce Ross
Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032

Port Captain � Milford, CT

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