If anything can go wrong when hoisting the sail... it will !

[Joseph]

The sail of a Com-Pac SunCat needs to be hoisted high enough for the floating gooseneck of the boom to rise past the Mastendr® hinge in the mast and for the leech of the sail to make the boom clear the "gallows" at the stern of the boat.

On occasions the completion of this operation is hindered, requiring a quick step to the bow and the mast to solve the issue. Most commonly it is a fold in the luff of the sail being caught in one of the metal structures around the hinge. On other occasions (blush...) it is the downhaul of the tack or the downhaul of the head of the sail that have not be properly freed ahead of the hoisting that prevent the operation from proceeding. Similarly, if the boomvang has not been loosened - as it should - before hoisting the sail, this may limit the gooseneck from clearing the hinge. Also, on rare occasions, the hook for the reef-tack seemed to catch on the metal angle rods protecting the hinge.  This tends to happen if the sail is being hoisted with the boom slightly to starboard (i.e., with the boat not perfectly head-to-wind). The following picture shows the gooseneck area from the starboard side. The red arrow points at the hook for the reef-tack and the green one to the angled rods where the hook may catch:

Well, after twenty years of sailing experience and six of sailing "Sassy" in different conditions I though I had worked out all possible reasons for the sail not to be properly hoisted on a fist attempt.  On my last sail upriver, Sassy, once more, proved me wrong... Sassy was motoring up-river plowing on mirror-like waters. Not a speck of wind was rippling the surface of the lake (Lac Deschènes is a broadened part of the Ottawa River west of Ottawa).  Then, ahead of the bow and approaching fast I spotted a dark band of rippled waters: Wind!  The ST-1000 autopilot was put in charge and I proceeded to hoist the sail as fast as I could. However, midway into the operation something got stuck. I stepped to the mast and could not find anything wrong at the gooseneck but noticed that not only the main halyard was unable to hoist the head of the sail, but that the gaff halyard was also unable to lift the gaff past the leech of the sail. Then I saw it: a sail tie (one of those lanyards that hang on both sides of the sail whose sole purpose is to catch the slack at the sail foot when the sail is reefed) had caught the free end of the gaff! it had jammed between the gaff spar and the gaff outhaul line that attaches the tip of the sail to the end of the gaff. Once the gaff was free, the sail was hoisted to perfection... Alas! the band of rippled wavelets was now astern of Sassy and she was again plowing on mirror-like waters... (Sigh!).

Cheers! J.

[Tom L.]

Um mm don't forget to release the main sheet. It will stop you short as well. Since my boat is set up with slab reefing with turning blocks at at each end of the boom and cleats mid boom I got my handy dremel out and cut that reef hook off. I don't like reef hooks unless they are the ring type. I never did trust them to hold the clew from slipping out.

Tom L.

[Joseph]

Good point Tom!, although it is difficult for me to forget to replease the mainsheet because I seldom hoist the sail with the boom in its resting position on the gallows, and rather have the sail flogging freely while the boom is being held clear of the gallows by the topping lift. Yes, Sassy does have a topping lift. It was not part of the design and I had to ask for it, but I am happy I did. Not only for ease when hoisting the sail and prevent it from catching the wind too soon, but also for the Bimini to clear the boom when I wish to to motor under the "canopy".

J.

[nreamer]

I am new to the Suncat world, but have started using the following procedure when raising the main. 

1.  Release Downhaul.

2.  Go forward to Mast, grab gaff, sail and boom as a unit, and pull the whole mass up above the hinge.  (Go back to step 1 if it will not move.)

3.  Insert large pin to hold it all up.

4.  Return to cockpit and release mainsheet.

5.  Hoist sail from cockpit.

6.  Return to mast to remove pin.

7.  Adjust halyards as necessary, tighten downhaul as necessary.

I have found in my short time with Frisky, that this results in less cussing and aggravation.  (I have found that no matter how aggravating the sail hoisting process may be on any given outing, that once the motor is off and we are under sail, life is instantly good!)  That being said, even though the halyards are run to the cockpit, I still have to take two trips to the mast.  That is the only part of this procedure that annoys me, but the sail goes up, every time.

What are your thoughts on this procedure?  I also read in a post on here a comment from Capt Nemo, (coincidentally, Friskies PO), that there were three uses for the large pin and whatever the poster was using it for was not one of them.  Well, this may not be either, but now that I am thinking of this again, can someone enlighten me on the three purposes for the large pin?  I actually read the owners manual, but could find no such reference.

I am also going to have to fabricate something to hold that pin.  It banging against the mast is driving me nuts!  Plus, I keep waiting for the string to break and "enjoying" the sight of the pin sliding overboard. 

neil

[rogerschwake]

  Well Neil my 4" pin went over the side over a year ago and I have not missed it one bit. So sorry I can't help you with the three uses for the darn thing. Maybe one of them was taking up space in your extra parts box? This probably doesn't help much but it was free.

ROGER

[Joseph]

Hi Neil,

Well with "Frisky" you have the "Cadillac" of the Suncats...

I can think of two functions for the pin in addition of the one that you discovered:

a) to hold all the lines against the mast when it is time to fold it down for trailering, and
b) to ensure that the goosneck and gaff are below the hinge when the mast is folded back.

It is an interesting use for the pin that you raise. The only problem I see is that it requires stepping to the mast which is not something that I  like to do unless absoloutely necessary. Also, your procedure would not advert a misshap like the weird one I had on Thursday, in which a reef tie got caught at the end of the gaff and prevented it from clearing the leech.

Also, in Sassy, the pin has a loop at one end with a thin opening that allows it to be fit and held inside the metal shield that holds the navigation lights attached to the mast. It also has a ring and a small chord that attaches to a plastic fitting in the mast.

J.

[nreamer]

Joseph,

I agree about the Cadillac of Suncats statement.  She is sweet.  You really have no idea how close I was to having the talk with the wife about buying a new Suncat!  I had lurked on here off and on for years, and one day stumbled across the ad for Frisky on sailboatlistings.com.  I recognized her instantly!  I emailed the broker to make sure she was still available, had the talk with the Admiral, and bam, two weeks later I was in South Florida picking her up!  Had a couple of boat guys over for dinner, drinking and BS last weekend.  Frisky was in the water.  They were amazed how clean and well kept she is!  :-)

Anyway, I was already using the pin for points a and b that you pointed out.  Capt Nemo briefed me on that during post sale orientation.  :-)  Frisky has no electrical system, hence no lights, so that may explain why there is nothing there to hang it on.  That will be a quick fix though.  I have found that wire cable clamps make good holders for loose pins and such in some situations, assuming they can be easily mounted close by.  I have already done that with the rudder pin on Frisky.   

Roger,

I hear ya, but having that pin to make sure all the stuff is in place before lowering the mast has already saved me $$...  It makes me pause, look and evaluate.  Will the pin go in?  Is there anything dangling outside?  Etc, etc.  I am a checklist kind of guy, whether it be mental or written.  Maybe it comes from my aviation days, but, I like that pin. 

Same wth the curved pin on the front of the mast.  Before I start messing with that forestay, I stop and make sure that pin is still where I last left it!  Last thing I want to happen is to release the forestay and have the mast go crashing down! 

neil

[capt_nemo]

Hi Guys,

Many thanks for the kind words on the condition of 2010 "Frisky" when sold.

Neil's step 2 requiring pulling the boom, gaff, and all else above the hinge to ensure all was free, was accomplished by me on the hard when rigging the boat prior to launch. In most cases, raising the mainsail was trouble free and did not require a trip forward to the mast when underway.

In addition to the uses for the long pin already mentioned, it is also used UNDER boom, gaff, and stowed mainsail to hold them higher when at dockside or anchor to allow full upward swing of the forward hatch, provide a little more headroom at companionway and in the cockpit, and hold a "boom tent" a little higher. Some Sun Cat Owners even made an accompanying small extension cradle which, when attached to the Gallows, raised the aft end of the boom to keep the whole higher rig HORIZONTAL.

Also, when rigging my boat for launch I took one of the short ball-bungees and put it around the base of the mast where it served to capture, secure, and quiet a long pin awaiting its next use.

On the curved pin securing the hinge - once I put it in to secure the mast and attach the quick-release forestay, I left it in while sailing, and only removed it when ready to lower the mast.

Fair winds and safe sailing,

capt_nemo

[Joseph]

Captn_Nemo,

On the "curved pin":

I replaced it with a quick/ball pin because a couple of times it came off while heeling.

Best! J.

[nreamer]

Joseph,  Yes, I agree, that this would not prevent the weird thing you had happen with the reef tie, but it does eliminate the possibility of a host of others.  You just have to deal with the oddball ones as they come along.  It is an adventure every time we go out, right?

Oh yeah, I keep the pin in pretty much all the time, except when the sail is up, for reasons Capt Nemo stated.  A ball bungee, that will work! Thanks! 

I also may make an extension cradle.  I could see where that would be nice!  I had even been thinking of looping a line from throat halyard, under the boom and back up on the other side to the throat halyard to to be able to raise everything higher when at anchor.  I hate hitting my head on that stuff when coming in and out of the cabin!

neil

[Joseph]

Ah Neil, but it may be "healthy" to occasionally hit the head against the boom "when coming in and out of the cabin", so as to adjust your standing height in the cockpit and never get hit by a swinging boom during an accidental gybe in 15+ knot winds... The SunCat lacks a foresail (well maybe Frisky is an exception...), which as a rule will always luff and gybe ahead of the mainsail when running too close to (actualy, too far from) the wind. In sloops nd the like this will let you know that it is time to head-up and prevent the main from gybing (or proceed to a controlled gybe). But with no foresail, accidental gybes are more likely to happen and it is a good thing to learn to always keep your head below the transit of the boom while in the cockpit.

J.

[Craig]

By the way, Compac changed the "hinge guard" on newer Suncats to a non-fouling design . It now is a stainless "rail" that runs parallel to the mast. I am sure the newer part is available from Compac. Tom's comment on the mainsheet is important. In addition make sure that the sheet cam cleat does not re-lock  the sheet. There have been times when I have begun hoisting the sail(Suncat & HC) only to find that the sheet has re locked preventing a full hoist. On the Horizon Cat I wedge the long pin between the running light bracket and the mast.