New owner of Compac 23 setting mainsail

[JohnPro]

Hello everyone I am a proud new owner of a 1991 Com-Pac 23 that has been out  of sailing for about 20 years.

My question is when setting the mainsail is it easier to have someone by the mast to help raise the mainsail or just raise it from the cockpit. Also how can you keep the bottom of the mainsail in the mast channel.

Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks JohnPro

[kchunk]

Hey...a sister ship. Mine is a '91 also, hull 533 (if I recall). Where do you sail out of?

Regarding your main sail, load all of your sail slugs into the mast track ABOVE the opening and use a sail stop to keep them from falling out. They can be bought from many sources for around 10 bucks.



Here are a few link to Defender and West Marine

http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|118|319697|311636|312069&id=706447

http://ecatalog.westmarine.com/full.asp?page=0681&LinkBackProdId=1757

I'll rig the main sail before leaving the dock, loading all of the sail slugs, installing the stop and attaching the halyard. Once out and ready to hoist the main, I release the sail ties and hoist from the cockpit, no need to go to the mast. If the sail jams on the way up (the sail slugs can be a bit sticky) just turn into the wind so the sail flogs a little and that will help "wiggle" the slugs up. Once the sail is up, if necessary, you can go to the mast and adjust the downhaul under the boom to add a little tension to the main sail luff.

--Greg

[JohnPro]

Thanks Greg, We sail out of Wahington, NC Palimco River area. We have Hull 542 and its a great boat. Its was sailing in the Charlotte NC area for the last 10 years. The sail stop was so worn out it fell overboard last sail when we took the sail down. Thanks for those links I'll have to pick one up.

JohnPro

[kchunk]

Make sure you get two.    Our boat came with two and we offered one to the sailing gods. I don't need one, but I should pick up another too.

Did you get a trailer with your 23/3?

[JohnPro]

That  probably a good idea to have have a couple of those handy. Yes we did get a trailer with the boat and the previous owner made sure the trailer was road worthy for the transport from Charlotte.

[newt]

Funny, it seems like that little thing is the one we offer the most to Neptune. I have gone through two and have two on my boat.