Difficulty in getting roller furling mainsail out of mast

[hwd]

I've just purchased a Catalina 34 mk ii and went for the first sail today, but had difficulty in getting the roller furling main out of the mast with the outhaul.  I eventually got it out by pulling on the sail at the mast and cranking quite hard on the outhaul with the winch.  Rolled it back up under tension, but still very difficult to get out.  (Sail rolls back up with the inhaul, but still requires a winch.)  The sail came out OK during the survey ocean trial and the previous owner did not mention this difficulty previously.  Any suggestions?  I tried raising the end of the boom a bit, but this didn't help.

[Jim Hardesty]

First thing, check that all lines and blocks are as they should be.  Does the out haul block slide free?
When I furl/unfurl I have the main sheet, and boom vang loose.  That helps.  Also, check that the furling line and out haul run free over the hatch.  They will work under the edge of the hatch and bind up.  I should come up with a fix for that.  But I just check them and if they need moved I roll up the dodger window and use a boat pole to set them right.  Like the head sail furler, you want to roll it tight.  But not too much force.  If you are pulling on the furling line hard and nothing is moving look for something wrong.
I bet your problem was the line under the edge of the hatch.  I have had mine for 6 seasons and except for the hatch thing it has worked well.
Hope you enjoy your 34MKll as well as I do.
Jim

[Ken Krawford]

Hi Harry.  There was a thread on the C350 web site about this problem.  Here's the link - http://www.catalina350.net/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=722

You may want to also look at a discussion on the email list - http://www.catalina350.net/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=722

Ken Krawford
Lake Lanier, GA

[Jim Hardesty]

Some thing else I thought of.  Was the mast stepped?  If so the sail slot may have gotten crushed by the sling.  The owners manual warns to put a block into the slot at the sling point to prevent crushing.  Not every rigger reads the manual.  Just eye ball up the slot.  If you can't see a narrowing just below the spreaders you are OK.  I don't always belive in following the manual.  I do read it.  The manual also says that you can't have battens in the sail, wrong.  I had a new sail made with vertical battens and the sail sets much better.  And even with the battens it furls well.

Just a bit off the subject.  Be prepaired when you take the main sail off for a lot of banging from the foil in the mast.  The PO used pipe insulation.  I made something that I raise with the main halyard that holds the foil.  I know a some Benatau owners who just leave the sail up all winter.

Don't get the wrong idea.  I like the furling main.  It's  was well worth learning the tricks to get it working well for me.
Jim

[paule]

Could be to much  halyard tension loosen it up or outhaul and inhaul lines could be stiff

Paul

[tonywright]

A couple of simple ideas:

1) Make sure that you are head to wind when unfurling/furling. You never want to do this with any wind in the sail.
2) Make sure that the furling line is fully released: the rope clutch can sometimes bind. Jim is right about the line caught under the hatch: always good to check this before you leave the dock. My outhaul clutch is giving me problems right now, and needs fixing.
3) Release the vang a little: too much tension will give you problems
4) Check that the mast is in column (straight). Incorrect tensioning can cause problems.

Tony

[hwd]

Thanks everyone for your replies.  I plan to try making adjustments to the halyard tension and boom angle.

[scotty]

My boat, a Catalina 400, really likes the boom kicked up at quite an angle (like 20*).  I wash down the boat, and spray water into the roller mechanism.  I hit it with some silicone spray (I wonder if that is a good idea? - but it seems to work fine).  The groove on the mast is slightly asymmetrical (off to the starboard side), and I've been told that some boats furl a bit easier on starboard tack - I've not noticed that myself.  For me the boom angle, and heading into the wind make the most difference. 

Good Luck,

Scotty