Windy set up questions! :: Catamaran Sailboats at TheBeachcats.com

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Windy set up questions!

cougarmarkIV

Rank: Lubber

Registered: Jun 20, 2009

Last visit: Sep 28, 2009

Posts: 41
Posted: Jul 25, 2009 - 08:46 AM

We set my 19 ft Cougar Cat up Thursday in a 5-10 mph wind. Easy enough but no fun to sail. I want to hit 20-30 mph winds. My question is this:

It was a bit tough lifting the main sail in those small winds, how the hell do you do it in higher winds? I was thinking about this as I was coming out of a deep sleep this morning, (I do my best thinking in dreams, I guess), anyway, there is a line at the bottom of the boom, that connects to the aft end of the mainsail. Am I supposed to let that line loose? Thus letting the wind out of the sail? I hope there's an easier way than just lifting a full sail in the wind! John
erice

Rank: Mate

Registered: Feb 19, 2008

Last visit: Aug 26, 2023

Posts: 671
Posted: Jul 25, 2009 - 08:56 AM

mast free to rotate, if it's a rotating mast, head to wind and lift just the sail.

booms, blocks etc only get attached after sail is raised and locked

edited by: erice, Jul 25, 2009 - 07:57 AM
cougarmarkIV

Rank: Lubber

Registered: Jun 20, 2009

Last visit: Sep 28, 2009

Posts: 41
Posted: Jul 25, 2009 - 09:16 AM

ericemast free to rotate, if it's a rotating mast, head to wind and lift just the sail.

booms, blocks etc only get attached after sail is raised and lockededited by: erice, Jul 25, 2009 - 07:57 AM

So, I just leave the bottom of sail pulled tight to boom?
turbohobo

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Registered: Oct 19, 2006

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Posts: 613
Posted: Jul 25, 2009 - 01:52 PM

With my H16, the boom is permanently attached to the sail, makes for easy furling of the sail around the boom, I wrap my main sheeting blocks in toweling to avoid rust stains on the sail. With the mast off the boat, check sailtrack, make sure no pinching from previous mast drops, then check to see if sail boltrope slides easily in sailtrack, lubricate if neccessary, SailKote has been mentioned before, any silicone based lubricant. Also check your sail hoist system, how are the masthead sheaves, the pulley(s) over which the halyard runs, are they in good condition, turning freely. I am able to raise my main with one hand while the other guides the boltrope into the sailtrack. How does your main cleat off? if it uses a system similar to Hobie, there are 2 slugs attached to the wire halyard which hook into the halyard hook, these slugs can "hang up" when pulling straight down, I find better to pull towards the bows untill 2nd slug makes it's way over the masthead sheave then bring halyard in and guide slug into halyard hook. The sail should hoist quite easy, if not follow a step-by-step procedure for troubleshooting. And always point boat into the wind.

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cougarmarkIV

Rank: Lubber

Registered: Jun 20, 2009

Last visit: Sep 28, 2009

Posts: 41
Posted: Jul 25, 2009 - 07:27 PM

turbohoboWith my H16, the boom is permanently attached to the sail, makes for easy furling of the sail around the boom, I wrap my main sheeting blocks in toweling to avoid rust stains on the sail. With the mast off the boat, check sailtrack, make sure no pinching from previous mast drops, then check to see if sail boltrope slides easily in sailtrack, lubricate if neccessary, SailKote has been mentioned before, any silicone based lubricant. Also check your sail hoist system, how are the masthead sheaves, the pulley(s) over which the halyard runs, are they in good condition, turning freely. I am able to raise my main with one hand while the other guides the boltrope into the sailtrack. How does your main cleat off? if it uses a system similar to Hobie, there are 2 slugs attached to the wire halyard which hook into the halyard hook, these slugs can "hang up" when pulling straight down, I find better to pull towards the bows untill 2nd slug makes it's way over the masthead sheave then bring halyard in and guide slug into halyard hook. The sail should hoist quite easy, if not follow a step-by-step procedure for troubleshooting. And always point boat into the wind.

My cable to hoist the sail is thru a pulley at the top of the mast, then down the outside aft of mast to the sail, it runs inside the mast and comes out the bottom just below the boom, this is where I pull it up from. The cable eventually clips into the locking fingers just below the boom. It pulls hard and it takes 1 person to pull and 1 to guide the sail into the groove of the mast, 39 years old makes things a bit harder I suppose. But, 1 pulling it up, and 1 guiding the sail, leaves basically no one to point boat into the wind, unless there are 3 of us! I imagine technology has made the whole operation easier in the last 40 years huh?
erice

Rank: Mate

Registered: Feb 19, 2008

Last visit: Aug 26, 2023

Posts: 671
Posted: Jul 25, 2009 - 08:01 PM

cougarmarkIV
ericemast free to rotate, if it's a rotating mast, head to wind and lift just the sail.

booms, blocks etc only get attached after sail is raised and lockededited by: erice, Jul 25, 2009 - 07:57 AM

So, I just leave the bottom of sail pulled tight to boom?

sorry i don't know anything about the cougar, does it have a loose footed sail, (sail only connects to boom at 1 point) or does the sail have a bolt rope along the bottom that goes into the boom?

it's always going to be harder to raise a sail with a boom fixed to it

next time the mast is down have a very close look at the sail track, if alloy over the years it can easily almost invisible crimps in it from various impacts

try to find a sliver of wood that with just fit into the sail track and then make sure it can slide freely from top to bottom. any area where it binds use a hammer ON THE WOOD to force it past the binding area and so spread the alloy back to where it should be

also try running some sandpaper lightly up and down the track to make sure that's as smooth as possible

other things you could do are run an old candle up and down and all around the the bolt rope to provide a better slide

often on an old boat you there is nothing esp. wrong, you just need to find 5 or so 10% improvements to get it reasonable
cougarmarkIV

Rank: Lubber

Registered: Jun 20, 2009

Last visit: Sep 28, 2009

Posts: 41
Posted: Jul 25, 2009 - 09:00 PM

erice
cougarmarkIV
ericemast free to rotate, if it's a rotating mast, head to wind and lift just the sail.

booms, blocks etc only get attached after sail is raised and lockededited by: erice, Jul 25, 2009 - 07:57 AM

So, I just leave the bottom of sail pulled tight to boom?

sorry i don't know anything about the cougar, does it have a loose footed sail, (sail only connects to boom at 1 point) or does the sail have a bolt rope along the bottom that goes into the boom?

it's always going to be harder to raise a sail with a boom fixed to it

next time the mast is down have a very close look at the sail track, if alloy over the years it can easily almost invisible crimps in it from various impacts

try to find a sliver of wood that with just fit into the sail track and then make sure it can slide freely from top to bottom. any area where it binds use a hammer ON THE WOOD to force it past the binding area and so spread the alloy back to where it should be

also try running some sandpaper lightly up and down the track to make sure that's as smooth as possible

other things you could do are run an old candle up and down and all around the the bolt rope to provide a better slide

often on an old boat you there is nothing esp. wrong, you just need to find 5 or so 10% improvements to get it reasonable

Sail is attached to the boom, also has a rope pn bottom to pull tight to aft end of boom.
smfinley

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Registered: Apr 24, 2005

Last visit: Apr 18, 2023

Posts: 709
Posted: Jul 25, 2009 - 09:38 PM

I would recommend closely examining the mast track and bolt rope on the front of the sail. Our SC20 took two people to pull the sail up and one to guide it in. After some work on the track it can now be raised by one person pulling fairly easy and a second feeding it in. But it took replacing the pulleys at top and bottom and some time making sure the track was straight and clean.

I can raise my 25+ year old H18 sail solo, so hopefully with some work you can get yours easier also.

--
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‘92 H18 w/SX wings
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DamonLinkous

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Posted: Jul 25, 2009 - 10:56 PM

cougarmarkIVIt pulls hard and it takes 1 person to pull and 1 to guide the sail into the groove of the mast, 39 years old makes things a bit harder I suppose. But, 1 pulling it up, and 1 guiding the sail, leaves basically no one to point boat into the wind, unless there are 3 of us! I imagine technology has made the whole operation easier in the last 40 years huh?

Mark,

Are you raising the sail on the water? If is a lot easier on land so the boat doesn't need a third person to hold it into the wind.

Nothing much has changed in the last 40 years about raising the main, clean track, clean bolt rope in good condition (lube with SailKote), don't over tighten the battens. If the sail is as old as the boat, the bolt rope could be rough and swelled up causing friction in the track. A sail loft can easily replace it making things a lot easier.

--
Damon Linkous
1992 Hobie 18
Memphis, TN

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cougarmarkIV

Rank: Lubber

Registered: Jun 20, 2009

Last visit: Sep 28, 2009

Posts: 41
Posted: Jul 26, 2009 - 10:39 AM

damonAdmin
cougarmarkIVIt pulls hard and it takes 1 person to pull and 1 to guide the sail into the groove of the mast, 39 years old makes things a bit harder I suppose. But, 1 pulling it up, and 1 guiding the sail, leaves basically no one to point boat into the wind, unless there are 3 of us! I imagine technology has made the whole operation easier in the last 40 years huh?

Mark,

Are you raising the sail on the water? If is a lot easier on land so the boat doesn't need a third person to hold it into the wind.

Nothing much has changed in the last 40 years about raising the main, clean track, clean bolt rope in good condition (lube with SailKote), don't over tighten the battens. If the sail is as old as the boat, the bolt rope could be rough and swelled up causing friction in the track. A sail loft can easily replace it making things a lot easier.

Replace what? The bolt rope or the entire sail?
MN3

Rank: Master Chief

Registered: Jun 20, 2006

Last visit: Apr 06, 2024

Posts: 7088
Posted: Jul 27, 2009 - 12:11 PM

cougarmarkIVReplace what? The bolt rope or the entire sail?

He was referring to the bolt rope in the sail.

Spraying sailkote in your track will coat the back of the track very well (this will not help you raise your mast... as it never touches the back of mast track). Only the "overspray" will land in the correct place. at $16 bottle.. and waisting 90% of it isn't how i like to "roll" so what i do is...

use a piece of soft white cloth (t-shirt) and wrap it around a dowel (or piece of pencil). coat the cloth in silicone lube and manually run it up and down the entire length of the mast a few times (with the mast down). this will clean and lube the track.