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The last step in raising the mast is attaching the furler roller.

This is the hardest part of the whole process of getting the boat in the water. I have the mast raising system on the winch bending the top of the mast to get the furler roller the last 1/2 inch. I can't do it alone.

I've had this problem since the boat was new in '01. Could my forestay have been shortened too much? Are my shrouds too tight? The problem is not the backstay. Does anyone else have this problem?

I can't see across the street for the snowstorm passing through, but the ice is gone and I'll be on the water this weekend!

David
Sailing Buffalo Lake AB

I have the mast raising system on the winch bending the top of the mast to get the furler roller the last 1/2 inch. I can't do it alone.

David are you using the main halyard instead of the jib halyard? With the jib halyard, the top of the mast can't bend.

A trick I use is to tie a line with a loop at the end to the drum of the furler. I step on the loop and it gives me that little extra to pin the forestay.

i don't think that shrouds can be too tight...
my recommandations:
- detach the backstay. the backstay brings only few load on the mast, but the difference when detached is although considerable.
- use a longer pin to attach the furler to the bow chainplate.
- use the jib halyard and NEVER the main halyard to raise the mast!!!
- take care that shrouds and stays are not kinked or twisted.
i have my shrouds fairly tight and never had a problem to raise the mast even singlehanded on the water.

BW Yachts sells a "easy to hold headstay pin" for a few dollars that makes it much easier to pin the forestay. Probably much less likely to drop it in the water either since it has a bigger grip.

I have the standard roller furler with 150 genoa and U/V cover, so you have to straighten it out pretty well even if you have a ton of tension on the raising gear. Like Billy, I also use my weight to make that last little push, but I just wrap my left arm around the top of the furling drum (kind of hugging it closely) and then lean down (applying most of my body weight to the furler) from a crouched position on the anchor locker cover using my right hand to pin it.

It was troublesome the first few times when I was learning, but now that I've done it more, that part is pretty easy and just takes a few seconds. Its all the other little details that make it a time-consuming pita to be rigging and unrigging all the time. If I was a day-trailer-sailer, I might not even bother with a furler but since I keep my boat in the water most of the time, I sure like to have it.

Try my mast raising modification.. it makes it much easier getting the roller furler attached... click on the WWW button below then click on Modifications button.

Thanks guys. I think I've got it beaten.

I loosened the backstay one more notch and it's now a cake-walk. But my already loose backstay is now downright floppy.

Who'd have guessed?

Thanks for the ideas,

David

If you pin your furler without the winch and 4:1 tackle, then I would suggest it is way too loose. Unless of course you have added turnbuckles to th shrouds and use them to tension the rig after raising it.

Loose rigging is bad. makes stuff break due to shock loading.

David:

I replaced the shroud adjuster on my backstay with a pendant and a pelican hook. Makes it easy to unhook the backstay and have it properly tensioned.