newbie has a stupid question.
 

Edgar, I didn't have to remove my main when I had that kind of luff. I
flaked the sail on the boom without a problem. All you have to do is pull
the sail slightly aft as you lower and flake it. You can purchase a sail
guide (WM has them, but are expensive), but you're right, it still requires
some back and forth to get the main to feed properly.

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

"Edgar" wrote in message
...
You have to remove the sail every time with that sort of setup because you
will find out that, unlike the alternative system of external track and
slides, there is nowhere for the rope luff of the mainsail to gather up
ssince it is held straight in the slot.
It can be a bit slow hoisting the main when you are doing it alone as you
need one hand to feed the sail in and the other is occupied pulling the
halyard. The halyard hand can only pull 3 feet or so before you have to
use
both hands to enable you to take a fresh grip.
There are devices available to help with the feed-in of the luff rope but
you will still probably have to assist manually from time to time as the
sail will tend to be spread well out and give a poor lead into the
feeder.
Yes, remove the rudder or it will be trying o break loose every time a
wash
comes in and if you remove it you will not need to paint it with
antifouling.
Also tilt the outboard out of the water after use or all manner of marine
growth will take holdand ifiltrate the water intake to cause problems
Edgar


"sandy" wrote in message
ups.com...
We recently became the proud owner of a Neptune 16. We are keeping it
in the water on a lake in NE Washington. I've made a sailcover for the
main but find that the mainsail (which has a rope luff that goes in the
mast slot), comes out of the slot when I lower the sail. Is there some
sort of sail "stop" made for this type of rigging so I won't have to
thread the sail into the slot every time? Or is there some sort of
improvised thingie that would do the job?

Also...As we are keeping the boat in the water for the season, any
suggestions on what I should be doing to keep boat in good shape.
(Like....should I remove the rudder or leave it in the water? Raise
the outboard out of the water every day? We will probably be using
boat 2 or 3 times a week.

Appreciate any suggestions. As Hubby is disabled, I'm doing it all
myself and would like to not make any stupid mistakes. Thanks!

Sandy

newbie has a stupid question.
 

"Capt. JG" wrote in message
...
Edgar, I didn't have to remove my main when I had that kind of luff. I
flaked the sail on the boom without a problem. All you have to do is pull
the sail slightly aft as you lower and flake it.

newbie has a stupid question.
 

Jon. if you hoist a sail where the luff rope is held in a groove in the mast
there is nowhere for the luff rope to go except out of the groove when you
lower the sail.
Maybe you had a track with slides and with that you can certainly flake the
sail, leaving the slides bunched together on the track.
This is how it works on a larger boat but on a dinghy with a mast grooved
for the luff rope you cannot lower the sail with the rope still held in the
groove,-unless, of course, you are just talking about leaving the head board
and the top foot or so of the sail in the groove while you flake the rest
that has come out.
Edgar


"Capt. JG" wrote in message
...
Edgar, I didn't have to remove my main when I had that kind of luff. I
flaked the sail on the boom without a problem. All you have to do is pull
the sail slightly aft as you lower and flake it.

newbie has a stupid question.
 

"Edgar" wrote in message
...
Jon. if you hoist a sail where the luff rope is held in a groove in the
mast
there is nowhere for the luff rope to go except out of the groove when you
lower the sail.

You're right, but I set my halyard not to go beyond the end of the luff
rope.

Maybe you had a track with slides and with that you can certainly flake
the
sail, leaving the slides bunched together on the track.

Nope.. it was a luff rope.

This is how it works on a larger boat but on a dinghy with a mast grooved
for the luff rope you cannot lower the sail with the rope still held in
the
groove,-unless, of course, you are just talking about leaving the head
board
and the top foot or so of the sail in the groove while you flake the rest
that has come out.
Edgar


"Capt. JG" wrote in message
...
Edgar, I didn't have to remove my main when I had that kind of luff. I
flaked the sail on the boom without a problem. All you have to do is pull
the sail slightly aft as you lower and flake it.

newbie has a stupid question.
 

It is very possible if the channel behind the slot for the rope luff is
larger in diameter than the rope.



"Edgar" wrote in message
...
Jon. if you hoist a sail where the luff rope is held in a groove in the
mast
there is nowhere for the luff rope to go except out of the groove when you
lower the sail.
Maybe you had a track with slides and with that you can certainly flake
the
sail, leaving the slides bunched together on the track.
This is how it works on a larger boat but on a dinghy with a mast grooved
for the luff rope you cannot lower the sail with the rope still held in
the
groove,-unless, of course, you are just talking about leaving the head
board
and the top foot or so of the sail in the groove while you flake the rest
that has come out.
Edgar


"Capt. JG" wrote in message
...
Edgar, I didn't have to remove my main when I had that kind of luff. I
flaked the sail on the boom without a problem. All you have to do is pull
the sail slightly aft as you lower and flake it.

newbie has a stupid question.
 

"Edgar" wrote in message
...
Jon. if you hoist a sail where the luff rope is held in a
groove in the mast
there is nowhere for the luff rope to go except out of the
groove when you
lower the sail.
Maybe you had a track with slides and with that you can
certainly flake the
sail, leaving the slides bunched together on the track.
This is how it works on a larger boat but on a dinghy
with a mast grooved
for the luff rope you cannot lower the sail with the rope
still held in the
groove,-unless, of course, you are just talking about
leaving the head board
and the top foot or so of the sail in the groove while
you flake the rest
that has come out.


Or install shackles and slugs.

Doesn't anybody read my posts?

Scotty

newbie has a stupid question.
 

"Scotty" wrote in message
. ..

"Edgar" wrote in message
...
Jon. if you hoist a sail where the luff rope is held in a
groove in the mast
there is nowhere for the luff rope to go except out of the
groove when you
lower the sail.
Maybe you had a track with slides and with that you can
certainly flake the
sail, leaving the slides bunched together on the track.
This is how it works on a larger boat but on a dinghy
with a mast grooved
for the luff rope you cannot lower the sail with the rope
still held in the
groove,-unless, of course, you are just talking about
leaving the head board
and the top foot or so of the sail in the groove while
you flake the rest
that has come out.


Or install shackles and slugs.

Doesn't anybody read my posts?

Too technical to be understood.

newbie has a stupid question.
 

"Bob Crantz" wrote in message
. ..
that has come out.


Or install shackles and slugs.

Doesn't anybody read my posts?

Too technical to be understood.


How tecknickle can it be if *I* understand it?

SV

newbie has a stupid question.
 

I have sailed many different types of dinghy with luff rope grooves in wood
and metal masts and have never seen one with enough excess space to even
begin to do that.
Sounds like a recipe for major jam-ups, quite apart from weakening the mast
in fore and aft bending mode.
Many dinghies have masts which are considerably adjustable in bending and
your scheme would allow the slot to gape open and let the luff rope come
out.
Edgar

"Bob Crantz" wrote in message
. ..
It is very possible if the channel behind the slot for the rope luff is
larger in diameter than the rope.



"Edgar" wrote in message
...
Jon. if you hoist a sail where the luff rope is held in a groove in the
mast
there is nowhere for the luff rope to go except out of the groove when
you
lower the sail.
Maybe you had a track with slides and with that you can certainly flake
the
sail, leaving the slides bunched together on the track.
This is how it works on a larger boat but on a dinghy with a mast
grooved
for the luff rope you cannot lower the sail with the rope still held in
the
groove,-unless, of course, you are just talking about leaving the head
board
and the top foot or so of the sail in the groove while you flake the
rest
that has come out.
Edgar


"Capt. JG" wrote in message
...
Edgar, I didn't have to remove my main when I had that kind of luff. I
flaked the sail on the boom without a problem. All you have to do is
pull
the sail slightly aft as you lower and flake it.

newbie has a stupid question.
 

Thanks for all your help! Sounds like slugs and shackles is the way to
go. (What do I measure to get the correct size slugs?)

"Gusto" is a 1978 boat and is in pretty good condition for her age.
We're having a ball with her! Just made a makeshift "awning" that goes
over the boom (under the loosefooted main) and is secured to the
shrouds forward and cleats sternward. I put in 2 long batten pockets
and put in pvc for stiffeners. (We live 50 miles away from the nearest
building supply/hardware store so we've turned into pretty good
improvisers) We've even had it up under sail and it works pretty
good. Nice to have a little patch of shade.

Our mainsail probably never has gotten hoisted all the way as it looks
pretty loose and sloppy near the boom. (I have put a rope topping lift
on the boom and used the downhaul as best I can). I'm hoping that the
slugs on the main will help here. We are definately NOT racers. Just
love to sail and pretend to fish (we figure if we don't catch
anything....Great! Then we don't have any fish to clean!).

Thanks for all your help!

Sandy