main halyard...screecher

[Ron]

Kurt -

Do you think that you could be tensioning the screecher too much? I know that too low and too high will both cause problems. I recall that you've busted mast cleats tightening it, but that could have been caused by the direction of pull. I go hand tight then maybe 1/4 turn on the winch (without using the cleat as a turning block), then backoff just a little to get the head stay to straight out. A slight sag in the rolled up genoa would mean that the stay is no longer doing it's intended job, and you'd have too much pressure on the screecher upper swivel. I'd be carefull with the back stay as well - excess force there could transfer to the screecher halyard too.

[trashpad]

Ron,

I do it the same way. On the same note, when I spotted the swivel not spinning while I was letting out the sail I had already slacked the halyard a bit. I have had to do this in the past to be able to unfurl the sail.

The good thing is that the new swivel is in the mail and I should get here in time for Saturday's race.

[trashpad]

That did it,

The swivel came in Friday in time for the race. When I used the sail it unfurled perfectly.