Ep 23: How to Flake a Mainsail

[@Sommers234]

50 years sailing enjoyably and still learned a few tips thank you for your efficient explanations!

[@CarpeDiemSailingMagazine]

Wow! Thanks for sharing Andy. I appreciate it. Here’s to another 50 😉

[@CJSHM]

It would not be a stretch to say you are my favourite sailing instructional channel.

[@CarpeDiemSailingMagazine]

Wow! Thank you, I'm delighted to hear it. Very kind of you to say.

[@MrAndypf]

Thanks so much for these videos. Taking a class or getting a weekend certification still leaves you in the dark so these videos showing these techniques are so valuable.

[@CarpeDiemSailingMagazine]

Thanks for the kind comment Andrew. I’m delighted that they’re working for you

[@BTC6291]

I was really uneasy about flaking the sail on my Cat 27 for the first time. After watching your video it was easy and came out perfect!!! Thank you !

[@CarpeDiemSailingMagazine]

Great job!

[@goofy4birds]

You produce by far best instructional videos. Thank you. I’m so grateful for them.

[@CarpeDiemSailingMagazine]

Wow, thank you! I'm delighted that you are enjoying them

[@michaelmurphy4360]

I'm nearly 63 haven't sailed since I was a kid just brought a Roberts 33 thank you you can never know enough, I will be sailing single-handed

[@CarpeDiemSailingMagazine]

Great boat. Good luck and have fun. Thanks for watching

[@terryluck3]

Marco. I really appreciate your instructive videos. Thank you

[@CarpeDiemSailingMagazine]

My pleasure! Thanks for watching and taking time to leave a comment 🙏

[@meatdog]

I love this channel. I'm a seaso ed sailor and live on my sailboat. But it's really fun to watch this and sometimes I pick up a new tidbit that's helpful. I'm never assuming I know everything about sailing. Thanks.

[@CarpeDiemSailingMagazine]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@ghqservicesmiddlegeorgiadr9986]

Thanks, I needed this demo!

[@CarpeDiemSailingMagazine]

Thanks for the comment. Glad it helped

[@hosoiarchives4858]

Your videos are so great

[@CarpeDiemSailingMagazine]

Thank you 🙏 😊

[@MrShankwheat]

Great video. I really like the trick of securing the main halyard away from the mast with a tie.

[@CarpeDiemSailingMagazine]

Thank you for the kind comment Mr Shankwheat... and for subscribing

[@pacificpanache]

These are a great series of videos. Thank you for doing these!

[@CarpeDiemSailingMagazine]

Thanks for the kind comment Eddie

[@andyvan5692]

good method to flake, we, on the other hand have a duncanson 29'6" which has a roller_boom this means we flake as a 'standby', like you do, BUT at the end, roll the sail onto the boom (with the vang disconnected, it has a door chain style lock for the anchor point for this 'furling' purpose), then we clip the halyard to the boom tip (where the toping lift connects to), and with one of those lever style shackles it is a sinch to 're-rig' if we have to, without losing any shackle pins!, and fast, only a 1/2 turn to unlock the pin.

[@CarpeDiemSailingMagazine]

Thanks for sharing

[@SantiagoArraga]

Thank you very much. Clear and to the point.

[@CarpeDiemSailingMagazine]

Glad it was helpful! Appreciate the kind comment. Thank you

[@andyvan5692]

at 8:44 good tip, but another is, if the halyard gear is on the mast step, use a cleat, or a free winch drum, and grab the wire, and place it under a horn; this gives quick deployment, but allows tension to stop the wire 'jumping' the pulley atop the mast.

[@CarpeDiemSailingMagazine]

Thanks for sharing

[@BreakingWavesNews]

I really enjoyed this video. Like all of your videos you are very well spoken. Your camera angles make it easy to follow. We finally got working wifi (again). So I am doing a lot of video catch up. Hope life is treat you well my friend.

[@CarpeDiemSailingMagazine]

Thank you Breaking Waves. Good luck and all the best

[@erkanpartal2560]

Great instruction. I know now how to flake my mainsail properly. Many thanks

[@CarpeDiemSailingMagazine]

So nice of you. I'm delighted that it worked for you.

[@matthewhigginbottom8328]

You make it look so easy. Great instructional video like always.

[@CarpeDiemSailingMagazine]

Thank you! Cheers! Thanks for the support

[@allthingsconsdrble]

Well done, Cap’n

[@CarpeDiemSailingMagazine]

Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it

[@romansivers]

Excellent video, as always! Thanks!

[@CarpeDiemSailingMagazine]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the support

[@linhai69]

Thanks for your teachings

[@CarpeDiemSailingMagazine]

My pleasure

[@NotMitch69]

We were just struggling with our mizzensail today. It’s always a two-person job. Will have to try this now.

[@CarpeDiemSailingMagazine]

Thanks Michael. Good luck. Hope it works for you. Let me know

[@saltysnoopy]

I sail a Spencer 42 with a 48ft mast and 19ft boom. When coming into either dock, moorage, or anchor .. when do you drop your sail? I've been tying in 2 reefs will still about 1/2 mile out. I guess I could then take the reefs out and do flaking like you do. I never thought of leaving the halyard attached. I'd sure make it easier since I have to actually sit on the boom to reach the head.

[@CarpeDiemSailingMagazine]

Thanks for the question Lowell. It all depends. If I’m coming into a marina I will drop it somewhere outside as I’m approaching. If I’m anchoring I be leave the main sheet eased and then I wait till the anchor is down. Same with docking.

[@aventuraradiology3765]

Keep the vids coming!

[@CarpeDiemSailingMagazine]

Will do. Thanks for the support

[@MerleNicholson]

Dude, you left out two steps. One, how did you get the wind to stop while lowering the mainsail, and Two, how does the sail cover fit with the halyard solidly pulled aft away from the mast? Neat result though.

[@CarpeDiemSailingMagazine]

It really doesn’t matter if the wind is blowing with this technique as long as you keep the wind on the bow (within reason of course) and as for the halyard, once alongside I remove it from the head of the sail and move it to the end of the boom next to the topping lift.

[@abdulkkhan5095]

Great Instruction.

[@CarpeDiemSailingMagazine]

Thank you!

[@Abc-kf4qx]

Question: what changes when you are using a stack pack/lazy jack bag?

[@CarpeDiemSailingMagazine]

Not much really. They are supposed to make your life easier and the sail flakes itself as it falls into the stack pack and then you just zip up the cover. They are very useful for bigger boats with center cockpits and high booms. I’ve never personally had one

[@todddunn945]

It is easy to do when it is dead calm like that. But when you are out sailing and drop the sail for the day the wind is seldom cooperative. I find it effective to drop the sail and put the first 2-3 flakes in. I then move aft and put the first tie on. I use a straight tie with no loop and simply tie a simple bow. I then go forward and drop the sail a couple more flakes, move aft and put the next tie on. I repeat that until the sail is down. This method keeps the sail under control. Of course if you have lazy jacks you can just drop the sail into the lazy jacks and put a tie or two on to control the sail until you are back at the dock or mooring where you can flake it properly. Alternatively just upgrade to a furling boom and the need to flake the sail goes away as does the need to leave the cockpit. There is no correct way to tie sail ties, just do what works for you. I freely admit that I am a relative new comer to sailing having only sailed since the middle 60s. Also, since my crew (aka wife) is now a passenger (she is 80), I am always single handing.

[@CarpeDiemSailingMagazine]

Thanks for the comment. This method works for me in all but strongest winds, if the boat is kept head to wind the sail pretty much falls into place. No matter what, I always flake this way once I’m back alongside… and on smaller boats (ie. under 40’ I’m a hard no with lazy jacks. Way more trouble than they’re worth. My 2c

[@jeffmelton6875]

Nice video! This really helped me out. I had been struggling with flaking my mainsail until I watched your last video. So much better starting at the luff instead of wrestling it in place at the clew and trying the straighten it out moving forward. Much neater and safer. Thanks!

[@CarpeDiemSailingMagazine]

You are so welcome! I'm delighted that it helped you out

[@abdulkkhan5095]

Thank you

[@CarpeDiemSailingMagazine]

You're welcome

[@danasmith7171]

All you videos are well done and informative. My boat has a soft dodger and lazy jacks - now what do I do? Flake at the main then drop the lazy jacks?

[@CarpeDiemSailingMagazine]

Thank you Dana. That's very kind of you. My boat has a soft dodger too ( I removed it for the video for clarity) and I had lazy jacks when I first got it. Personally I found the lazy jacks to be way more trouble than they were worth and I removed them and developed the method that I now use and demonstrated in the video. If you have lazy jacks presumably you should be able to flake the sail at the mast and the rest of the sail should be held by the lazy jacks, then when you return to the dock you can collapse the lazy jacks to flake your sail using the method I demonstrate. Failing that you could also just tie a couple of sail ties around the sail and then tidy it up at the dock. Hope his helps let me know. Also what kind of boat do you have, how long is your boom?

[@alistairdavies3519]

Thanks for the video. I have to say allowing all the mainsail to fall to the side is fine when it’s calm (and in your case alongside). However, at sea or with a wind the large amount of flapping sail on one side is to difficult to control or manage. Perhaps you could demo this on a windier day to see how it works? Thank you

[@CarpeDiemSailingMagazine]

Thank you for the comment Alistair. In my experience this has never been a problem. Whenever the sail is lowered the boat should be head to wind and as long as you start at the clew and work your way up the leech to the head of the sail tugging back on the leech as you go it will work just as easily even in wind or at sea (that's the beauty of this technique, even singlehanded). The only challenge I've experienced are large waves when maintaining your balance is a problem. The wind has never been a problem. If the sea is too rough I simply lower the sail and tie as best I can and then sort it out once alongside. I will try to do a video of the technique in strong wind

[@greggron]

@@CarpeDiemSailingMagazinea demo, single handed in strong wind would be great if you could. I have a new main and the cloth is still very stiff and rather less ‘obedient’ than yours. Still I want to flake properly to prolong their lifetime.

[@danielhinich5054]

Thank you.

[@CarpeDiemSailingMagazine]

You're welcome!

[@hosoiarchives4858]

1:36 5:01 sail tie 5:19 sail tie

[@CarpeDiemSailingMagazine]

Thank You

[@joanCunningham-q9r]

What about flaking a sail for those of us who use luff rope not luff slides?

[@CarpeDiemSailingMagazine]

PM or email me and I will send you a diagram of some other options

[@Ready4pressure]

Holy shit

[@CarpeDiemSailingMagazine]

Is that good...? ;-)