MC Carpenter, We have rigged a down haul for our mainsail on our M-15. We purchased a longer section of rope for raising the main and looped it back around, attaching the other end back onto the mainsail apx 3 feet from the top (at spx. the second sail slug from the top). The line loops back to the cockpit on the starboard side and has cam-cleats for both the up and down line, also a couple of blocks between the base of the mast and cleats, to keep the line flowing smothly. It works very well for getting the mailsail up and down, but we don't use it for anything other than raising and lowering; it does not substitute for a reefing system on our boat. We experimented with where best to attach the down-haul line and found it we attached it to the very top of the sail the metal bracket at the top of our sail would tweak/twist/bind coming down. Attaching it at apx. the 2nd or 3 rd sail slug works well but you have about 3 feet triangle of sail still showing when the line is pulled all the way down to the boom. We also had to come up with some way to keep the sail slugs in the track when raising and lowering the main, otherwise you would have to go up to the mast and re-insert the sail slugs each time you wanted to raise the main (same when reefing). To keep the slugs in we first tried a piece of shock cord streatched around the mast like a rupper band; this didn't work reliably. We also purchased and trail sail-stops; those wound up at the bottom of the lake. lastly, we drilled a semi-small hope and used a push pin through the mast just at the point the sail track opens wider. Randy Graves M-15 #407
-----Original Message-----
From: MC Carpenter [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Sat 11/1/2003 9:28 PM
To: For and about Montgomery Sailboats
Cc:
Subject: M_Boats: down haul with lazy jacks
has any one set up a down haul with lazy jack so you can reduce sail while
sitting in the cockpit.
sort of release the main halyard and pull down haul and the sailboat keeps
on sailing in choppy waters without going on deck
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