Swallow Yachts Forum > Technical

Raising and lowering the main

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Colin Morley:
I really enjoy my BayRaider but for one thing - raising and lowering the main! It is almost impossible to raise the main on the beach or slipway because the wind is in the wrong direction. This means motoring out and tying up to a buoy. While getting the gaff ready and raising it there is sail everywhere in the boat and a danger of hitting the crew. When it comes to lowering the main we head the boat into the wind and then drop the gaff and sail. This means sail all over the boat and my wife trying to steer up a crowded mooring saying she cant see where she is going. When I had a yacht I had lazy jacks that made lowering the main so easy. When I had a Wayfarer we raised the main on the beach with the bow more of less head to wind.

Has anyone got any advice how to do these two manoeuvres without endangering the crew and boat?

Does anyone scandalise the main?

Colin

David:

--- Quote from: Colin Morley on 04 Jul 2011, 20:38 ---I really enjoy my BayRaider but for one thing - raising and lowering the main!


Colin

--- End quote ---

Hi Colin

I have found this problem as well though I am fortunate in that I don't have any crowded moorings or slipway to get through. The sail does take up quite a bit of the cockpit area and I have already hit a crew on the head with the boom. What I have found now if I need to motor or row is I lash the gaff and boom to the mizzen mast. This works very well and gets everything out of the way plus you can leave all the main cords attached and easy to go back up again. I will do this at a slipway if I need to motor out through any moorings. I have enclosed a photo showing it lashed up though not very tidy. The main uphaul is the right length to go to the mizzen so you already have the lashing cord in your hand

David
BR Little Ripple

Colin Morley:
Thanks David, Looks useful. I will try it on Chichester harbour this weekend.

Any other ideas out there?

Michael Rogers:
You mentioned lazy jacks yourself, Colin ----??

(SP Cadenza and T12 in build)

Colin Morley:
Thanks Michael, I am not sure whether you are calling me a lazy jack or suggesting this is the best way to control the main.

I dont think lazy jacks are an option on a boat where the mast is lowered and the boom is completely separate. having several bits of string hanging from the mast when it is raised would mean that always one of them was catching on something or trying to hang the skipped, then they would have to be fixed to the boom when that was attached but after the sail had been attached. It would cause too many problems and solve few....unless some one knows better.

surely some of you clever BayRaider sailers and innovators have overcome the difficulties of setting and lowering the main without a mutiny from the crew?

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