STRESS-FREE SAILING
I have started using a very lazy technique to hoist the main: I use my electric windlass.
• If you’re on starboard tack you’re in the ascendancy •
over port tackers and those under engine (I said ‘in the ascendancy’ because there is no right of way in the collision regulations). You save money by using less diesel.
There are some boats for which raising the main under headsail is not possible because the boom needs to be in line with the mast, otherwise the sliders and batten cars can jam in the main track. Southern Cross, a Rustler 36, mentioned this being a problem.
Being a horizontal windlass this works. Certain
vertical windlasses will also work, but those that are housed in foredeck lockers will not, as the main halyard needs to run from the winch at the mast to the windlass and the angle it makes with certain windlasses means that it will slip off.
TOP TIP Jib halyards and sheets are usually blue, spinnaker halyards and sheets red, but here’s some neat colour coding on an in-mast furling system. Green for ‘go’ for the outhaul and red for ‘stop’ for the furler.
Fully battened sails and lazy jacks If you just have lazy jacks on their own keeping them out of the way when raising the main and setting them when handing it is the order of the day. You can’t do this with a stack pack as lazy jacks have to be set the whole time and these invariably catch a top batten as the sail is raised. Loosening the lazy jacks makes things worse and so tight lazy jacks with stack packs is generally best. One thing I notice with lazy jacks and stack packs is that the lazy jacks are often set very high and very 88
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