Thanks, Rick.
Another upgrade on my list is “George”. My helm is a tiller so I think you can imagine how much fun it is to set or douse the main when single handing. The auto helm for my tiller will eliminate the need for an entire crew member. From: CnC-List [mailto:cnc-list-boun...@cnc-list.com] On Behalf Of Rick Brass via CnC-List Sent: Monday, February 23, 2015 8:57 PM To: 'Indigo'; cnc-list@cnc-list.com Subject: Re: Stus-List Furling the main Burt, My Admiral (who is much more a “Landsman” than “Able Bodied Seaman”) and I basically use the system that Jonathan describes for dousing the sails on my 38. She steers (or minds George the autopilot) and eases the halyard while I flake the luff of the sail at the mast, and then move to the aft end of the boom to finish flaking and put on the sail ties. The system is more of a fire drill when I need to do it when alone (except for George). I ease the halyard a scosh as I come into the wind, and then set George. Half a turn on the cabin top winch to lead the halyard forward to the mast, and then I can lower and flake by myself. I got used to doing this on my 25, which has the halyard at the mast, and it’s actually fairly easy on a smaller boat. There are basically three systems to help you douse the main. Douse – not Furl. And each can actually become exasperating when raising the main if you are not dead into the wind as the sail starts up because the top battens in the main can get fouled under the lines and prevent the sail from going up. The most common system, and what you have most probably seen on other boats - is called Lazy Jacks. These are essentially small lines lead from partway up the mast to a point part way back on the boom, and outside the sail on either side. When the sail is lowered it sort of crumples down between the lines and stays more or less on top of the boom. You can flake it later at the dock, and it is best if you have a sail cover designed to accommodate the lazy jacks. System two is commonly called a stack pack. You see it pretty commonly on cruising catamarans. It is like a set of Lazy Jacks, except that your sail cover becomes the lower part of the lazy jack system, and you just stuff the sail down a bit and zip the sail cover closed over the top of the sail. The drawbacks are (1) that the sail has to be attached to the boom or sandwiched in between the two sides of the sail cover, so that you lose the sail shape you would get with a loose foot sail, and (2) the top of zipper on the top of the sail cover can get inconveniently high off the deck. I have friends with a stack pack on an Endevour 35, and they need to bring a 3 step kitchen ladder up on the cabin top to unzip or rezip the cover. The third system is called a Dutchman (wish I knew why). In this system you have a set of lines that run vertically from the topping lift to the top of the boom. Your sail has a set of cringles (holes) in it and the vertical lines weave from the port side of the sail to the starboard side of the sail as they go up. Then when you drop the sail, it slides down the lines and – in a perfect world – if flakes itself on the top of the mast. It works really cool if you install it when you get a new sail, so the sail gets a permanent set of creases along the flake. The drawbacks here are (1) that you must have a topping lift for the boom, (2) it’s a real PITA when the topping lift gets tangled in the backstay when you tack or gybe, and (3) you need to remember to play with the topping lift when you adjust outhaul, Cunningham, etc. to adjust sail shape in changing wind conditions. Rick Brass Imzadi C&C 38 mk 2 la Belle Aurore C&C 25 mk1 Washington, NC From: CnC-List [mailto:cnc-list-boun...@cnc-list.com] On Behalf Of Indigo via CnC-List Sent: Monday, February 23, 2015 7:56 PM To: Burt Stratton; cnc-list@cnc-list.com Subject: Re: Stus-List Furling the main Agree that lazy jacks are one way to make fueling the main easy. However I use a simple method whenever short handed or even fully crewed. Pass halyard with one turn around the winch to the helm. One crew goes to the mast and from in front of the mast facing after "flakes" the luff by pulling the rope bolt between the slides to alternate sides while the helm lets down the sail. With practice and coordination the sail can com down pretty fast. The leech is left to fall wherever. Once the sail is full down the person at the mast moves to the leech. And following the flakes at the luff, flakes the whole sail, putting sail ties on as he moves forward along the boom. Works well for me and the admiral on my 35mIII. -- Jonathan Indigo C&C 35III SOUTHPORT CT On Feb 23, 2015, at 19:15, Burt Stratton via CnC-List <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> wrote: This is another newby question but I know you guys will be kind… and helpful I spoke with another sailor this weekend who informed me that there is some sort of rigging set up that actually assists in the raising and lowering of one’s mains’l I cannot for the life of me remember what it was called but I have seen them on many other yachts. It looks like a web of lines on both sides of the main. The function being to help furl it onto the top of your boom when lowering or keeping it out of the water when raising. It also looks like it might second as a topping lift. Mt question is what is it called and where might I find it (or is it something we just make out of spare lines and install ourselves… because we are sailors, after all) This could be the answer to my primary concern sailing with a crew that specializes in mixology. I can furl my jib myself while driving the boat (roller furl). The main is by far my biggest challenge. 1974 C&C 33 - 3 quarter tonner On keel blocks in 5 feet of snow Walpole, MA _______________________________________________ Email address: CnC-List@cnc-list.com To change your list preferences, including unsubscribing -- go to the bottom of page at: http://cnc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/cnc-list_cnc-list.com
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