How to Raise a Mainsail Safely

Raising and lowering the sails on a sailboat is easy once you know the ropes. Remember, safety first; keep one hand for the boat, and one hand for the task.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Seaman's knives
• Deck shoes
• 1 roll masking or duct tape
• Sailing gloves
• Halyard lines

1. Uncover the mainsail and store the cover below decks or in a lazerette.

2. Determine which halyard is used for the mainsail. Usually sailboats are rigged with the main halyard on the starboard side and the jib halyard to port.

3. Open the shackle and free the main halyard from wherever it is stored, usually on the life lines or at the end of the boom.

4. Walk the halyard to the mast.

5. Verify that your halyard is free to run clear of the spreaders and shrouds, not wrapped with another halyard.

6. Attach the halyard shackle securely to the head of your sail. Check to see that it is correctly fastened.

7. 

   Loosen the main sheet. The main sheet is the line that controls the lateral movement of the main sail.

8. 

   Head the boat into the eye of the wind. This will keep the mainsail fluttering amidships and prevent any danger of being knocked overboard by a loose boom.

9. Stand facing the mast with a wide stance to give you proper balance and leverage.

10. Hold the halyard with one hand above the other.

11. 

    Pull downward on the halyard using your arms–—hand over hand–—until the main sail is up.

12. Repeat the downward pulls until your sail is all the way to the top of the mast.

13. Use a winch to pull the main snugly into position so that there are no wrinkles along the mast.

14. Furl the halyard and hang it from the cleat on the mast. Unfurled halyards have a tendency to fall overboard and wrap around propellers at inconvenient times.

15. Walk back to the cockpit, turn the boat away from the eye of the wind and haul in on the main sheet until the sail fills with wind.

16. Instruct the person on the helm that you are ready to sail.

Tips & Warnings

• Dacron is preferable to nylon line for halyards and sheets. Nylon stretches and the sails will loose shape under a load.
• Halyards can hold a tremendous amount of load and must therefore be taken seriously.
• Wear gloves to protect your hands.
• Use an extra wrap around the winch and check to make sure that your pad eyes and deck blocks are secure and in good condition.

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