dr5e14w,

I saw a guy doing that with an A-Cat on a youtube video once, so I tried it. Maybe my batten pocket end caps are too small or something (they have very rounded edges,) but my extension doesn't want to stay in place when I try that.

I went out today and when I tipped my boat to raise my sail, the leach got wet. While I was sailing, the leach was drying and dropping bits of sand and shell on me. It was a great day though, 10 mph wind and flat seas. I got in some good spinnaker runs and was trapped out on when I was close hauled.

Dropping the main at the end of the day was textbook easy.

Well I got it to hook and unhook no problem today! Tied the smallest knot I could and had it on the sail side of the ring. I swear I had tried this before. Should be going back out tomorrow will see if it works again

If you are using a shackle/ring setup I found that the width of the shackle can make a hugh difference in getting the ring to hook and unhook. If the shackle is too narrow the ring cannot rotate properly. And sometimes a twist shackle can create problems getting the ring to come off the hook. One my most recent boat I had to try 4 different shackles before I found the one that would allow easy up and down.

@daniel

It takes a bit of practice but once you get used to it, it becomes easy. I sailed a 4.9 a few times and that was the only way to get the main to go up the last 3-4 inches. Give it another try.

Well I was able to get my main up this weekend and get the halyard ring hooked on without having to tip my boat. Thanks for the encouragement.

Daniel, when is the last time you cleaned out your mast track? If the mast had been sitting on a trailer for a while, it will be full of...stuff...that will add drag when you raise the main. Next time you have the mast down, take a high pressure nozzel on a garden hose and spray the track well, top to bottom, use soap and a brush if you have one, but get it as clean as possible.

When it's dry, spray the entire length of the inside of the track with silcone dry lube. Then go spray the luff rope on your main with the same stuff. That should help reduce any drag so your main should slide up easily.

Re. the ring hooking to the hook at the masthead, if you pull down on the main with one hand, while slowly releasing the halyrad tension, the ring will hook on easier. I find mine always needs a little down pull on the main to get the ring onto the hook.

To get it down, just raise the ring (pull the halyard tight, so the ring is up and off the hook) then rotate the mast 90 degrees to one side or the other, and then, after the mast is rotated, release the tension on the halyard and pull down on the sail, while holding the mast 90 degrees to one side or the other of center.

It's all a lot easier when the mast track is clean and lubed up, and the mainsail bolt rope is also lubed up, so the main slides up easily.