Submitted on September 20, 2005 by Paul Lomas-Clarke

Question: I have a 1997 Jeanneau 36.2 with inmast furling. When drawing the mainsail out with the outhaul it jams both up the mast and mainly where the leech
come out of the mast. Generally the sail is very stiff and sometimes considerable force is need to tug, release, and tug again to free up the mainsail. When furling the mainsail there are no problems. What is wrong?

Thank You,
In Anticipation,
Paul Lomas-Clarke

Answer: Hi Paul,

The symptom that you are describing can be caused by unrolling the sail (turning the foil inside the mast) before pulling it out of the mast with the outhaul. It is critical that you coordinate the two controls. If the outhaul lags behind the foil, the diameter of the rolled sail will expand and it can completely jam in the mast cavity.

Regards,
Dan Neri

Email North Sails with your question today!

Go BACK to Solutions for Sailors Main Page.