Before we can go sailing we have attached the sails to the boat properly
Bend-on the Main: For a Mainsail with
a foot-shelf, unroll the sail on the foredeck with the clew near the
mast. Load the foot of the sail into the slot on the top of the boom,
starting at the gooseneck
with the clew, and pull the clew toward the end of the boom, feeding the bolt-rope smoothly into the slot as you go. When
the ring at the
tack lines up with the hole in the reefing hooks at the gooseneck,
slide the bayonet pin through the fitting and the
sail. Fasten the clew with the shackle on
the outhaul car at the end of the boom. Attach the outhaul shackle
to the clew of the sail. For a loose footed main, everything is the same, except that there is no bolt-rope on the foot, so you can simply attach at the tack and clew. Insert the battens. Different mains
have different batten pocket constructions. With tapered battens,
always insert the thin (flexible) end first. Run the reefing lines
through the cringle on the leech of the sail and back down to the boom.
The reefing lines are lashed around the boom with a bowline. Tape off
the tail of the bowline to prevent it
shaking loose when the sail luffs. Flake or roll the sail and
secure it with sail-ties, using slipping half-hitches. Cover the sail with the sail-cover to prevent
exposure to UV and so our fans can see the boat-name.
Bend-on the Genoa:
Locate the correct sail
bag in the cabin and bring in on deck through the companionway
hatch. Feeding the clew end out first makes things easier. Depending on
the type of
hoist, set the bag on the correct rail with the tack forward and tie
the bag to the
life-lines. Open the forward zipper and clip the tack to the semi-circular ring at the bow. Tie
on the
sheets using bowlines (tied so that the tails are to the inside of
the loops and the loops
are short). Reeve the sheets around the proper side of the shrouds
(outside for
#1, #2 and inside for #3, #4) and through the lead cars (aft only
for #1, #2 and both fore and aft for #3, #4). Set genoa leads
to the correct marks. Attach the appropriate halyard (keep light
tension on it at all times) to the head of the
sail and start the luff-tape through the feeder and into the appropriate
groove of the
tuff-luff. Run the aft-zipper off the end
(towards the bow) and 'break it open'. Pass the word back to the cockpit, "Foredeck
ready to hoist #?". Make sure they acknowledge.
Hoisting the Main: Remove the
sail-cover and stow it below. Ease the Main Halyard and allow the boom
to rest on the Vang. Open the main halyard shackle at the clew and pass the
halyard forward (keep it inside the check-stays). Attach the Main
Halyard to the headboard with the threads to port and the finger knob to starboard and prefeed the luff through the pre-feeder and
into the boltrope slot in the mast, while taking in the slack all the time. Pass the word back to the cockpit, "Ready to hoist
the Mainsail". When ordered to "READY TO HOIST", remove all sail-ties
and
give them to the crew at the hotbox, who will hang them on the companionway
handholds. The helmsman stands straddling the tiller and holds the
checkstays apart so that they don't foul on the leech as the Mainsail is
hoisted. As the helmsman bring the boat into the wind and reduces
speed to the minimum required for steerage, release the boom-vang and
the outhaul. Ease the main sheet as
required to keep the sail luffing.
When ordered to "HOIST" jump the main-halyard at the mast. This
requires
one crew member to pull down on the halyard from the mast-exit
towards the turning block
at the base of the mast, while another crew member is tailing off
the winch. As the boltrope in the luff of the mainsail feeds into the
slot on the mast, make sure that it does not 'jump out'. A steady
hoisting speed is required. As the headboard approaches the check-stay
attachment points on the mast, do not foul the check-stays on the
headboard. Keeping the boat head-to-wind and keeping tension and
separation of the check-stays will help. If needed lower the halyard and
to clear the foul, and try again. When
the tension becomes too great, the 'jumper' can grab the halyard
halfway between the
mast-exit and the turning block and pull the halyard away from the
mast (one foot near the chainplates and one foot near the turning block
by
the mast adds leverage) as the tailer holds the halyard form
slipping on the winch and
then as the jumper quickly snaps the halyard back toward the mast the tailer
takes up the new slack.
Working together like this often results in a complete hoist
without need for
grinding the winch. If required, winch the halyard to the
appropriate mark.
Trim the outhaul, and trim the boom-vang as required, before the sail loads up. Bear off and
trim the main sheet.
Hoisting the Genoa:
Jump the halyard, as described above, to the mark. The aft zipper will split open as the leach of the sail emerges further aft. Trim the genoa sheet. Remove bag from the rail
and pass it to the hotbox. Fold the bag starting with the tack end
and stow it below.
Lowering the Genoa:
The technique for lowering the genoa depends entirely on the type of
sail change being made. See Level #8 for details. The objective is to
get the sail down on deck, inside the life-lines, quickly. If it is
possible to "flake" the sail on the way down, that is good, but not at
the expense of speed or flogging. The sail can be flaked and packed in
its bag later if required. The doused sail should be flaked and bagged
as soon as practical. Pass the bagged sail back to the companionway
hatch or down the forward hatch and stow it below.
Lowering the Main:
Whenever possible the
helmsman will bring the boat to a course 5 degrees off head-to-wind. The
main-sheet should
be tightened to prevent the boom from swinging. Ease the halyard
and dump the sail
on the leeward deck. Unhook the halyard shackle from the
head-board and pass it back so it can attach on
the clew ring of the sail. Ease the mainsheet and
release the vang. Hoist the mainhalyard until the boom is parallel to
the waterline. Tension the mainsheet and center the traveler car. To
roll the sail start at the uppermid-draft stripe
and roll the sail on the opposite side of the boom from the
'pile'. The sail will
'flow over boom into the roll. Make sure the luff end is rolled
tight and that the battens are not bent. If needed, disconnect the
tack pin to finish the roll at the clew. Secure the roll with 5 sail ties,
so that it hangs evenly under the boom with a minimum of creases.
Retrieve the sail cover from below decks and cover the sail.
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