It has got to that time of year again when boats are eagerly
being polished, antifouled and readied in every other way for the new season.
For some, fitting the sails back on to the boat is a straight forward enough
job but for others it can be a little daunting. Here’s some tips for bending on
a genoa.
First, if your sail hasn’t been serviced by a sail maker check
the sail over to make sure that there are no outstanding repairs or service
issues from last season that need addressing. It will be easier to address
these now than find out about them after the sail has been fitted! Similarly,
check that the furling gear is all working nicely, it is easier to check the
top swivel before it is hoisted! If the sail has been down all winter there is
a good chance that the groove in the foil has accumulated wind blown dust and
salt so try and flush this through if possible with fresh water. You could even
try spraying some ‘lube’ or Teflon spray into the groove and wiping this
through with an off cut of a suitable sized luff tape.
Next, check that a sufficient length of the furling line is
wound onto the drum and that it is wound on the correct way round. If the UV
strip on the sail is on the starboard side then the furling line needs to exit
the drum on the port side (and vice versa).
With the sail laid out on the foredeck, attach the tack of the sail to
the drum and the head of the sail to the top swivel. The sheets should also be
attached. Now the sail is ready to hoist which will be a lot easier to do if
there are two of you, one to pull the halyard and the other to feed the sail
carefully into the feeder in the luff foil. The person winding the halyard
should pay careful attention to what is happening to the sail as it goes
through the feeder in order to stop winding if there is any hint of a snag,
this is the most likely cause of any damage. Once the sail is fully up take
care not to over tension the halyard, there should be just sufficient tension
to remove the wrinkles in the luff of the sail without the luff of the sail
appearing taut. Then furl the sail away, double check that the UV strip is on
the correct side and you should be set. One further note of caution however,
try to bend your genoa on when there isn’t too much wind otherwise you run the
risk of damaging the sail whilst it is flogging as you hoist it. You will also
find it easier to do if the wind is well forward of the beam.
