Hard to Haul up the Main

[Ex-Calif]

Every couple of hoists I thoroughly douse all slides with dish soap as I hoist. Cheap easy and frees things up for a while while cleaning the slides and track.

[brankin]

Sounds like you bought my old boat. I had the same problem on my 36 footer and found that the sail maker had tied the slugs too short on several slugs and they would pinch and bind when they were put under tension. As the headboard reaches the top, it is being pulled at a different angle. Make sure the halyard is attached as close to the mast as possible. The fix was simple...measure each slug and resew the slides so they all are the same length and it will work just fine.

[Cheechako]

is the vang eased off?

[rubyjean]

I have the problem too. I made a tool with alum plate sewed a piece of green dish scrubber around a piece of 1//4 " rope, then laced it to the plate. Ring in top for halyard & a line on the bottom to pull back down. Comes out w/ the scrrubber loaded w/ a white dirty looking stuff. I think it might be salt build-up. Then dish soap to lube & all works well again. This does work for me, done about every spring...Michael..

[senormechanico]

Originally Posted by marc2012

Op said difficult to drop removing sheets etc.Make sure halyard not crossed with lift etc,& others above.marc

If the mast has internally run halyards, they might be crossed up inside.

[SkiprJohn]

Its been mentioned at least twice that the vang needs to be loose but the OP already mentioned the vang. No one mentioned the downhaul but I already assumed the OP has checked every piece of running rigging. If the halyard can be raised and lowered easily with a tagline (without the sail rigged) with increasing tension placed on it then he knows it is the sail track or slides or slugs or boltrope.
If you have external track then just a little jog at a joint can mess up raising and dousing.
kind regards,

[Ozbullwinkle]

If you are having problems in the last 3 feet of the hoist have you gone up to the top of the mast in a bosuns chair to examine your track and the condition of the halyard blocks at the top of the mast as it sounds like your main halyard could also be crossed over and it only tightens up in the last few feet when it gets the most load?