My bolt rope wants to pull out while hoisting my main. Seems like only in cetain sections but the boat is new to me. What should I look for? I would be happy to buy a new main if that would solve the problem but I don't want to do it and find out its something different. Anybody every need a scrap piece of stainless or aluminum for a project in the Florida panhandle, I'm your man, no charge. Have some hobie 16 booms I would give away to a fellow cat sailor as well. Least I can do for all the awesome free advice I get

jalex

My bolt rope wants to pull out while hoisting my main. Seems like only in cetain sections but the boat is new to me. What should I look for? I would be happy to buy a new main if that would solve the problem but I don't want to do it and find out its something different. Anybody every need a scrap piece of stainless or aluminum for a project in the Florida panhandle, I'm your man, no charge. Have some hobie 16 booms I would give away to a fellow cat sailor as well. Least I can do for all the awesome free advice I get

Do you mean that after the main is raised completely the bolt rope pops out along the mast? Or does it want to come out while you are raising it?

The bolt rope itself inside the luff can become stretched and therefore smaller diameter over the years, allowing it to slip out of the track. Assuming there is nothing wrong with your mast track (clean and inspect it carefully), that is probably the problem.

Luff ropes can be replaced by a sailmaker. If the rest of the sail is in good condition that would be an option. If you are on the panhandle you could let Shurr Sails take a look at it and give you an estimate.

I could use a couple of H16 booms to resurrect a couple of old boats, also need sails and lines.

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Damon Linkous
1992 Hobie 18
Memphis, TN

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Have sailmaker sew new piece luff tape over old one to make it thicker (and use teflon luff tape. Pete

My Hobie 18 does that all the time, I just feed it in as I hoist it. Never once has it pulled out. Just part of the game, It will not be any different with a different sail it is just a matter of time. You could have a new teflon bolt rope installed but that seems like a lot of money for a minor problem. HTH, Ricardo.

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Lake Perry KS
H-18
N-5.5 UNI +spin
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agree with above, you can either add another layer of dacron around your boltrope to make it bigger, or even get a new luff (and boltrope) sewn in

but what is really happening here? (lets fix the root of the problem)

is it an original g-cat sail or is it modified from another boat - causing a miss fit? (if so.. nothing to fix)

Is there an extreme amount bend in your mast (from the spreaders) making it harder to get the sail up after a certain point (adding lots of friction and tearing around the boltrope)

is the entire bolt rope to small or is it torn/worn away in areas from repeated use? (usually they swell, but i would believe stretch too - all depends on what the "rope" is made from)

is the mast track bent out (can deform from being dropped or from the trailer yoke(cradle), or if it sits on boat rear beam during stepping.. etc)

PS i am looking for some sunfish spars :) any thing lying around?



Edited by MN3 on Jun 28, 2013 - 07:22 AM.

MN3
I have a few old sunfish spars up in the garage.
Not really worth shipping.
Am located in Delaware if that works for you
Windwardde

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Supercat 15
Windrider 17
Several Sunfish and Sunfish clones
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Shallow water sailor in the Delaware Bay
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