Hoisting Sail is a Two Person Job?

barnmom

Member
My husband helps me hoist although I do the slip knots and all. I try to do it solo but can't seem to manage. Last summer it all crashed down on my left thumb which made for a sore few months. I wonder if you all are able to raise the sail solo and if so do you have any tips?
 
I would recommend putting one hand on the halyard and another on the lower portion of the boom near the gooseneck. I like to push up on the lower portion of the boom and slowly pull the halyard in, it usually works for me, but I don't know if it does for anybody else. Hope it helps either way.
 
You could try tying a modified truckers hitch (How to Tie a Trucker's Hitch) in the main halyard about 3 feet above the mast cleat (assuming you have one). You then take the main halyard down around the mast cleat, up through the truckers hitch, then back down. As you pull down on the halyard, you end up getting a 2:1 purchase (mechanical advantage). check out this youtube. It shows it clearly.

If you do that while using your hand to raise the lower spar during all of this you should be OK.


Mike
 
Are you trying to hoist the sail when the bow is pointed away from the wind? Make sure you point the bow of the boat into the wind and that will make it a lot easier. Also, consider wearing sailing gloves (rubber garden gloves work well too) when you hoist the sail. Most women and kids I have seen seem to be able to hoist the sail this way with few problems.
 
I have a Super Porpoise, it's a bit bigger sunfish clone, it has the same rigging. There is no way I can get the sail up by just pulling he halyard. I have to pull the halyard, while holding up the gooseneck. Just like Gator Bill described. Once it's up it's easy to hold the halyard with one hand and tie it off. Try it on the hard before you get to the water.
Fairwinds.
 
I have a Super Porpoise, it's a bit bigger sunfish clone, it has the same rigging. There is no way I can get the sail up by just pulling he halyard. I have to pull the halyard, while holding up the gooseneck. Just like Gator Bill described. Once it's up it's easy to hold the halyard with one hand and tie it off. Try it on the hard before you get to the water.
Fairwinds.
Thanks. I will try it some more and practice.
 
Barmom are you trying to raise the sail from the cockpit with the halyard? How do you launch? On dry land most people pull the halyard from along side the mast. You can use your other hand to lift the lower boom Once up hold with one hand thread through the pulley and cleat with the other. If on water kneel near mast and do the above. Trucks hitch is another method with more leverage.
 
Barmom are you trying to raise the sail from the cockpit with the halyard? How do you launch? On dry land most people pull the halyard from along side the mast. You can use your other hand to lift the lower boom Once up hold with one hand thread through the pulley and cleat with the other. If on water kneel near mast and do the above. Trucks hitch is another method with more leverage.
Thank you. I do this on shore. I try to hold halyard in left hand and raise gooseneck with my right. I get sail up and then gooseneck falls to bottom. I plan to keep on trying and practicing.
 
Thank you. I do this on shore. I try to hold halyard in left hand and raise gooseneck with my right. I get sail up and then gooseneck falls to bottom. I plan to keep on trying and practicing.
The sail and rigging should lay on the port side of the boat. You would be on the starboard (right) side of the boat. So raising the gooseneck would be easier with your LEFT hand while you pull the halyard up from alongside the mast with your RIGHT hand. If you’ve got the sail all the way up and the gooseneck still “falls to bottom” there’s a problem with the way it’s rigged. A picture of your boat with the sail up should clear up any questions. You should be able to raise the sail easily by yourself as long as you’re pointed into the wind. This issue will keep you from sailing, so let’s get it cleared up!
 
Barnmom: Do you have a cleat on your mast for the halyard? If not, that could be part of the issue. The mast cleat wasn't always standard, but it makes it a lot easier to get (and hold) the sail up while you finish tying off the end of the halyard. It also relieves some of the stress on the bottom of the mast step.......but that is another matter.

Mike
 
Perfect. It is a finesse maneuver.

We are thinking about building a fartlek course around our yard, some of the stations could be a hiking station (do 10 crunches), a daggerboard raise station and we could add a sail raising station. Other stations so far are canvas water bucket raise and tree limb ducking station.

 
Barnmom are you trying to raise the sail from the cockpit with the halyard? How do you launch? On dry land most people pull the halyard from along side the mast. You can use your other hand to lift the lower boom Once up hold with one hand thread through the pulley and cleat with the other. If on water kneel near mast and do the above. Trucks hitch is another method with more leverage.
Because I have to paddle out into deep water to avoid a tree-lined shoreline, every hoisting is done from the cockpit. :oops:

I found that clamping the gooseneck so the boom side is angled downward (when relaxed) that the sail goes up effortlessly. :)

(Seen from behind, the gooseneck "loop" is angled upwards about 30 degrees).

I'm on the level--it's the gooseneck that's not! :confused:
 
Because I have to paddle out into deep water to avoid a tree-lined shoreline, every hoisting is done from the cockpit. :oops:

I found that clamping the gooseneck so the boom side is angled downward (when relaxed) that the sail goes up effortlessly. :)

(Seen from behind, the gooseneck "loop" is angled upwards about 30 degrees).

I'm on the level--it's the gooseneck that's not! :confused:
Very impressed you can raise sail from cockpit. I guess you stand to do so. I would never attempt to stand; I just slide around on my rear. Happy to say I did manage to hoist and rig sail on my own. Those who said gooseneck was the key were correct. Did I mention I'm 69 years old? Pretty healthy and strong for a female but still...

Anyway am having a wonderful summer sailing in Peconic Bay, Long Island this summer. Hope you all are finding the same healing and joy during this difficult time.
 
Wow, I'm blown away! Good for you, barnmom.

My sail used to drop down a bit. Since I installed a mast cleat and started using the slipknot hitch, it doesn't budge. Of course, several wraps of white electrical tape as a stopper.
 

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About stoppers... Last time out, the figure 8 stopper knot almost worked its way through the Nautos 57 ratchet, so I found an alternative, called Ashley's stopper, recommended by climbers.

When made correctly, it's a very tight round ball, and it doesn't use a lot of line. I'm keeping it permanent on the mainsheet, and will just load it backward though the ratchet. It's so tight now, I doubt I can undo it, which is fine.

 

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