# Main Halyards - Back to cockpit or keep at mast?



## dvuyxx (Jun 23, 2009)

I've been considering bringing my main halyard back to the cockpit. I've thought it would be a nice addition to my new slick Tides Marine track, new mid-boom sheeting, and stackpack. My rigger is giving me the pros and cons of bringing the main halyard aft to the cockpit. Mostly he is trying to persuade me to keep it at the mast ... but I would consider him to be a purist.

I'm working on creating a practical family boat ... I'm a casual sailor with small kids often in tow. There isn't a lot of white nuckle bluewater sailing going on.

I'd like to hear your thoughts. Bring the main halyard back to the cockpit or keep it at the mast? Which do you prefer?

Happy holidays.


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## Squidd (Sep 26, 2011)

Solo much, or do you always have a crew along...??

Sure is nice to have control in the cockpit of both lines and steerage...


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## dvuyxx (Jun 23, 2009)

Solo ... even with family on board, I am essentially single handed.


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## RobGallagher (Aug 22, 2001)

Both.

Leave the winch on the mast. Add a self tailer to the cabin top and use a cleat instead of a stopper block.

Use a simple block at the base of the mast to run the halyard aft to the cockpit.

This will allow you to work at the mast if you choose and not get the halyard caught up in a stopper block.

This is the main problem with halyards run aft. If you need to run forward to help the main down it's pretty much a given that the halyard will foul in the stopper block, then your run back to clean that up and the main catches on something, then you run forward, repeat ad nauseum.


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## ABH3 Boyer (Sep 27, 2012)

I am thinking of doing the same. Sometimes I have someone competent aborad and alot of times I have my wife and kids or people who have never sailed before. Most of the time I end up raising the sails myself and hope the person I left at the tiller can keep us headed into the wind. I have not heard any negatives so I will be following this thread closely. Thanks for bringing the topic up.


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## caberg (Jul 26, 2012)

I like my main halyard at the mast, and I also sail solo or with wife and kid (quasi-solo). I think the main goes up and down faster/easier if you're there next to the mast. Less opportunity for problems and better ability to deal with them if they develop.


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## AirborneSF (Dec 14, 2010)

I ran mine back to the cockpit, but most of the time I raise it at the mast. It's just a block at the base of the mast, a cheek block on the cabin top, and a cam cleat for speed IF I need to drop the main in a hurry. My .02


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## CalypsoP35 (Jul 24, 2006)

The prior owner of my P35 had a couple of blocks installed on the cabin top and a winch next to the companion way so he would be able to run the main halyard back to the cockpit. I have a fully battened main so when I drop the main it never comes down cleanly because the battens always seem to get stuck which meant I still had to run to the mast to get the sail down. As a result I don't lead the main halyard to the cockpit.

When I singlehand I set the autopilot into the wind and run to the mast to lower the main.

When I painted the nonskid on my cabin top I took the blocks off, so I'm now committed to keeping the main halyard at the mast. In addition I didn't like having the extra blocks on the cabin top.


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## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

Ours is run back to the cockpit throuh a block on the mast collar through deck organizers and I am changing our old Shaefer stoppers to new Garhauer ones which I got at the boat show. Other lines run back though the Garhauer clutches include centerboard line, jib halyard, spinaker halyard, topping lift and two reefing points for the main.

Essentially we can run the boat from the clockpit. In addition our EZ jacks can be deployed from the cockpit. On the cabin top are 4 ST 2 speed winches, We also have a Tides Strong tracks and lowering and raising the full batten main sail is a cinch from the cockpit. No need for anyone to go topside in rainy weather, no need to go topside in rough weather, no need to go topside when single handing.....all safety increases. I say lead it back.

Dave


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## padean (Jul 5, 2001)

I agree with Dave. My lines are all run back to the cockpit for a number of reasons:
1. It is much easier in a pinch with sailing solo or short handed to raise and lower the main from the cockpit. Although from the cockpit I need to use the winch more than I would at the mast, you are within arms length of all your major controls.
2. If you had an urgent problem, it is pretty easy to just "pop" the main halyard out of the cleat or stop and drop it to the boom without loosing control of the tiller/wheel for more than a second.
3. If you are using help while raising or lowering the main, it avoids the need (although not always the impulse) to yell at the crew helping, since they are right there, not forward on the cabin top.

I will admit, that on a full-crewed boat I would prefer to have the main halyard at the mast, but I rarely sail that way. Therefore, my set up is similar to Dave's and others and it works pretty well.


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## Tanley (Aug 20, 2009)

I really like having the main halyard in the cockpit. Yours is a bigger boat than ours, but we have no issues putting up the sail with the extra blocks. When needed I can easily raise/lower the sail myself from the comfort of the cockpit. I would note that our reefing lines (jiffy) are also run to the cockpit so everything can be done in one spot. If your reefing setup is different, you may want to take that into consideration in your decision.

As an aside, our furling genny halyard is in the cockpit and I'd prefer to have it at the mast as we usually just raise it and forget it.


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## BarryL (Aug 21, 2003)

Hey,

A few questions:
Are you in a slip or a mooring? 
Do you have an autopilot?
What's more difficult, raising the main or lowering the main? 

I'm on a mooring, and I raise the main before I leave the mooring. So having the main led aft doesn't really matter for the hoist. I still need to go to the mast to retract the lazy jacks (or be REAL careful the battens don't get hung up on the lazy jacks) before I raise the main. And I need to go all the way forward to drop the mooring.

I have an autopilot, so to drop the main I turn Fred (the AP) on and head upwind. Then, for the drop I need to go forward to deploy the lazy jacks. So I like having the main halyard at the mast so I can help the main flake properly as it comes down. 

So, for me, on my current 35' I have the main at the mast.

My last boat was 28' with a smaller, easier to handle main. I led the main to the cockpit and it was easy enough to raise and lower from there. Reefing was easy because the single line reef was led aft too. 

Barry


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## ggray (Jun 18, 2011)

Consider where your reef points are managed. If at the mast, that's an argument to lead the halyard to the mast.


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## paulk (Jun 2, 2000)

Our main halyard runs back to a winch & stopper at the aft end of the cabintop. This enables us to hoist the main with the helmsman getting most of it up, until the winch is needed for the last bit. Then a helper can wrap the halyard 'round the winch and crank a few turns while the helmsman tails. This provides for relatively quick hoisting without leaving the helm unattended. For singlehanding, the winch is not far from the wheel so we can still manage pretty well. Our jib & spinnaker halyards are still forward. This is not much of a problem since we got roller furling for the jib, and usually have plenty of crew when we use the spinnaker.


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## JonEisberg (Dec 3, 2010)

As others have noted, it's hard to say, not knowing what your reefing set up is...

In general, however, I vote for Keeping It Simple, Stoopid - and leaving everything at the mast...


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## paul323 (Mar 13, 2010)

Interesting discussion.

My main halyard (and reefing, and most other lines) is all at the mast (Pearson 323). I have also thought about leading the lines back, but right now the effort to plan, install, and make pretty again outweighs any advantages for me. And I am up topside often enough that it is rarely a chore; with an autopilot is is easy to manage solo - although I do use a tether if there is any sea. 

Having said that, one of my philosophies is to keep things simple - fewer things to go wrong. I would like to add a plate to the bottom of my mast to better organise all the lines, though!


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## Sabreman (Sep 23, 2006)

On our 28, we kept the winch on the mast, but installed roller furling for the jib. Since I abhor lazy jacks or similar, dosing the main always means going on deck to secure it. So it wouldn't have helped to me. Dumb question to those with sail-gathering-devices - when you lower your main, don't you still have to go on deck to secure it? 

We know about short handing - our daughter has been on the boat since 3 months (she's now 18 yrs). My wife always managed to be able to steer (even with a baby in a pouch) while I dropped the sail. So I guess that I'm ambivalent, it's never been a problem for us.


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## wolfenzee (Jul 13, 2008)

Unless you have a separate winch for each halyard led back to the cockpit when you use a rope clutch you loose tension. Also you have that amny more lines cluttering up your cockpit and cabin top.


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## SchwarckT (May 6, 2012)

I couldn't imagine single-handing on the Great Lakes without halyards and reefing lines led back to the cockpit.


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## jameswilson29 (Aug 15, 2009)

Even though I usually sail solo, I also believe in the benefits of occasionally raising my fat ass off the cockpit seat and walking five feet to the mast or even ten feet to the foredeck to sail the boat.

There is no shortage of folks on sailnet who will advise you to buy, buy, buy more unnecessary crap for your boat. Our sponsors love this advice.


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## goboatingnow (Oct 10, 2008)

If you can reef successfully from the cockpit with out having to then inspect the reef at the mast, then bring it back , it is an advantage. But Ive seen too many reefing systems that ultimately need a trip to the gooseneck to sort out the reef. In that case leave everthing at the mast.

For example, if you have a conventional reefing system with a rams horn, then theres no point in cockpit reefing lines, 

even with single line reefing, I find often you cant see if the tack cringle has got pulled down properly, especially at night on a reach , where you cant see the other side of teh sail, often this means a trip to the mast, which undoes all the advantages of in cockpit reefing ( and in that respect I am more a fan of double line reefing)

SO the answer is " it depends"


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## wingNwing (Apr 28, 2008)

Great thread. 

I'm loving the idea of "both" for our circumstances. I can't imagine a situation where having more options is a bad things.


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## chucklesR (Sep 17, 2007)

On my Gemini I lead everything (and I mean everything from cunningham to vang) was lead aft. Mind that was on a stable platform where going forward was a simple stroll on a mostly flat deck. It was still a 8 foot walk across the cockpit to get to the halyard and reef lines (the up/down bit was to port, the in/ out bits were at the helm to starboard). 

For me it was about instant sail tweak ability and ease of use.
The mast had no self tailing winches and it was actually more cost efficient to add six blocks, two deck organizers and two 3 line clutches than it was to replace a single winch with a ST. I used Garhauer throughout. 

The main was fully battened on batt cars and dropped right into the stack pack that my wife made, no muss, no fuss. 

On the Irwin 38 CC, nothing is lead aft. Jury is out on what I'll be doing, it's a center cockpit so the dynamics change considerably. 

The main reason I can see not to lead lines aft is if you are a performance racer - then the extra line used for the halyard provides more stretch and therefore induced sag to the luff. You can always crank it out, but it will come back in a puff. 

The other reason not to lead aft is the extra 'weight work ' caused by the friction induced by the extra blocks and organizers. 

That's a highly individual call that depends on what gear, how big the sail is etc..

If you are leading aft you are likely not a racer (see the stretch issue above) - so you might as well look at making your halyard a 2:1 ( via a light weight block at the head and a hard point connection at the top of the mast) - a lot of the big catamarans do just that. It's a lot of line in the cockpit, but then they have a lot of cockpit. Using low stretch lines available today makes it possible. 

A lot of posters have said the viability of leading the halyard aft depends on the reefing - I don't think that is as important, it's certainly not a show stopper - especially for a day sailing boat. Here's why:

If you are going to lead the halyard aft you can just as easily lead the reef lines aft. Put a line through the reef grommet at the clew and rig a block as a down haul - poof, no requirement to go forward to attach the grommet to the horn. Mark the main halyard so you know how far to lower the sail - or go with a infinitely adjustable reefing set up.
The back of the sail is right there in the cockpit with you, just stand up pull / fold and tie. Done. 

Okay, the last reason not to lead aft - through deck penetration and toe stubbers.
It's there, it is a real reason, get over it and do it right, and mind your toes.
Once you put an organizer in you'll start thinking of all the other things you can lead back so it's right to hand at the helm. Think cunningham's, vangs, outhaul, lazy jacks etc..
Once you have that you can tweak the main to your hearts content, all while staring at your .0001 knot sensitive GPS speed so you can instantly see the effect of your shape change. 

You are far more likely to adjust the sail controls if the means to do so are immediately at hand. Tension of the halyard is one of the main controls - yet most folks raise the main and never touch the halyard until they drop the sail. 

We can't all sail on a 10 person crew wave thrasher, doesn't mean we can't have the ability to tweak and play - isn't that why we are out there?


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## tommays (Sep 9, 2008)

On my 1970 Cal 29 i can do everything without leaving the cockpit and there is no downside to being to reef the mainsail form a stable place

On the serious race boat with T900 haylards we really do not have strech issues


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## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

> Dumb question to those with sail-gathering-devices - when you lower your main, don't you still have to go on deck to secure it?- Sailorman


No. I can wait till I have anchored or am at the dock to tie up the sail. With our EZ jacks ands strong track systerm the sail flakes dopwn nicely and sits on the boom nestled between the jacks.



> Even though I usually sail solo, I also believe in the benefits of occasionally raising my fat ass off the cockpit seat and walking five feet to the mast or even ten feet to the foredeck to sail the boat.There is no shortage of folks on sailnet who will advise you to buy, buy, buy more unnecessary crap for your boat.Jameswilison29


I also sail solo quite a bit and it has nothing to do with getting off your fat ass IMHO and those of you who dont want to follow your advice are not having trouble getting off of our fat asses either. There is a certain amount of safety when the wind is 20 with 6 foot swells and you are solo to being able to just drop your main into some lazy jacks from the *SAFETY* of your cockpit or eef quickly and not expose yourself to climbing on the coachroof or deck out in the open. Buying things for you boat which can decrease the safety risks should never be considered uneccesary crap.

For instance I notice you have cup holders on your boat. They are uneccesary as is the bimini. Onviously you have them for comfort.

In additon one persons unecessary crap is anothers choice to have. I would not be so fast to denigrate others choices so boldly. The OP was asking opinions.


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## dvuyxx (Jun 23, 2009)

OP here ... I have an autopilot but it needs to be replaced. Indeed, I am a lazy fat-ass (as someone said) but my reason for bringing the halyards aft is primarily safety and not having to leave my family in the cockpit.


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## Godot (Nov 4, 2010)

On my Bayfield 29 (that I mostly single hand) all halyards are led aft. And I hate it. Hate, hate, hate! having them there. Reefing still needs to be done at the mast. And the battens insist on getting caught in the lazy jacks. Raising and lowering the main seems to entail several back and forth trips. 

I suppose I could try and engineer a fix to the reefing and lazy jack issues; but I think it would be easier just to leave everything at the mast. Even when things are rolly and uncomfortable I feel OK there (autopilots make single handing much easier and safer, btw). Unfortunately, the halyards exit the mast maybe a foot above the cabin top. Unless I put a winch on the cabin top instead of the mast it becomes a difficult retrofit. I'm not so sure that a cabin top winch at the mast would be comfortable to use, and I worry about unintended consequences. I'm thinking about it, though.


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## Ajax_MD (Nov 24, 2009)

I really believe that this is a personal decision, and no single answer fits everyone. The OP is single-handing a large boat with family, so I feel that for him, lines led aft make sense.

I personally, reject lines led to the cockpit for the following reasons:

1. When I race, I want my pit man out of the cockpit. Too many people there already.
2. My boat is 40 years old, and the core is dry and solid. I'm simply not interested in compromising that.
3. I don't want the added friction and trip hazards.
4. My boat isn't that large, and loads so great that I need everything led aft in order to safely handle the boat.

My reasons are right for me, and not anyone else. If I ever buy a different boat, I may re-evaluate the situation and run the lines aft.


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## AdamLein (Nov 6, 2007)

On my boat, the following lines are led aft: main halyard, cunningham, boom vang, spinnaker halyard, first jiffy reef, foreguy, spinnaker topping lift, jib halyard. Of those, really only the boom vang and foreguy are regularly adjusted while the sail is in use.

I have a boom lift on the boom near the mast, which, while it can be set to a fairly "neutral" position in reality needs to be adjusted once in a while as the wind strengthens and as part of any hoist, reef, and douse process. The outhaul is also near the mast, as are the lines for the second reef. The jib is hank-on and often starts the trip lashed down along the foredeck. Even with all those lines aft I'm going up on deck pretty frequently.

I too mostly sail the boat by myself with family or other guests. Somebody who isn't doing a crew job is always in the way during any operation involve the led-aft lines. Or they're on top of the line itself when I need it, probably asleep, or at least really comfy and not very happy that Captain Bligh is asking them to move so he can access the lines.

You really feel unsafe going to the mast? On my trips to the mast or foredeck, all those lines create a trip hazard. Besides, being on deck is perfectly safe unless you are in the dark or bad weather without a harness and PFD. The shrouds and the mast itself provide great handholds in addition to the teak ones.

I'm thinking of moving most of my lines back to the mast, leaving just the boom vang and foreguy. The deck will be a lot tidier and I can fill all the leaking holes in the deck where the winch and cleats were mounted. I expect I'll go to the mast just as often, but I know that when I go, everything I need will be there.


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## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

heck out this site and maybe modify you Lazy Jacks to pull back to the mast and under the boom when raising the sail and only deployed when lowering it. This will prevent them fro getting in the way of the abttens when raising the sail. The trick is deploying when using as you can keep them at the mast when getting under way and raising the sail. Once you do that they will be more helpfull. You dont have to buy the EZ jacks to copy the method they do it.

Lazy Jack System - How does it work - EZ-JAX

Dave


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## Squidd (Sep 26, 2011)

When I first got my boat it had only one block and line ran back to cockpit...

As I had purchased the boat in fall and hadn't sailed yet I asked if I should run Main Halyard or Jib Halyard to cockpit with the hdwr i had...

I was told (for various reasons reitereted above) that I should run BOTH back AND invest in a jib downhaul setup...Which I did...

As a fair amount of my time is single handing...I found the convienence and safety of cockpit control has cut my trips forward my 2/3s... (I still have to go up from time to time to straighten the rigging) but mostly can address from the cockpit...

Reefing I do BEFORE I leave dock (shaking out on a calm day is easy) 

I just recently purchased an auto pilot for next season, will have to see if I suddenly have an urge to run up on deck to man the lines...


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## CalypsoP35 (Jul 24, 2006)

BubbleheadMd said:


> I really believe that this is a personal decision, and no single answer fits everyone.


Bubblehead is right, there is no one answer that works for everyone. But it goes beyond just what the person wants, it extends to what works on your boat.

I have to go to the mast to release, my lazy jacks, my reefing lines are not run to the cockpit (and even if they were I would have to go to the mast and secure the tack) and when the main comes down I have to go onto the coachtop to take in the slack on my reefing lines which otherwise would strangle the helmsman.

Before making a decision, try it out with crew to the extent possible. Have a crew drop the main using only the halyard and see what happens. Try it in heavy air, try it in light air. After he does this how much does it really help? Did you need to go to mast to get the lazy jacks out? Did your slides get caught on the sail track door? Do your battens get caught in the lazy jacks? The P35 has an unusaully long boom for 35' boat which makes for a larger main (at least at the foot). Not sure if that makes a difference.

Bottom line is you are the only one that can answer this. What works well for one person on one boat might not work for someone else or even the same person on another boat.


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## Omatako (Sep 14, 2003)

Here are my reasons for leaving my lines at the mast:

- My sailing is essentially cruising sailing and once the sails are set, unless something dramatic happens with the weather, nothing up the mast is going to be changed so going to the mast to adjust something is a rare event.
- When I hoist my main, the Stakpac lines have to be carefully lined up to prevent the ends of the battens fouling. This is easy when I'm at the mast and the autpilot is keeping the boat head to wind.
- Reefing from the cockpit is not possible unless you have either single-line reefing or two lines for each reef point - either way that's a heck of a lot of line to have lying around the cockpit. By the time I have a third reef in, I would be knee deep in rope.
- Additional deck organisers, rope clutches and winches provide a whole new list of areas where water could leak into the boat - I have enough trouble already with chain plates, mast partners and hatches so drilling another bunch of holes in the roof is totally a unpalatable prospect.
- A friend recently bought a new Beneteau and all the mast lines are fashionably back to the cockpit and the two banks of rope clutches and two winches take up an amazing amount of space and the lines are always in the way, whether you're sitting or standing.
- My boat is a centre cockpit and the cockpit can be fully enclosed and serves as our main living area in all weather conditions. For us to have to plan our lives around coils of line is just not going to happen.

No, I'm happy to go to the mast every now and then and am not about to make life in the cockpit all about rope. But as has already been said, that's just me, others will differ.


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## wolfenzee (Jul 13, 2008)

As things stand I have 5 sheets (cutter rig) running into the cockpit. I also have Running backstays (2), lines used to ship running backs(2),stropping blocks(2)and roller furler(1)...all running aft but outside cockpit stowed on boom gallows. I also have an alternate self-tending jib sheet. I don't have my halyards or downhaul run back to the cockpit, but I have reorganized the cockpit so 80% of the things the helmsman needs to get to are in the aft half of the cockpit.


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## JonEisberg (Dec 3, 2010)

A couple of further thoughts...

Jeff H has elsewhere described his system of running his lines aft, and knowing Jeff, I have no doubt it is a very slick system, and works superbly...

Having said that, however, his would likely be the FIRST on any boat I've ever sailed about which I could honestly say that... Virtually every boat I've delivered with halyards led aft really sucked in some fashion, and most definitely did not necessarily eliminate the need for ever going to the mast...

Main complaint is on boats with dodgers, you simply can't see what you're doing. In addition to the winch handling usually being cramped by its proximity to the dodger, one has to keep "backing out" from under the dodger, to see the state of the hoist, or whatever... At the mast, you can be watching everything, as it happens... From under a dodger, you can be flying blind much of the time, which of course is generally a prescription for some sort of trouble... And, don't get me started with halyards and reefing led aft on boats with full cockpit enclosures - there's good reason why they NEVER actually get sailed... (grin)

Sensing halyard tension is SO much easier done at the mast, IMHO...

For offshore, I want my dodger to be as watertight as possible. My boat has a rigid windshield, so it comes close to a hard dodger in terms of remaining relatively watertight, with only my vang control passing through the coaming... Streaming lines aft really leaves the dodger vulnerable in heavier conditions when you have water coming aft on deck, or heavy spray... Whatever openings are provided for the lines aft can admit an impressive amount of water, an can turn what would otherwise remain a relatively dry space into another that's routinely getting doused...

Finally, your main halyard can often serve an important secondary function as a dinghy hoist, or in a MOB recovery situation... Especially with the latter, where the remaining crew on deck might very well be essentially singlehanding - the ability to manage everything at the mast is a virtual necessity, and could be made far more difficult by having to do so from the more "remote" location back in the cockpit...

Given more time, I can certainly come up with other reasons why I don't care for halyards, etc led back to the cockpit... But I'll be hard pressed to think of any IN FAVOR of doing so, that override the simplicity and utility of leaving all that stuff at the mast...


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## chucklesR (Sep 17, 2007)

Let me address the 'coils of line in the cockpit' factor - keeping in mind I had 6 lines led aft, plus the traveler and the mainsheet on my Gemini 105mc.

A picture speaks a thousand words - what coils of line.


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## Southron Spirit (Dec 3, 2011)

i am just finishing up my first year of sailing i have a spirit 23 that i have sailed single handed every time except one. 
i am still trying to get everything figured out on what to do when 
i am not so much worried about raising sails but i want to be able to 
drop them from the cockpit . 
the only auto pilot i have right now is a couple of bungee cords maybe 
next year i can get a real auto pilot but for now this will have to do . 
i am starting to put stuff in place so when i replace the halyards they will run 
to the cockpit 
im not lazy when the wind kicks up and the boat starts driving in circles it would be nice to be in the cockpit to lower the sails


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## jkemp101 (Feb 14, 2012)

I'm pondering the same set of issues. I mostly single hand. My previous boat had then back at the cockpit. It wasn't perfect but I could keep things under control while raising and lowering the main. My current boat, a Sabre 28, have them at the mast. I like the simpler setup but it was pretty challenging to keep it into the wind while I was at the mast. Is there a trick I am missing or do I need to buy an autopilot? I think I would be happy with the main at the mast if I could reliably/safely keep it headed into the wind when I am single handed.


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## AdamLein (Nov 6, 2007)

jkemp101 said:


> it was pretty challenging to keep it into the wind while I was at the mast. Is there a trick I am missing ...?


That's a really good question, and if anybody has a better answer I'd love to hear it.

Here's what I do: heave-to, ease out the main, and then head up on deck. I do have my halyards run aft but I still need to be on deck when the jib is coming down, or it will end up in the water. So I typically bring the jib halyard with me and cast it off when I'm standing at the mast and ready. The wind pressure and friction are enough to keep the sail up without the halyard made fast, so I can generally pull the sail down by hand and lash it down on the foredeck.

After that I head back to the cockpit where I get the motor started and deal with the main. However I could see dropping the main right after the jib, or even before while it's partially in the lee of the jib.


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## jameswilson29 (Aug 15, 2009)

jkemp101 said:


> I'm pondering the same set of issues. I mostly single hand. My previous boat had then back at the cockpit. It wasn't perfect but I could keep things under control while raising and lowering the main. My current boat, a Sabre 28, have them at the mast. I like the simpler setup but it was pretty challenging to keep it into the wind while I was at the mast. Is there a trick I am missing or do I need to buy an autopilot? I think I would be happy with the main at the mast if I could reliably/safely keep it headed into the wind when I am single handed.


You will really appreciate having an autopilot - makes singlehanded sailing much more manageable, allows you to fly a symmetrical spinnaker, and will allow you to catnap at night on any extended cruises.


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## chucklesR (Sep 17, 2007)

jkemp101 said:


> Is there a trick I am missing or do I need to buy an autopilot?


Loosen the main sheet so the mainsail can act like a vane, it doesn't want the pressure any more than you do.

Other than that its timing, timing and timing. Oh, and eating your spinach.


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## chamonix (Jun 25, 2010)

My boat came with the main halyard running to the cockpit, it's the only system I know, and I don't like it. I usually end up at the mast anyway, for reefing, topping lift, or to help the main down. I think I would rather just have everything at the mast, rather than running back and forth from the cockpit to the mast. But then I've never sailed solo. I'm also thinking of experimenting with a single or double line reefing system, rather than the rams horns.


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## bljones (Oct 13, 2008)

we have the halyards run to the cockpit, and one of the winter projects is to rework the reefing lines and run those back as well. IMO it is money and time well spent if you are not just primarily single-handing, but single-handing with pint-sized crew.
I really don't see a significant downside.

Sometimes it can get a little crazy, like on this catboat:



















That's a pretty busy clutch farm to manage a single sail.


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## PCP (Dec 1, 2004)

bljones said:


> we have the halyards run to the cockpit, and one of the winter projects is to rework the reefing lines and run those back as well. IMO it is money and time well spent if you are not just primarily single-handing, but single-handing with pint-sized crew.
> I really don't see a significant downside.
> 
> Sometimes it can get a little crazy, like on this catboat:
> ...


Hey, I did not know you had a boat Just kidding, it is a very nice sailboat. I like it a lot.

Regards

Paulo


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## PCP (Dec 1, 2004)

To the original question: I guess it depends on the size of the boat and the crew number. If the boat is big enough (50ft up) it can be stable enough to someone to be there working with bad weather and if you have more than one able crew that is not a problem and can even have advantages (less friction).

For smaller boats, specially if they are solo sailed or sailed with the help of a wive that is not a good help (some are just better then the husband but that is not what I am talking about), going out of the cockpit in bad weather for reefing or lowering the main is a bad idea.


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## blutoyz (Oct 28, 2012)

One of the first things that I plan on with the new(to me) boat will be running the main back and installing lazy jacks. The US27 main should be small enough to handle from the cockpit and the PO said that she sails great on jib alone in heavy wind so reefing from the cockpit shouldn't be necessary.

My biggest concern is to be able to easily single hand so that the "stress" on the admiral is kept to a minimum ...LOL


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## sck5 (Aug 20, 2007)

I also have a strong track on my mast and the halyard led back to the cockpit. It is excellent for times when you want the main sail to drop immediately (e.g. a squall appears, or whatever). You can just let the halyard go and the sail flakes itself nicely on the boom.

Making my wife deal with the mainsail is not the route to a happy marriage so i am basically on my own as far as that goes.


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## caberg (Jul 26, 2012)

sck5 said:


> Making my wife deal with the mainsail is not the route to a happy marriage so i am basically on my own as far as that goes.


Agreed. That's why she takes the wheel (while having the little guy help).


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## blutoyz (Oct 28, 2012)

Unfortunately my better half will be much happier reading a book than even taking the helm for a minute...LOL


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## smurphny (Feb 20, 2009)

While it sounds like a convenient thing to do and it sure would be nice to not have to make my way up, tethered, with winch handle in-hand while trying to keep the helm locked to keep pointed in the right direction, I can see some problems with lowering the sail or reefing from the cockpit. Single-handing, you can only be in one place at a time. I have everything available at the mast to raise and lower sails, reef, put the ties on the main if lowering completely, adjust the cunningham or downhaul, and hang the slack line. It just seems like a lot of extra lines and things to get fouled for doubtful real benefit and I feel like I'd be going up there anyway.


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## wolfenzee (Jul 13, 2008)

I don't know if a spinnaker would work (for me or the boat). I have the hardware necessary, but a 40' luff and 13' J meas (stem to mast) would make it an expensive experiment. A used asymmetrical spinnaker of the size my boat would take is close to $1000. I'm not racing and it would only gain a couple of knots in really light air. For a drifter I have a 180% (39'luff 23'foot) roller genny. I am concerned about space, in the boat and my bank account


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## lillia28 (Aug 12, 2011)

I second Rob Gallagher's (4th post) idea, do both. 
My boat had a Dutchman on the main, halyard run aft and roller furler, making and dousing sail was a pleasure. Many jiffy reefing set ups are at the mast so having both would be very convenient.
Lou


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