I finally got around to following through on a good tip that has been discussed on our website for years—installing a cleat on the mast for my mainsail. This cam cleat allows me to quickly jump/raise the main at the mast while sailing solo—with no friction—then stop the halyard in the cam cleat, then casually go aft to to the cockpit to take up slack. When slack is pulled out of halyard and it goes taught, it pops out of cleat and I then secure it with the cabin top clutch as usual and clean up the tail.
Why not nicely raise it from the cockpit and avoid the "quickly jump/raise the main at the mast".
I'm old and I'm always looking for an alternative to "quickly jump"
Nice job. Still on my To Do list. How does it work out since it seems so low? IIRC, Rick Allen put his in at like eye height, or maybe shoulder height.
Noah : I agree with Caio. Just leave the halyard on the self tailing winch from the cockpit.
The first thing needed to raise the main - singlehanded is an auto pilot!!
A thought
Having the ability to pull up sail quickly gives me more options. Don't mind going forward to raise it. Usually beats cranking. As far as cleat placement; low placement was to guarantee enough angle to ensure it popped out when pulled. A bit more bending to jam it but...Higher may have still worked as well. If it turns out to be PIA I will move it up and leave the two #10 bolts I tapped to fill holes. Won't be the first time I've installed something in the wrong place. :D
Got it, thanks.
I did the same thing but put my jam cleat about 5 1/2' up, no need to bend down. Works great for single handed at mast.
We sail on the Ocean out of Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale FL. I use a Winchrite electric winch handle to raise the sail in the cockpit even while Peggy has the helm. Our biggest issue is the sail battens catching on the lazy jacks. Not sure how to handle raising the sail single handed even with the winch - I don't have a remote for the AutoPilot.
I guess I would prep for raising the sail by pulling the lazy jacks down to the boom first. (sail flop everywhere.)
Paul
Nice job Noah. Next time I go out , I will try hoisting the main at the mast to see how much less the effort is than pulling it up in the cockpit.
What size cam cleat did you use? JD has Medium and Large Ronstan cam cleats, each of which can handle the 7/16" halyard I use.
https://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/search.do?freeText=cam+cleat (https://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/search.do?freeText=cam+cleat)
Nice job Noah, looks like a good alternative if needed. Any particular reason for using a cam cleat instead of a jam clear?
Quote from: britinusa on July 03, 2019, 11:48:59 AM
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Our biggest issue is the sail battens catching on the lazy jacks. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I guess I would prep for raising the sail by pulling the lazy jacks down to the boom first. (sail flop everywhere.)
Lazy Jack Trick
Many folks complain about full battens getting caught up when raising the mainsail. They then spend a lot of time moving BOTH sides of the lazy jacks to the mast.
We developed an easier way with our lazy jacks.
We have a small cleat on the forward starboard side of the boom. When we put the halyard on the headboard, we move ONLY the starboard side of the lazy jacks forward and snug them under the forward side of the horn of this cleat.
Then, when we raise the mainsail, instead of going exactly head to wind, we bear off a tad to starboard so the wind is coming from the port side of the bow.
We then raise the mainsail and it doesn't get hooked on the lazy jacks even though the port side jacks are still there.
Been working for 20 years.
Yes, we have to go forward again to unhook the starboard lazy jack for dousing the sail if I forget to do it right when the main is raised, but there's never any hurry. The drill is: after the main is raised, I unhook that starboard lazy jack, so they're both ready to go when we drop the sails at the end of the day.
So, for those of you with lazy jacks, consider doing only one side.
Your boat, your choice. :D
My choice of Cam vs Jam/Clam is I believe the cam cleat would release easier with the angle pull/lead to the block on mast collar and under load. Also, I had a spare one "in stock" in my parts kit. 8)
Noah,
Happy 4th, how difficult was drilling and tapping the mast? It looks like a very nice "Noah work".
Stu, Brilliant!
Noah,
I don't see the point, back in the early '80s when leading the lines aft became popular the idea was so you could sail the boat from the cockpit minimizing trips to the fore deck(especially when soloing). If you prefer raising the main at the mast why not put a winch on the mast(old school)and eliminate a step.
Kevin and others,
This question of "From where do I raise the main?" has been around since 1986, it really is a very early question that came up in Mainsheet magazine in one of the earliest editions after the C34 began production.
Because of the friction on the halyard from the sheave, the mast base and the deck organizers, some skippers reported back that they found it easier to raise the main from the mast. Also, please remember, this is back when a 34 foot boat was considered HUGE and was always sailed with crew.
What happened is that some intrepid singlehanders found that the same was true and merely developed techniques and useful hardware to do so with less steps.
No one right way for all.
Your boat, your choice. :D
I only use it when RAISING. It gets the main up VERY quickly with no friction without winching. I trim/reef/drop main from cockpit.
When soloing raising the main has never been the problem for me, it's dropping it and wrestling it onto the boom and securing it with a few gaskets. Several years ago I saw a great product for this problem in an ad in a magazine, unfortunately I never followed up and don't know the name of the product or what magazine I saw it in.
The product I thought was really nifty it involved four battens about two feet long, they mounted flat on the boom two per side. Before you dropped the main a quarter turn folded these battens out creating a basket of sorts to catch the main and keep it on the boom where it can be easily pulled out and gasketed, then the battens just folded away. It seemed devilishly simple especially for soloing but I've never seen it since that ad.
U put a jam cleat about 4' off the deck .pull the lazy jacks on the Doyle stack pack to the cleats on either side ,when finished raising the main( strong track makes job easy ) raise the lazy jacks , take up slack to one of marks on halyard. Just add wind
While I have not yet installed a jam or cam cleat, I tested raising the main at the mast today and found the effort doing it there much, much less than doing it from the cockpit. Adding the cleat gives you the option of doing it at the mast or from the cockpit, your choice.
I will be installing the cleat tomorrow!
I have a stack pack with lazy jacks. In more than a light breeze, raising the sail from the cockpit, is a slow process. The battens usually get hung up about half way up in the lazy jacks. I also have the tide track.
At the mast, I can raise the sail so fast past the hang up point, the battens never have a chance at getting
hung up. Slip the halyard in the cleat on the mast and finish from the cockpit. I usually raise the sail in the harbor, so no problem going forward. If i'm out in the open water, I still can raise it safely from the cockpit.
Most times I raise the sail in the harbor before heading to open water, so easy and safe to just run forward
give the halyard a couple of pulls, and avoid a tangle in the lazy jacks.
Just what works for me.i find it less effort than moving the lazy jacks around, raising the main, and then
putting the lazy jacks back in place.
I didn't see any reply about size cam cleat to use... Any suggestions?
I selected and installed a Shaefer medium cam cleat, about 4 feet above the deck.
https://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=54285 (https://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=54285)
It fits the 7/16" halyard well, and the line readily pops out when tensioned from the cockpit.
One turn around the winch, then hand-over-hand from the cockpit. When it's at the top, wrap halyard around self tailer, pop in the winch handle, then snug it up. Set the clutch, remove the halyard from the winch, then put main sheet on the winch. Fall off and away we go....