Halyard operation

jcorliss78

New Member
Anyone have an experience with winch raising main and jib? My fiance is encouraging me to trade "up" to someone with winch operating main and jib as she has recently had carpel tunnel surgery on both wrists and finds the task extremely difficult on the Capri 14.2. I'd rather keep my baby (the boat, and the misses lol).

Is it feasible to convert to a winch system of operations? I've tried generous application of McLube SailKote on the boltrope track and the Jib hanks have been replaced with brass spring pistons to ease things a bit.

Anyone with any thoughts?
 
Your fiance just wants a bigger boat (haha). Using a winch to get sails up doesn't always make it easier. Why don't you put the sails up and down instead. I never had my crew raise or lower the sails and NEVER made my wife hoist the main and jib. Are you talking an electric powered winch ?
 
Hoisting sails

The local sailing instruction course I took used a Flying Scott 16' sloop rigged boat. I'm not sure if its universal on their boats, but the main halyard was wire with a side mount hand winch. I really don't have any personal experience with its operation.

The reason my better half raises the sails is that both launch I use don't allow me to sail out from the dock. Unfortunately, I have to motor out through a narrow and shallow channel to get onto the lake. Depth at high tide is rarely over 3 foot. As I'm manning the 2 stroke to keep us into the wind, I can't move forward to raise the main.

I believe a suggestion to replace my blocks may help the situation. SailKote helped some, but part of the problem is one hand feeding the boltrope into the channel and one hand pulling on the halyard.
 
Three more "solutions".

1. Teach your better half to motor out so you can hoist.

2. Have bullet-slides sewn to the bolt rope and pre load them into the mast track, with a quick pin stopper(to keep it all from falling out of the track pre-hoist). Then get a longer halyard so you could hoist while motoring.

3. Roller furler main.

Hope this helps.
 
I just may do that...

I spoke to SLO, and they can add teflon impregnated slugs to the mainsail. I was informed that in general, since its a small craft it wouldn't make much difference, but given the situation I explained to him, it may fit the bill. The cost seemed reasonable as well, I just don't know if it will harm my sails to remove them at a later date, should I choose to do so.

I just may teach her to operate the outboard, I'm not sure how well that will go but we shall see.

Question. if I left the dock under sail, I would have to tack quite a bit to stay within the 30' wide channel, how far up can I run the centerboard without having to worry about sideslipping or over heeling? I'd rather not bounce the centerboard off of rocks, but if I can manage getting out 3/4 down, I might try it. The point of sail may be difficult, as the heavy woods around the cove either block the wind at the dock, or force me to leave the dock into the wind. Ack, so much would be solved if either of us had more experience/confidence...
 
Here's my 2cnts worth!
I have to motor out of a winding river to get to my sailing lake and to make matters more interesting, there is a low bridge enroute so the Mast has to stay down :(

My solution is to drop anchor at the river mouth and that frees me up to step the mast and raise the sails with the assistance of my crew.

The fun part is trying to shackle the forestay with a tiny cotter pin and ring dingy on a wobbly boat ...but what can I say! It's all part of the fun:D
 
Wood ,
Consider a quick pin wired to the bow to replace the pin and ring. Lots of tabernacle masts use quick pins for ease of use in raising and lowering operations.

jcorliss78,

Another thought, lengthen your main halyard so you can pull up the main while your crew feeds the bolt rope in the mast slot. If you have your main halyard lead through the hole in the base of the cleat it acts as a turning block, so to speak.

Regarding sailing the boat in a confined space up wind with little or no centerboard, I sure couldn't do it. Could you raise the sail at the dock and just full luff it out the channel while you motor (wind angle?)?

Pre loading the slugs in the track with a stopped pin would work since the prefeed is done before hoisting.
 
Wood ,
Consider a quick pin wired to the bow to replace the pin and ring. Lots of tabernacle masts use quick pins for ease of use in raising and lowering operations.


Thanks fan, "quick pin" is the way to go, already have a set, just have'nt had a chance to take the boat out as yet. ......Actually, the real truth is; I'm waiting for the water temp to go up a bit, don't think my body could handle a capsize in 60degree water :eek:
 

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