[C320-list] Thoughts on Raising Main was Thoughts on Sails

[Chris Burti]

A couple of notes on raising the main.
1. The halyard get thicker with time which increases friction - solution is
to replace more frequently than it needs because of wear.
2. I spray the slides and the track as far as I can reach with *SailKote*
Dry Lubricant the first time I raise the main each cruise...absolutely
works wonders and I can raise 90% from the cockpit without the winch.
3, Bonus tip - I stuff a cotton ball soaked with *SailKote* in the track
above the headboard periodically when raising the main and it cleans dirt
and salt out of the track which also reduced friction.

Chris Burti
Commitment, #867
Farmville, NC



On Mon, Nov 26, 2018 at 6:20 PM Allan S Field <allan.field at verizon.net>
wrote:

> Jeff - I can only opine on the Strong Track.  Others may have a different
> experience with this but mine was not great.  If standing at the mast and
> pulling the main halyard, my 5-year-old-at-the-time grandson could easily
> pull the sail all the way up; it was that smooth.  From the cockpit is a
> different story, at least on #808.  The halyard run from the bottom of the
> mast back to the traveler and then back to the rope clutch and then to the
> winch is not a straight line which introduced a lot of friction.  Bottom
> line is that I still needed to use the winch to get the sail all the way
> up.  So for me, the expense was not worth it; if I needed to winch part of
> the way up, I might as well winch all the way is my thinking now.
>
> We did have a fully battened (4 battens) mainsail and a 150 genoa with a
> rope luff that was just wonderful when reefed.  We also had an A-Sym in a
> sock which was a lot of fun to sail, and a bit of work to set-up, but is
> only really safe to use in under about 12 knots of apparent wind.  And it's
> not a downwind sail.  It's most effective from about 60 to about 150
> degrees of apparent wind.  If you do go this route, I'd really suggest
> getting the ATN Tacker also.
>
> Hope this helps!
>
> Allan S. Field
> Sea Shadow - C387, #103 (formerly C320, #808)
> Columbia, MD
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: C320-list [mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On
> Behalf Of Jeff Smith
> Sent: Monday, November 26, 2018 5:36 PM
> To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
> Subject: [C320-list] Thoughts on Sails
>
> To all,
>
> I am contemplating purchasing a new main sail and a new Genoa. I would
> like to benefit from the collective wisdom of the group, if you would be
> kind enough to share.
>
> Currently, Sailmates has a 155% Genoa that will be 18 years old next year.
> The Main will also be 18 years old next year. It seems like this is about
> the extent of the useable life of a sail, but I could be mistaken. Mainly
> we daysail or cruise for the weekend, though I hope to expand my reach to
> the Bahamas and up the coast to New England. [Side note – I have all of
> Spring 2019 available for a passage to the Bahamas if anyone is interested
> in a trip. Seriously, let me know because I would love to travel down, but
> I do not have blue water experience.]
>
> My questions include: 1. Has anyone installed a Strong/Tides Track system?
> If so, did you find it worth the expense? If you installed it but did not
> find it worth the expense, what are the negative issues? 2. Quantum Sails
> has recommended that I could get much of the benefit of the Strong/Tides
> Track by going to a 2+2 (upper full battens only) system with AllSlip
> slides for the Main. Does anyone have any experience with either AllSlip
> slides or a 2 batten main sail system? They also suggested that I could use
> Bainbridge Railman receptacles with a stainless steel universal joint,
> which is part of the Strong/Tides track system. Any thoughts here? 3. They
> recommended that I do not go bigger than a 140% Genoa for boat balance. Any
> thoughts on this? I will say that when we first bought the boat we would
> regularly roll out the full 155%, but now I tend to keep the Genoa above
> the lifelines.
>
> I know there are a lot of questions above, so I appreciate any and all
> opinions. By the way, the price quote for a CrossCut CW 2000 Main with 2
> reefs and 4 battens is $3,056 after a 15% discount. The 140% Genoa with
> Foam Luff, Spreader Patches, and UV Cover is $2,400 after the discount. So
> that is $5,500 for the two sails, which seems pricey, but less than the
> quote from an Ullman sail loft (and only about $800 more than the previous
> boat owner paid in 2001). I also priced an asymmetrical spinnaker ($2,500
> with dousing sleeve), but I am not sure how much we would use this.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Jeff
> S/V Sailmates, 94 #121
>
>
>