Sail mounting and stowing

Ted

Ted

New Member
First question is about the way my racing sail sags below the boom when not sailing. The sail hasn't had that much action - I don't race. Maybe it's not supposed to be taught from spar to boom (?).

Another detail question: do you pros loosen the outhaul when not under sail so as not to keep the sail stretched? I haven't been...

Next question is about what to do with the sail when I bring the boat off the water. I want to keep the sail in the best shape possible. Should the sail be rolled or sort of folded up against the spars? I don't like how the window goes up against hard pieces on the boom, or how it creases if I sort of fold the sail several times till it lies along the spars rather than rolling it. Also, the sail gets spots on it from the boom when it lies against it during storage: any suggestions there?

The grommets on the sail have corroded a little bit despite being rinsed after being in salt water. Guess I just have to live with that...Other parts around the boat react to the salt, too, like the rivets along the aluminum edging on the deck.

P.S. How do you pros handle the sheet and halyard being wet when you go to take your boat out of the water and put away the sail for transportation? Take it all out later and let it dry, or just not worry about it?

Thanks for reading and any replies. Happy summer sailing, everyone!
 
SInce I use a cunningham as well as an adjustable outhaul I did learn an expensive lesson one spring. Seems my last sail in the fall was in high wind conditions and I had the cunningham and outhaul yanked really tight and I forgot about them. Come spring boats that I regularly beat were passing me like I had an anchor dragging. The sail had stretched to the point it was basically useless for anything but day sailing. So yes I relieve both the cunningham and outhaul EVERY time the sail comes down.

As for the mainsheet and halyard I pull the mainsheet and use it to wrap the sail to the booms after rolling the sail and the halyard to wrap the mast to the sail/booms so they are both outside where they can dry.

As for marking on the sail from the booms that's most likely a function of salt water sailing as are the other oxidation issues. Fresh water rinsing helps but it doesn't prevent problems over time. Salt water sailing is just rough on metal parts.
 
Ted,

Usually, by the time I am ready to put my sails, halyard and mainsheet away, it is all pretty dry. I roll my sail around a pool noodle up to the spars and secure it with a 12" loop bungee near where the halyard is attached. I coil the halyard and stick it under the bungee. This gets put in a sail bag so the wind from traveling isn't beating up the sail. The main sheet get coiled and placed in the car. When I get home, the sail bag with spars and sails gets hung up on ladder hooks in the carport out of the sun. The main sheet gets hung up as well. If I have been sailing in salt water, everything gets rinsed with fresh water when I get home and allowed to dry before getting put away.
 
Ted said:
First question is about the way my racing sail sags below the boom when not sailing. The sail hasn't had that much action - I don't race. Maybe it's not supposed to be taught from spar to boom (?).
Click to expand...

The race sail should sag. That is the shape built into it.

As far as storing the sail, put the spars together, and let the sail fold in half. Then roll tightly and neatly towards the spars. You can tie it off with the halyard with one loop around, and then coil the halyard. If you have a bag to put it in, that's great.

Andy
 
I do loosen the outhaul when I put the sail away (or I do when I remember). After I pull the boat our of the water, I put the boom on the windward side of the rudder blade, then I lower it so the upper spar is on top of it, so the sail is folded in half. Then I just roll it down as tight as I can to the spars. I have two bungee cords (the kind with that ball on one end and a loop on the other) to hold the sail, mast, and halyard together. I just coil the halyard up, and put it in a bungee. It has worked really well for me. I don't really worry about my halyard being too wet.
 
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