Raising the main, the easy way
As our BVI carnival induced extended shakedown cruise continues, we are adding to our Leopard experience, both on the sailing front and the maintenance front. Today we sailed from Jost Van Dyke, BVI to Charlotte Amalie, USVI. Our reasons for visiting the USVI is to meet up with Kelly from Flagship, the company which will act as the clearing house for One Love charters, managing our booking calendar and the administration of charter funds.
The sail over here was great. We were on a broad reach for most of the trip and even with the relatively light winds, we were making good speed.
One thing we have been working on is how to reef the sails on One Love, and how to use the electric windlass to raise the main sail. Compared to ZTC’s main, the one on the 4600 is a beast! While it can be raised by hand by grinding it up on a winch, that is no fun at all. With a bit of trial and error, we have found that the windlass method works great. That will definitely be our SOP for raising the main from this point forward.
Did you figure out you could use the winch on the mast as a block to get the rope to the windlass?
Yes, I did try that. I have not yet decided wether I like it led that way or directly from the rope clutch to the windlass. The lead is not far off one way or the other.
So when your windlass goes down, you can’t anchor or sail? 😉
We’ll just motor around in circles.
Just a little surprised that you wouldn’t welcome the hand over hand upper body workout from hauling halyard then wraps to that beautiful self tailing winch for the final grind. A lot safer and with a whole lot more “feel” if something is going bad. JMHO
You should try it before passing judgement. Seriously tough!
Tough guy like you? Come on! 🙂 I thought that was a very, very gentle way of expressing my surprise, I’m no stranger to much larger mainsails (with no self tailing).
Are you able to raise it alone with the windlass?
Yes, I can do it myself with the windlass.
Can’t you just get Rebecca to do it, if it is too hard for you?
🙂
That is always an option.
Buy a Milwaukee right angle drill with a winch bit. It makes raising and furling sail sooo much easier and from the the cockpit where you belong. Plus it may come in handy as a drill some day.
-Martin
All the lines are not led to the cockpit and I’m not sure I would want them to be. Doing so imparts a lot of additional friction to the system. Our PDQ is rigged that way. With the wide decks of the 4600, I have no problem going to the mast.
I think I was spoiled forever when I discovered the electric winch on the Leopard 44. At the helm, wrap the sheet around the winch, and press the button with your foot… voila!
The main halyard is led to the helm?
Ahh OH!!! Sounds like you are getting soft Mike! Not a good sign! Windlass to raise the main. Pew pew…….
I’ll let you have a go at grinding it up by hand when you come visit. 🙂
In reflection, there is a serious amount of individuals poking fun at the crew, me included! I suspect from a charter perspective, you will be using the windlass A LOT to raise the main, and very little to raise the anchor…. Mooring balls are great when the customer is paying for them…
Poke fun at the crew??? Who would ever do that?
Exactly! :p
Our charters will be all inclusive so any fees for balls will be absorbed by us.
As for poking fun, bring it on. :p
Mike,
That works great, just listen and watch carefully to make sure the main doesn’t catch on anything (battens, ets). The windlass changes it’s tone if the load goes up. Be careful, with great power comes responsibility.
I just ordered a 28 volt Milwaukee right angle cordless drill, along with a winchbit.
Eric
I am definitely aware of the lack of tactile feedback which comes from the use of the electric winch. Have you that drill before? Are you planning on using it for raising the main or for other purposes?
Hi Mike,
I have not used the drill, we are mainly getting it to raise the dinghy. We’ll try it on the main. We end up not using the windlass much on raising the main. We can haul it by hand up to the first reef, then winch it the rest of the way. If two of us haul at the same time, we get it 95% of the way up, last 5% is winch. We don’t haul from the mast, though, the halyard goes around the winch, we stand in a location similar to the windless technique, then we haul away old style. You get more power by “jerking” the line, then a continuous pull. It’s actually fun to do with multiple people, sometime we get the kids involved. We need to start singing Sea Shanties when we do it. (I think we’ve been spending too much time at Mystic Seaport)
How does your main drop? When it starts hanging on the way down, put Sail Kote (or equvalent) on the cars, once we do that it drops like a rock.
Eric
The main drops like a rock. Perfect.
Eric, the term is “sweating” the line/halyard.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6peFy_08Wso
Just to state the obvious – make sure you mark the main halyard at each reef point and just before you get to full hoist. That way you have a repeatable method and warning that it’s time to move from windlass to winch. Also, sometimes your guests will want to help and some of them will not realize they have to stop pressing the button to make the windlass stop (don’t ask how I know …)
I made different looking markings with a Sharpie so I could easily mark my progress (and see more easily in low lighting). Required periodic re-inking, but was totally worthwhile.
Roger. I will get to that, once I find those sharpie markers that I purchased but have gone missing!!!
Watch for EW on the ferry tomorrow — He’s captain of the green one. Free rum samples at Havensite tomorrow. I’ll be there from 11 to 5. Would love to see you!
Would you like to see us before or after the free rum? We might be more fun after. 😉
Don’t you have any electric winches?
Otherwise, Martin’s Milwaukee right angle drill and winch bit is a well known substitute. It works on all the winches then.
Mike
No, we do not have electric winches, yet. We are aware of the Milwaukee drill, and the Winchrite marine equivalent. Do you have one of those drills?
No, I barely have winches! Older boats didn’t. A friend uses one and I have watched. It looked good.
Mike
This is why I love your blog, I’m always learning something – Milwaukee drill – will have to investigate that. Good luck with learning the Leopard.
Thanks, Noreen. Yes, the right angle Milwaukee drill is what some people use to power their winches. There is a more expensive but sexier looking marine equivalent called the Winchrite.
we have a milwaukee RA drill set up and it works great for the first 2/3 of the sail on our leopard 38. the last third is really heavy, fully battened sail, so i muscle it up myself. the winchrite is cool and really light weight but also silly expensive. i’ll try the windlass method, never had electric before, but as i’m against relying on anything that can short out i won’t count it as standard equipment. i bet you’re loving the room on the 46 huh?
ok, tried the windlass method this afternoon. not pretty but it can be done. the halyard wants to override on the the windlass drum and the motor strains on the last 1/8 of the sail. i’m thinking i will keep using the armstrong method and save the electric for when really needed.
In the post I mentioned trial and error. The override thing is what I had to work through. I found that if I put only one wrap on the capstan, and then keep fairly decent pressure up on the line, it will raise the main and not override. As for the last bit, yes, the motor strains on that part. Using the winch at the end may be best.
Mike, we are newbies and new owners of a used L46 (Moorings 4600). I would like to use the windlass to raise the mainsail. How do I disengage the clutch on the windlass so the chain doesn’t wind while raising the main? Thanks!
Put a winch handle in the gypsy (chain) side of the windlass and loosen the center piece. When it is loose you can then use the halyard on the capstan without the chain gypsy turning.
Thanks Mike! 3 more weeks until I am down there to try it. Can’t wait!
Note that we found that we could only put one turn on the capstan. If we did more, we’d get an override.