Friday, November 29, 2013

Level 2: Hoisting and Dousing the Main and Genoa

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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