Removing Sails

 

Best to do this on a dry day if possible to avoid putting away wet sails. Mildew stains are hard to remove completely. If you're going to do it by yourself, it's really easiest if there is little or no wind.

 

This is how I do it, but most of the details aren't very important. Do it once or twice and it will just seem obvious.

 

To Remove the Genoa

1) I Bring both genoa sheets around to the port side remove the lower shackle holding the tack of the genoa to the drum.

2) With the sail still furled, uncoil all the extra genoa halyard line and drop it down the ladder into the galley. I Lay it out so that it won't jam when the sail drops.

3) Uncoil the furling line and lay it out so it won't bunch up and jam also.

4) Release the genoa halyard cleat (the sail won't drop yet while it is furled).

5) go up on the side deck and unfurl the sail by pulling one of the genoa halyards. Keep your foot lightly on the furling line to keep the furling line winding tightly on the drum.

6) As the genoa gets most of the way unfurled, it will start to drop. Once it's all the way unfurled, the sail should drop nicely. Just undo the top shackle and the sail is free.

 

No real tricks here, Just don't lose the halyard up the mast, it's preferable to have the wind (if any) directly on the nose so that the sail doesn't blow off the boat. Make sure all the lines will run free before you start.

 

Genoa- We prefer to remove the tack shackle after the sail is down just to help make sure it doesn't start to slip over the side as it comes out of the luff groove.

 

For the Main Sail

If you have a furling main, it'll be done almost exactly like the genoa.

If you have a standard main with dutchman, then it's really easy.

 

1) To Remove the dutchman lines from the sail. You'll have to reach up under the port side of the flaked sail, unscrew 4 screws on the pouches

and pull the dutchman lines out.

 

Tips:

* Take 4 - 1" pieces of electrical tape and tape over the NUTs on the plastic disk on each dutchman pouch before you undo the screws. Then when you unscrew the screws, the nuts won't fall into the drink.

* With a black perm. marker, make a small mark on the dutchman lines so you'll know where to tighten down the clamps on the line when you put the sail back on.

* While the main still flaked on the boom, locate the top two plastic disks where the dutchman lines first drop through top of the sail. With a black Sharpie marker and write "UP" or "TOP" on the upper faces of the two Dutchman disks. This will help you figure out which way to flake the sail and how to start threading the dutchman when you put the sail back on.

 

2) Remove the outhaul line from the clew of the sail and tie a big knot in it so that it can't get sucked into the boom.

3) Untie the reefing line from the aft end of the main sail and tie it off also so that it can't go into the boom. Also feed the reefing line from the cockpit up to the mast and pull it out of the sail.

4) Remove the Tack shackle from the gooseneck.

5) Remove the sail gate and remove the sail slugs preferably keeping them all to one side.

6) Slide the main off the boom towards the bow.

7) Drop the topping lift and coil up / ziptie the duchman lines.

 

If you have 2 or 3 people, you can remove the main from the boom without having the sail unflake.

 

For the main sail, I recommend that you fold it perfectly with all of the dutchman disks stacked so that the sail get "properly trained" how to fold. It makes flaking it much easier next season

 

Main - One of the first steps should be to remove the battens, if your sail has them. Also, We are among those who leave the dutchman lines in the sail and remove the whole setup with the sail. We are in the Northeast too but no mouse problems as We leave the sails with a local sailmaker for cleaning and a once-over for any needed repairs. He stores them free for the winter. Some sailmakers may insist on removal of the dutchman lines but mine does not. Taking the sails in for cleaning is probably the best last step in the removal procedures!