A sloop sailing rig propels this vessel (Albin Vega 27) over the surface of the water. When raising the sails of this sloop sailing rig I usually raise the mainsail first.
Before raising the mainsail I remove its canvas sailing cover and toss it below. Next, I remove the sail ties that keep the sail from un-flaking, falling off the boom.
The main halyard is the line used to raise the mainsail. The mainsail gets raised up the aft side of the mast. My main halyard is part braided dacron part stainless wire rope. On the bitter end of the wire rope part of the main halyard an eye loop has been swaged. Through the eye loop is a shackle that's used to attach to the grommet on the head of the mainsail.
Today, as I write this (a few days after the sail on Narragansett Bay that produced these photos) the sky is a rather deep blue, a vivid hue for July. It's a deep blue behind the mast up there.
Looking up and following the wire rope part of the halyard that runs up and then at the top of the mast the wire rope runs through a shive. Up there (when the sail is not raised) another loop is swaged on the wire rope. Through that eye I've run the braided dacron through and tied a bowline to attach. Maybe some day I'll splice the dacron. It's old dacron and a little stiff which is difficult to splice (I've tried once). New (unstiff) line is easier to splice. That's on the someday improvement list. Meanwhile, the current dacron shows no sign of fraying. No fur. This (old but functional) braided dacron line then leads down the forward side of the mast and with the bitter end secured with a bowline to a cleat about about a foot above the port side of the deck.
With the boat pointed into the wind I attach the main halyard to the head of the mainsail and quickly pull down on the dacron part of the main halyard raising the mainsail. Once the main is fully raised, I cleat the halyard off to the main halyard cleat on the port side of the mast.
I carry two jibs on board, a big jib and a small jib. For many years I flew a 130 Genoa until the wire bolt rope running up the luff parted due to rust or rot. That occurred after numerous re-sewings of the dacron panels back together by hand. The wire bolt rope parting was the incident that motivated me to stop using that particual Genoa.
Usually now I use the bigger of the the two jibs. The smaller one is what I'd call a storm sail.
Fair Winds
Captain Bill
Before raising the mainsail I remove its canvas sailing cover and toss it below. Next, I remove the sail ties that keep the sail from un-flaking, falling off the boom.
The main halyard is the line used to raise the mainsail. The mainsail gets raised up the aft side of the mast. My main halyard is part braided dacron part stainless wire rope. On the bitter end of the wire rope part of the main halyard an eye loop has been swaged. Through the eye loop is a shackle that's used to attach to the grommet on the head of the mainsail.
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| A rather ancient mainsail with a a few missing battens amongst other issues still however continues to propel an Albin Vega 27. Photo by Captain Bill Podzon. Sailing Hither and Thither.
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Looking up and following the wire rope part of the halyard that runs up and then at the top of the mast the wire rope runs through a shive. Up there (when the sail is not raised) another loop is swaged on the wire rope. Through that eye I've run the braided dacron through and tied a bowline to attach. Maybe some day I'll splice the dacron. It's old dacron and a little stiff which is difficult to splice (I've tried once). New (unstiff) line is easier to splice. That's on the someday improvement list. Meanwhile, the current dacron shows no sign of fraying. No fur. This (old but functional) braided dacron line then leads down the forward side of the mast and with the bitter end secured with a bowline to a cleat about about a foot above the port side of the deck.
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| The Providence/Newport Ferry high speed ferry makes way northward on Narragansett Bay, seen from an Albin Vega 27 sailboat. Photo by Captain Bill Podzon. Sailing Hither and Thither. |
With the boat pointed into the wind I attach the main halyard to the head of the mainsail and quickly pull down on the dacron part of the main halyard raising the mainsail. Once the main is fully raised, I cleat the halyard off to the main halyard cleat on the port side of the mast.
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| An Albin Vega 27 heading southwest approaching the Mount Hope Bridge in July of 2016. Photo by Captain Bill Podzon. Sailing Hither and Thither. |
I carry two jibs on board, a big jib and a small jib. For many years I flew a 130 Genoa until the wire bolt rope running up the luff parted due to rust or rot. That occurred after numerous re-sewings of the dacron panels back together by hand. The wire bolt rope parting was the incident that motivated me to stop using that particual Genoa.
Usually now I use the bigger of the the two jibs. The smaller one is what I'd call a storm sail.
 |
| The fog or summer haze came in as I approached the Newport Bridge from the north in July of 2016. Photo by Captain Bill Podzon. Sailing Hither and Thither. |
Fair Winds
Captain Bill
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