On Tue, 30 Jun 2009 21:20:45 -0700, "Capt. JG"
wrote:

"Lew Hodgett" wrote in message
...

"Capt. JG" wrote:

I can't get my main to the top without a winch either, unless there's
minimal wind.

External halyards and good slide/track mechanism makes most of that go
away.

Had a 30ft Seafarer with a high aspect sail plan (small main, only 10 ft
boom) and external halyards.

Never had a problem with the main.


Lew

I have an in-mast halyard. I need to improve the slide/track situation.

Well mine was a high tech design. The boom was on a slide so you wound
sail and boom up to the "black band" and then you tensioned the bluff
with a Cunningham attached to the bottom of the gooseneck.

With 40 ft. of luff length and a nice strong boom and gooseneck (read
heavy) and a cruising sail it was not a trivial project the get the
whole kit and kaboodle wound up and cleated. Then of course you have
to tension the luff.

Reefing was a particular pain as the first couple of feet of halyard
just let the boom descend. then pull in the reef and then you got to
go through the whole rigamoral of hoisting and tensioning again.

One of the main reasons I built the roller reefing system.

Cheers,

Bruce
(bruceinbangkokatgmaildotcom)