[C320-list] Mainsail Hard to Raise/Lower

[crashley at gte.net]

Cost might be factor. We have a fully battened main with a Dutchman but I 
would like an in-boom someday. Maybe when the market recovers...

CRA
Rosebud #882

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Len" <aqua5len at gmail.com>
To: <C320-List at catalina320.com>
Cc: "Henderson, David" <dhender at allstate.com>; 
<c320-list at lists.catalina320.com>
Sent: Monday, October 13, 2008 4:28 PM
Subject: Re: [C320-list] Mainsail Hard to Raise/Lower


> My concerns over several potential problems inherent with the in-mast
> furling system led me to research the in-boom furling system.  When I 
> bought
> #1070 new in October 2005 I had Catalina change out the in-mast furling
> system /mast to an in-boom furling system.  Boat was commissioned and
> sailing by mid-Jan '06.  Works like a charm, and you have a full roach 
> with
> normal battens.  If the in-boom furler were ever to jam (has never 
> occurred)
> you can always just lower the main.  I've never understood why more owners
> do not opt for the in-boom system.
> Len Krane
> AQUA5   #1070
>
> On Mon, Oct 13, 2008 at 4:01 PM, Robert Seastream <
> robert.seastream at comcast.net> wrote:
>
>> David:
>>
>> Thanks for your input.  Now I know it's not just me or my imagination. 
>> It
>> gives me fresh perspective, and a concrete point to proceed from.
>>
>> Bob
>>
>> On Oct 13, 2008, at 5:02 PM, Henderson, David wrote:
>>
>>  This is a somewhat delayed response to Bob Seastream's post of a couple 
>> of
>>> weeks ago.  Bob, yes, I have had issues raising and lowering my in-mast
>>> (Charleston Spar) furling main on my four year old 320 (#1049), and I 
>>> think
>>> I have discovered a potentially serious problem.  I would love to know 
>>> if
>>> others have encountered this issue.
>>>
>>> I noticed the problem for the first time during the 2007 season.  It was
>>> slightly worse this past spring when I raised the main, and now just 
>>> last
>>> week when I tried to take it down in preparation for haul-out, it is 
>>> worse
>>> still and I couldn't get the sail down.  It appeared that the head of 
>>> the
>>> sail and/or the swivel first stuck at the upper spreader.  I was able to
>>> force it through.  But then it became really stuck at the lower 
>>> spreader.  I
>>> feared that the luff tape was cut or frayed and somehow hanging up in 
>>> the
>>> groove in the foil.  I also wondered if perhaps there was a joint in the
>>> foil that it might be catching on.
>>>
>>> This past weekend my 25 year old daughter went aloft to take a look (my
>>> days of going a loft are long over).  When she opened the shackle and
>>> disconnected the sail from the swivel, the sail fell easily down through 
>>> the
>>> foil.  So it was now clear that the problem was not the luff tape or the
>>> sail, but rather the swivel seemed to be the culprit.
>>>
>>> Upon closer inspection, it became clear that groove in the outer part of
>>> the mast (that the sail passes through to wind onto the foil) was 
>>> slightly
>>> narrowed in the area of the spreader.  And in fact, the entire mast 
>>> cavity
>>> had narrowed and was pinching the swivel enough that it could not slide 
>>> up
>>> and down through it.  She then went up to the second spreader and lo and
>>> behold, same problem, just slightly less severe.
>>>
>>> The broker who sold me the boat came by today for a look, and after
>>> attempting to raise and lower the swivel, he confirmed the problem.  He 
>>> even
>>> pointed out that the narrowing in the outer mast slot is readily visible 
>>> by
>>> line of sight as you look up the mast.  Our joint conclusion is that the
>>> load carried by the spreaders is slowly but surely bending the mast and
>>> narrowing the slot and cavity, and it is a progressive problem.  Not 
>>> being
>>> able to raise or lower the main is the first level of concern, but 
>>> ultimate
>>> mast failure is obviously an even a greater concern.
>>>
>>> Though I am told that I am out of warranty, the broker immediately 
>>> offered
>>> to contact Charleston Spar and Catalina on my behalf.  Needless to say, 
>>> I
>>> anxiously await their response.  Meantine, I wanted to bring this to the
>>> attention of anyone else with a similar vintage 320 that may be 
>>> experiencing
>>> similar mast issues.
>>>
>>> Dave Henderson
>>>
>>> Dottie B    #1049
>>>
>>>
>>> ------------------------------
>>>
>>> Message: 4
>>>
>>> Date: Thu, 2 Oct 2008 20:16:39 -0400
>>>
>>> From: Robert Seastream <robert.seastream at comcast.net>
>>>
>>> Subject: [C320-list] Mainsail hard to raise
>>>
>>> To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
>>>
>>> Message-ID: <AADF86C2-2204-418F-BFC2-BF17EEE6486F at comcast.net>
>>>
>>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes
>>>
>>> All:
>>>
>>> Has anyone ever had issues raising their (in mast furling) mainsail
>>>
>>> past roughly the two thirds point, almost requiring winching to raise
>>>
>>> it fully?
>>>
>>> We've had this issue since we bought the (used) boat.  I don't think
>>>
>>> there's any 'burrs' in the furler track; I'd expect rips in the luff
>>>
>>> if that were true.
>>>
>>> I'm wondering if the roller furler might have gotten bent, although I
>>>
>>> can't imagine how.  By comparison, the roller furling jib goes up its'
>>>
>>> own track smooth as silk.
>>>
>>> Another question is how does one access the furling mechanism for
>>>
>>> inspection/repair, once the mast is unstepped?  Perhaps that's a
>>>
>>> question for Charleston Spars.
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>>
>>> Bob Seastream
>>>
>>> Intuition # 906
>>>
>>>
>>> ------------------------------
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>