Roller furling stuck up Genoa

[Tom Berk]

I'm new to owning a sailboat. I have a roller furling with a 155% Genoa. I tried to pull it down last weekend (end of the season) and it seems to be stuck. I loosened all the lines and pulling on the sail doesn't move the lines up or the sail down at all.
I don't know the brand of the roller at this posting but the sail has a roundish piece that went in the slot and it took a couple of us to pull it up this summer. I'm concerned part of the sail may not have gone in the track when it was hoisted this summer (I don't know).
As of this posting, I'm going to leave it rolled up for the winter. I'm sure that is not good for it. I'm also not sure if pulling harder on it at this point is a better idea. Note, I'm in Ohio and it is now getting cold out...40ish degrees F.
Ideas, Thoughts???
Thanks Tom

[Paul L]

Use a pair of binoculars and see what is happening at the top of the sail. Is the halyard wrapped around the headstay? Has the luff tape pulled out of the track? Has a track section separated from its connector?

[Tom Berk]

Thanks Paul,
I'll run out and take a look at it this weekend. If I can't "fix it": Can the Genoa survive a winter if I can't get it down?

[Paul L]

If it is a clean and tight furl, yes. Take a spare halyard and wrap it around the furled sailed multiple times so it is held from the top through the middle to the bottom. The big issue with leaving them up is when wind gets under a flap and starts unfurling and tearing things apart.

[donradcliffe]

Pull harder (making sure that you have loosened the halyard). Four big guys pulling down shouldn't damage a decent sail.

[Jimbo485]

Lube the track the next time you hoist it.

[Capt.Don]

Tom, You might try dropping it again. At the dock, we couldn't drop our 135% genoa. It would move about 1"-2" in the track and stick. I checked that the halyard was not wrapped around the headstay/swivel. To get the sail down, we sailed into the channel, sheet close hauled, headed into the wind. At first it didn't drop. I started putting downward tension on the foot of the sail, about 1' back of the tack. For whatever reason, the sail came right down, almost neatly folded on the deck.

I think the trick that worked for us was having the sail directly into the wind, which we couldn't do at the dock. I did find the top shackle was pretty stiff and I'm assuming that the sheave might be stiff. While down, I did clean and lubricate the shackle, swivel. Next time up the mast, I plan on lubricating the sheaves, etc. I almost gave up and was planning a trip up the mast to try to free the headsail.
Don

[GaryMayo]

You could lower the mast. New to this sailboat, you could use this excuse to check everything atop the mast. May find other issues up there as well.

[keepondancin]

I wouldn't leave the sail up for the winter. With changing temps, and inclement weather, the sail very well may become a mildewed, and dirty mess. You still have to get it down, whether it is now or later. Save the sail and do it now.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by keepondancin

I wouldn't leave the sail up for the winter. With changing temps, and inclement weather, the sail very well may become a mildewed, and dirty mess. You still have to get it down, whether it is now or later. Save the sail and do it now.

+1. Whatever is wrong up there is only going to get more wrong the longer you leave it.

If the sail was so hard to get up at the beginning of the season, I'm guessing that the halyard might be wrapped around the headstay. If this is the problem, you should be able to see it with binoculars.

Next time you put up a sail that needs unusual force to raise, figure out why and then fix it immediately. Otherwise, you're just creating problems for later on.

[minaret]

Clip a snatch block to the tack fitting and run a line from a winch through the block to the tack of the sail. Then crank away. Obviously make sure nothing's hung up before you do this. I have to do this to get my Genny down by myself, otherwise it does take 4 guys dangling from it. I find if I put it under load this way and then just shake the extrusion a bit it will come right down.

[ozskipper]

It could be halyard wrap (twisted high on the forestay). Or perhaps even the halyard has jumped off the sheave at the exit box in the mast and become stuck- a season of sailing would have lodged it in there. The best option is to get up the mast to have a look and find out if the halyard still has tension or if its the sail.

If its the sail. Unfurl it (head to wind) and let the breaze shake the luff for a while. It may dislodge anything catching in the track.

You didnt say what size boat you have. If you do send someone up the mast. Remember to keep people in the cockpit midships. This prevents the wieght of the person aloft from pulling the boat into a capsize, (which I watched happen on a blazer 23 years ago-funny stuff, but embarrasing for the owner and crew). This wont happen on a 30+ footer. But is something to keep in mind if you have a light-ish keel

[minaret]

If the Genoa is stuck up the main must really have it's nose in the air...

[Tom Berk]

Wow! Thanks all for such quick replies and suggestions! A couple of the ideas I'd be concerned with as the boat is already on the cradle for the season and the boat is facing south so head winds are going to be an issue.
I love the idea of using the snatch block and winch as finding four guys pulling on the sail may not be an easy commodity for me. This solution should allow me more control / feel if it is coming down or not. I will have to find a day with little to no wind to close haul it on the cradle. I don't feel like testing my insurance coverage with winds greater than 5 knots!
Another question was the size. It's a 28' Irwin. On the cradle, sending someone up the mast may not be a good option... I'm going to avoid going up ~40' this year no matter what.
Last thing - If I get it down this year, what should I lube it next season?

[ozskipper]

Originally Posted by Tom Berk

Wow! Thanks all for such quick replies and suggestions! A couple of the ideas I'd be concerned with as the boat is already on the cradle for the season and the boat is facing south so head winds are going to be an issue.
I love the idea of using the snatch block and winch as finding four guys pulling on the sail may not be an easy commodity for me. This solution should allow me more control / feel if it is coming down or not. I will have to find a day with little to no wind to close haul it on the cradle. I don't feel like testing my insurance coverage with winds greater than 5 knots!
Another question was the size. It's a 28' Irwin. On the cradle, sending someone up the mast may not be a good option... I'm going to avoid going up ~40' this year no matter what.
Last thing - If I get it down this year, what should I lube it next season?

I dont like the idea of putting too much tension on the tack and basically winching it down with blocks. Its better that you find the source of the jam rather that tear the sail in two.

Oddly, it can be easier to go up a mast while its on the hard. Of course, there are no soft surfaces to land on. But its stable. - talk to the yard, they may have a rig monkey who is happy to go up there for the price of a beer.

Re head to wind, As you unfurl the sail. you may find the foil will end up head to wind if the sail is "unsheeted" and allowed to fly out over the bow.

Using a digital camera. take a few zoomed in photos of the Head of the sail, the Exit Box, The swivel etc. All from several angles of course. But from the higher the better. A few close ups may reveal the problem. You can always post them here too. :-D