Hoisting sails singlehanded

Moderator: GreenLake

Hoisting sails singlehanded

Postby zeroready » Wed Jul 28, 2021 3:14 am

I had a great time out by myself the other day, pretty light winds around 7-9 mph. I don't get to go out a lot by myself, my wife and kids are usually on board with my wife at the halyards while I keep us centered upwind. So this was the third or fourth time I've been out by myself. I'm just wondering if anyone has any tips about getting the sails up without help. As it is for me now, I have my motor on low idle, I have a tiller clutch to keep the tiller where I put it. I point into the wind and go up front to start hoisting the main and as soon as it's about a third of the way the boat starts to weather helm (I think, either way it starts to turn). So now I have to cleat the halyard, run back aft and recenter into the wind, then go back up and hoist a bit, the boat turns more, rinse and repeat till the sail is up. Is there any better way to do it? I have the main sheet uncleated so I guess there's no real danger of suddenly being overpowered while I'm hoisting, maybe I should just pull as fast and hard as I can and not worry about where I'm pointing? But it's so difficult to hoist if I'm not pointed upwind, and it all just feels so chaotic anyway.

Cruising - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1c_h2NV ... sp=sharing
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Re: Hoisting sails singlehanded

Postby tomodda » Wed Jul 28, 2021 6:14 am

I pretty much pull as hard and fast as I can and not worry about falling off the eye of the wind, as long as it's not too much. For me, it helps that my halyard go to a footblock on the cuddy roof and then back to cleats at the lip. Was a design decision. If I need to adjust tiller, I can just hop back while still holding the halyard. With a bit of planning, I'd think you can do the same thing even if the halyard cleats off on the mast. I'm assuming your main halyard is on the starboard side, so make sure to hoist while on the "starboard tack," in other words head to the wind but slightly off to Port, so that if you fall off it'll be onto a starboard tack with your halyard free of the sail. Hop back to the tiller for a few seconds while still holding the halyard which will be leading up to your spreader and then to the masthead. Will make controlling the hoist easier, you can quickly adjust your angle to the wind while still hoisting a few more feet (one handed pull).

Question, do you have slugs or just a bolt rope to attach luff to the mast? I prepare my sail to run free up the mast as fast as possible, but exactly how to do it depends on your sail setup.
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Re: Hoisting sails singlehanded

Postby jalmeida51 » Wed Jul 28, 2021 10:30 am

I have slugs or slides on the luff of my mainsail and it really helps with a fast clean hoist. No bolt rope you have to feed into the mast slot. Have a boom topping lift that takes some of the weight off the halyard for the hoist. I do have a tiller tamer to keep the boat headed into the wind buy half way up on the lift the boat starts to fall off. To prevent having to leave the tiller I installed longer halyards for the jib and main. This way I can make minor adjustments to the tiller to keep the boat headed into the wind while hoisting. I removed the horn cleats on the cuddy cabin and installed cam cleats that way you don't have to leave the tiller to cleat the halyard.

I know some people don't like cam cleats to secure the halyards due a chance of the halyards jumping out of the cleats and the boom dropping down on the crew but with a topping lift it should hold the boom up. I sail 99% of the time single handed and never had any lines jumping out of the cam cleats.

Reef Early John
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Re: Hoisting sails singlehanded

Postby GreenLake » Wed Jul 28, 2021 3:13 pm

From the video it looks like you had a nice sail!

About setting sails: You could pull up the jib and backwind it, then let the boat heave to. (See the Basic Concepts thread for details). That's a very stable position as long as you don't sheet in the main.

You should be able to raise the main as it will not be pressured (with sheet loose boom will swing out, but there shouldn't be wind in the sail).

Tiller clutches are a poor choice in my (very strong) view (on the subject). What you want is something that holds the tiller against pressure from the rudder blade but will allow the tiller to be moved manually without any need to release. (I use a bungee contraption for the purpose that I find near about perfect - descriptions in multiple threads here, so I won't repeat). Key is, in a similar situation, I would be able to just kick the tiller to move it a tad up or down, and it would re-set in the new position immediately.

As for adding cheek blocks on the mast: no need for that. I have horn cleats and all I need to do is loop the halyard a half turn around the cleat and I can do the same thing (holding onto the tail while moving backwards in the boat - the tail on my main halyard has a bit of extra length to allow for that).

Both main and jib aren't tensioned by the halyard. The main is tensioned by pulling down the boom after hoisting and/or by a Cunningham. (The latter would be where a cheek block and cam cleat on deck would make an improvement). The jib is tensioned by a 2:1 halyard tensioner, which does have a fairlead at the mast and cleat on deck.
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Re: Hoisting sails singlehanded

Postby GreenLake » Wed Jul 28, 2021 3:21 pm

jalmeida51 wrote:I know some people don't like cam cleats to secure the halyards due a chance of the halyards jumping out of the cleats and the boom dropping down on the crew but with a topping lift it should hold the boom up. I sail 99% of the time single handed and never had any lines jumping out of the cam cleats.


I sailed on a boat that had cam cleats on deck and on the second day the boom came down on the crew (owner) because of the halyard jumping the cleat and pinned his head against the cuddy. Event though at the time I hadn't practiced that maneuver as much, I was able to heave to and free him without further injury and without capsizing the boat (his biggest fear at the time).

One time is enough.

(Experiences can be different).
~ green ~ lake ~ ~
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Re: Hoisting sails singlehanded

Postby jalmeida51 » Wed Jul 28, 2021 11:18 pm

I use a adjustable mechanical stop to prevent the boom from crashing down if the halyard ever slips out of the cam cleat or even worse if the halyard breaks. Between the topping lift and the adjustable stop there should be no problem but you never know till it happens. If a cam cleat makes you nervous you can install a rope clutch. Of course more money than a cam cleat.

To get my mainsail's luff tight and no scallops I use a 3 to 1 cunningham. I just can't the luff tight using the boom downhaul.

Happy Sailing John
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Re: Hoisting sails singlehanded

Postby GreenLake » Thu Jul 29, 2021 1:01 am

The setup on that other boat looked good. It had a hidden flaw: the cleats were below the edge of the cuddy deck, which had a "lip" at that point. If you leaned against the cuddy opening, you could pull on the tail with your weight, the lip made the pull off-center, popping the halyard out of the cleat. Afterwards It was obvious how it could happen, but until it did happen, out on the open water in a good wind, with a heavily loaded boat (cruising for week) in danger of being blown off into shallow waters, we'd never thought of that scenario.

The front end didn't come down, I think, it was the rear end, but that was enough to trap the crew. No topping lift, or it was left (very) loose. Can't ask the owner any more, but I remember he's discussed a topping lift here - now was that before of after this incident?

My Cunningham is 2:1: I tie one end to the (horn) cleat onto which I belay the other end. Seems to be fine - except I may want that more easily adjustable, so that one will get a different cleat during the next round of upgrades. The horn cleats for the halyards will stay -- except, I would recommend your idea of a rope clutch for the main, but primarilyfor the purpose of more controlled reefing.
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Re: Hoisting sails singlehanded

Postby zeroready » Thu Jul 29, 2021 2:08 pm

tomodda wrote: I'm assuming your main halyard is on the starboard side, so make sure to hoist while on the "starboard tack," in other words head to the wind but slightly off to Port, so that if you fall off it'll be onto a starboard tack with your halyard free of the sail. Hop back to the tiller for a few seconds while still holding the halyard which will be leading up to your spreader and then to the masthead. Will make controlling the hoist easier, you can quickly adjust your angle to the wind while still hoisting a few more feet (one handed pull).

Question, do you have slugs or just a bolt rope to attach luff to the mast? I prepare my sail to run free up the mast as fast as possible, but exactly how to do it depends on your sail setup.


I think this is the key, I was thinking the same in the moment but didn't act on it and just tried to power through instead. I will try this next time thanks! My sail has the bolt rope not slugs so it can be kind of sticky especially once I fall off a bit and the boom goes out. Is there some kind of lube I can put on the luff or in the mast track maybe?
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Re: Hoisting sails singlehanded

Postby zeroready » Thu Jul 29, 2021 2:11 pm

GreenLake wrote:From the video it looks like you had a nice sail!

About setting sails: You could pull up the jib and backwind it, then let the boat heave to. (See the Basic Concepts thread for details). That's a very stable position as long as you don't sheet in the main.

You should be able to raise the main as it will not be pressured (with sheet loose boom will swing out, but there shouldn't be wind in the sail).



Thanks greenlake that's a neat idea I will give it a shot.
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Re: Hoisting sails singlehanded

Postby GreenLake » Thu Jul 29, 2021 2:15 pm

There are dry lubricants for this. Not used any of them, so don't have anything specific to recommend, but see them mentioned a lot on forums.
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Re: Hoisting sails singlehanded

Postby jalmeida51 » Thu Jul 29, 2021 8:14 pm

Try using Mc Lube Sail Kote. It is a dry lubricate and I use it on the slugs on the main and in the grove of the mast. It makes the hoist of the main much easier less friction. John
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Re: Hoisting sails singlehanded

Postby Mackrelman » Fri Jul 30, 2021 4:05 pm

I changed out my tiller lock to Greenlake's system about a year ago. it is probably the most important modification I have done to my singlehanded Daysailer 2. A tight 1/2" line athwartships from one rear cleat to the other. An extended tiller handle and a bungee cord wrapped around the tiller and line. Holds the tiller under normal circumstances but can be overridden with a kick or push. On a slight stbd tack with the tiller locked I have both hands free to raise the main and cleat the halyard to the mast from the cockpit
Then on the same tack adjust the tiller to stay close hauled & raise the jib.
adjust tiller and sails , have a cup of coffee
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Re: Hoisting sails singlehanded

Postby GreenLake » Fri Jul 30, 2021 9:17 pm

Glad it works out for you.
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Re: Hoisting sails singlehanded

Postby zeroready » Fri Jul 30, 2021 9:56 pm

Mackrelman wrote:I changed out my tiller lock to Greenlake's system about a year ago.
Jim W



I have seen a little of GLs system, I get how it would work and I like it. But is it always tensioned? Like under normal sailing when you're just cruising, is the tiller stiff and hard to move? I like my tiller tamer because when it's unlocked I can feel what the rudder is wanting to do, currents and everything. I like to feel the boat. I wouldn't want to lose that feeling. Can it be easily removed and reapplied as needed?
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Re: Hoisting sails singlehanded

Postby zeroready » Fri Jul 30, 2021 10:06 pm

jalmeida51 wrote:Try using Mc Lube Sail Kote. It is a dry lubricate and I use it on the slugs on the main and in the grove of the mast. It makes the hoist of the main much easier less friction. John


Just ordered, thanks for the recommendation! It's sold out everywhere so it must be good stuff, looking forward to it.
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