Main Sheet Wrestling

[Versasail]

Is their anything out there that will make main sheet handling easier on our 05 M. I have the easy reef set up. But I'm more concerened with completely lowering the main. Some kind of main sheet furling or ??

[Moe]

If you mean mainsail handling (i.e. "completely lowering the main"), the cheapest way to do it is with lazy jacks:

Lazy Jacks & Reefing Rig

Lazy Jacks, topping lift, sail cover

Another alternative used by some here is the SailCaddy. If you do a search on the term SailCaddy, you'll get messages here about them and lazy jacks as well, since the Sail Caddy often shows up in those threads. There's even a DIY version in the Mods pages:

Mainsail Cradle (Caddy)

Yet another option is the Doyle StackPack integrated with the sail.

Here's a thread about a Downhaul for Mainsail some found necessary.

There's also discussion in the archives (use search for all terms) on roller furling mainsails, and at least one member here has implemented one:

Roller Furling Main on my X

Hope this helps,

[Tom Spohn]

BWY sells a downhaul kit or you can easily make your own. Run a line inside the sail slides at the luff of the sail. Fasten the top to the highest point on the luff you can tie off to. Run the other end of the line through a block attached to the bail at the bottom of the mast and thence straight back and under the dodger where it is coiled up. When you need to get the sail down pronto. just loosen the halyard and pull in on the downhaul. I gave up on flaking the mainsail on my boat. Just stand about halfway back on the boom on the starboard side and start rolling the sail after you have dropped it. You can get it under control in about 2 minutes this way. Unfortunately I don't know of an easy way to roll/flake it from the cockpit.

[trapeze]

From http://www.sailcdi.com/Mainsailreef.htm

MAINSAIL REEFING SYSTEM

By CDI

Cruising Design, Inc.

The NEW MAINSAIL REEFING SYSTEM now being offered by CDI finally delivers to the sailboat owner a reasonably priced mainsail reefing system that can be owner installed. The new system is based on the time proven design of the CDI Flexible Furler.


The new MAINSAIL REEFING SYSTEM by CDI eliminates flogging sails in the cockpit when reefing or furling the mainsail. The mainsail can be reefed from the safety of the cockpit as easily as reefing the jib. As with a jib reefing product, the new Mainsail Reefing system allows infinite size choices when reefing the mainsail to accommodate all wind and sea conditions.

The new MAINSAIL REEFING SYSTEM by CDI is designed to be easily installed on existing boats, without costing more than the boat itself.

The new MAINSAIL REEFING SYSTEM by CDI will fit:

sailboats up to 40' long

mainsail luffs up to 39'

mainsails with up to 400 Sq Ft area

The new MAINSAIL REEFING SYSTEM by CDI has the same warrantee as all of our other products 6 years warranted against all hazards at sea including unseamanlike use and dismastings.

And, the new MAINSAIL REEFING SYSTEM by CDI has a Suggested list price effective 2006 of ONLY $1820.

[Versasail]

Thanks for your replys guys. I looked everything over and gave CDI a call. Their Mainsheet furling system has potential but will reguire major modifications to the mounting system to be usable on a Mac "M".
I don't have an "X" nor access to one, so I'll work on making it work on the "M" only.
My goal is to keep it so that the conversion from trailer to water is not much more time consuming or difficult then a standard "M".
From time to time I will post progress updates. This will not be a quick "get it on the boat" situation. I don't anticipate a prototype system ready to test until mid March.
I would appreciate any suggestions or comments from those on the board with significant Mac experience and technical backgrounds.
I an a retired Aero Engineer, my specialty was composite structures and prototyping. So this is meant to be a fun and useful project.

[Bill at BOATS 4 SAIL]

I'm not quite sure what you mean by Main Sheet Wrestling, but if the Mac mainsheet blocks are not working for you, replace them with some better blocks, and convert the Mac blocks to a Vang, which is the Mac Vang.
I don't think Lazy Jacks are a good idea for the Mac, especially if you are keeping your boat on the trailer. If you have a boat you keep in the water where the sail weighs 50 pounds or more, they're a good idea.
Mains'l caddy and Stack Pack - again primarily for bigger boats. A good boom bungy is cheaper, easier to work with, etc.
A mains'l Downhaul may be a good idea, if it doesn't come down easily for you.
JMO.

[Moe]

One thing I overlooked is to ask if you have sail slugs installed or are still using the bolt rope. If you want the mainsail to come down easier, and especially if you have the halyard aft, you need the sail slugs.

We had Bill install ours and he did a great job, installing them in such a way that the sail can be reefed without removing slides below the reefing point from the track.

Since our boat didn't come with a vang, we also bought the mainsheet upgrade/vang setup from Bill. Those Garhauer blocks are SWEET!

[Lease]

Though not relevant for the M, as it doesn't have end-boom sheeting, I'd like to put in a good word for mainsail roller furling as I had it on my old trailer-tri and absolutely loved it. I would encourage X owners to give it a thought.

As opposed to headsail furlers, the main furler is a genuine reefing system that enables you to put the sail away quickly in any conditions.

It works well with any kind of sail, including loose-footed, fully battened, though is not so good for exotic cloths that don't like being wound up.
You can get as techo as you like with them, but the one I had was very simple: a bush through the mast took a spindle from the gooseneck, onto which a handle fitted at the front of the mast. The handle locked into position vertically, and free-wheeled when pulling the main up. At the other end was a very simple axle that allowed the boom to turn whilst the mainsheet was cleated (topping lift in place of course).

They're great for trailer sailers as you just slide the sail cover over the whole thing and put it away and you're done.

<unashamedly takes opportunity to show picture of old boat>

[Frank C]

Nice picture!

Reminds me of my 3-yr old niece watching the late-evening Christmas Watershow at Disneyland. At mid-show they project a darting figure onto the sheeting water jets ... this provokes an excited scream of delight, from somewhere around knee-height, "Mommy ... Tinkerbelle!
... it's TINKER-BELLE!!!"

Sorry, guess ya had to BE there -

[delevi]

IMHO installing a downhaul just to pull the main down is probably more trouble than it's worth with the likelihood of the line getting twisted around the slugs, caught, jammed, etc. If you need to go up on deck to roll up the sail when it's down anyway, what's the big deal about giving it a tug or two to pull it down when pointing into the wind? You're on deck for about 3 extra seconds and you have to go up there regardless, since you need to roll up your sail and tie it off. Of course, if you spend the boat bucks on the mainsail furling system, that's a different story. From what I've read, though, it is only used for loose-footed sails without battens. Costs a bundle too.

[Dan B]

Installing a downhaul line for the main can be a bit frustrating. Too small a line and it balls up. Too large a line and it makes bringing it down harder. And - it does take some time to get used to using it else it gets tangled in everything. I have a Sailcaddy installed and a downhaul line, so I can bring my main down very quickly and without having to go up top. If I stand with my left foot on the companionway opening, and my right on the back of the aft galley seat - I can even put my sail ties on. Only need to go up top now is back at the marina to zip on the cover.