Trouble raising mainsail.

G

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Guest
All of a sudden we are having trouble getting the mainsail on our Capri to run fully up the mast when raising the sail. If I try it at the dock when there is no load on the sail, it runs freely up, but when we try to hoist the sail for real, we can't get the last 6-8" up and no amount of tugging on the halyard will raise it that last bit. It's like the boltrope is stuck in the track somewhere. Fortunately, the sail will come right down.

I don't see anything wrong with the boltrope or the "bullet" at the head of the sail. Someone suggested lubricant for the boltrope track, but this is so sudden, I'm wondering whether or what teh cause might be. ANy ideas welcome.

Bill Bain
Atlanta
 
It might not be a problem up high, but one down low. Make sure your mainsheet and vang are loose enough. Either can prevent the boom from rising to its proper location which means you can not raise the sail to the top of the mast.
 
Mainsail

Another factor is that it's always hard to raise main when it's under load. I always raise mine at the dock. If I ever have to raise it on the water (rare) I always sheet out far enough to where there is no sideload on the sail at all.
 
raising mains'l

Point into the wind so there is no load on the main when raising it. Make sure it isn't sheeted or vanged in(these can make the sail get tight in the middle and not at the leech). Just make sure the boom is free to rise a little and I bet your problem will go away
 
Bill,
I do not have a lot of experience yet, but I too have the situation where it seemed like the main should go up about 4 - 6inches more. Still does this. My main sail has a grommet about 8 inches above the Grommet at the front of the foot (the one you secure the front of the foot to the boom.This hole is the cunningham hole (or downhaul). Maybe the directions below will help.

These are directions I received from someone else. I have not tried them yet.

Installing a cunningham
There should be a whole on the bottom of the gooseneck that fits into the mast grove.
Tie a figure eight knot in a piece of line about two and a half feet long.
Thread the line through the hole in the gooseneck
Thread the line through the hole in your sail
Now draw the line tight just enough to take the wrinkles out of the leading edge of the sail
Cleat the line in the jam cleat on the side of the mast
The rule is, the more wind the tighter you set the cunningham, it flattens the sail. Flat sails are good sails in high winds.
 
Bill,
I was out on th eboat today and had the same problem that you mention. I have not look at it yet bu I have a theory. Depending on how the mast is supported when trilering, it may be possible that the slot that the sail slides up may have been bent closed a little. That spot is right about where my mast lays on the Transom when trailering. I do use some padding but..

Let me know if this helps. I will investigate further also,
 
Raising Mainsail

Yep, the vang was too tight - I loosened the vang and up she went. Of course, no sooner did I get up the sail and the wind shifted and came up (gusts predicted at 10-12, actual 20+). Before we chickened out and headed in (rapidly) the GPS was telling us that we were over 7 kts. speed over ground which is a whole lot faster than I wanted to go!
 
Gooseneck hole for the cunningham

In the pictures I see in the owner's manual the hole in the gooseneck fitting is shown on the top rather than the bottom.

Does anyone see it the same way when looking at their literature?
 
Gooseneck Hole for Cunningham

Jim, you are seeing correctly. The cunningham hole in the goose neck is on top. This hole is for the dead end of the cunningham line that runs from the gooseneck up through the cunningham cringle in the sail, back down to the cleat on the starboard side of the mast. In the overall scheme of things I doubt it really makes much of a difference, but I believe the rational is so that the cunningham line does not foul with connection between the boom to the mast.
 
Downhall?

That makes sense about the Cunningham. Thanks.

I don't see anything about a downhall line in the pictures so I assume that this isn't necessary. Correct?
 

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