Tell us about "easing the bolt rope"

[Marty Gingras]

I stumbled across 'easing the bolt rope' a few weeks ago then implemented it to great effect on a reasonably good-looking dacron main. I'm pretty stoked.

Not many in my circle seem to know about the issue, can identify the issue in real life, and have implemented the technique. I could only find a handful of references in a pretty thorough search of Sailing Anarchy.

Would appreciate hearing your instructional experiences about 'easing the bolt rope'.

 

[Howard Juno]

If you're not getting full hoist and the sail is looking fuller than a state school the luff rope may have shrunk. There may be other issues also. Another story......
Easy fix......well....usually..... The bolt rope is likely seized off at the head, tack and if it's a main, each reef.
Leave the head. Find where it's seized - look for machine or hand stitching - at each other point. Unpick it. Tie the head to something substantial. Grab the tack and give it a good hard pull. Bolt rope should slide up inside the luff tape. Reseize it.

If the bolt rope has been tightly 'piped' i.e. tightly stitched along the side of the rope with a half foot it's not that easy and you may have to charge mo.....oops I mean unpick the length of the luff to free the rope up
It's quite a common issue

 

[167149]

If you're not getting full hoist and the sail is looking fuller than a state school the luff rope may have shrunk. There may be other issues also. Another story......
Easy fix......well....usually..... The bolt rope is likely seized off at the head, tack and if it's a main, each reef.
Leave the head. Find where it's seized - look for machine or hand stitching - at each other point. Unpick it. Tie the head to something substantial. Grab the tack and give it a good hard pull. Bolt rope should slide up inside the luff tape. Reseize it.

If the bolt rope has been tightly 'piped' i.e. tightly stitched along the side of the rope with a half foot it's not that easy and you may have to charge mo.....oops I mean unpick the length of the luff to free the rope up
It's quite a common issue

done a bit of sailmakin have ya ???

 

[Marty Gingras]

The bolt rope is likely seized off at the head, tack and if it's a main, each reef.
Leave the head. Find where it's seized - look for machine or hand stitching - at each other point. Unpick it. Tie the head to something substantial. Grab the tack and give it a good hard pull. Bolt rope should slide up inside the luff tape. Reseize it.

How important is getting the right amount of bolt rope 'pre-load' before reseizing it?

 

[SloopJonB]

If you're not getting full hoist and the sail is looking fuller than a state school the luff rope may have shrunk. There may be other issues also. Another story......
Easy fix......well....usually..... The bolt rope is likely seized off at the head, tack and if it's a main, each reef.
Leave the head. Find where it's seized - look for machine or hand stitching - at each other point. Unpick it. Tie the head to something substantial. Grab the tack and give it a good hard pull. Bolt rope should slide up inside the luff tape. Reseize it.

If the bolt rope has been tightly 'piped' i.e. tightly stitched along the side of the rope with a half foot it's not that easy and you may have to charge mo.....oops I mean unpick the length of the luff to free the rope up
It's quite a common issue

Conversely, take it to a sailmaker.

 

[TheDragon]

 

[Will1073]

I can't stand this clown.

 

[Marty Gingras]

Conversely, take it to a sailmaker.

Where's the fun in that?

Seriously though, seems prudent to understand what to look for and how to deal with it in absence of a sailmaker.

 

[Marty Gingras]

Seems imprudent to completely remove a bolt rope and go without one. Maybe not though. Speaks to the issue of pre-load after easing the bolt rope then stitching it back to the cloth.

 

[167149]

Seems imprudent to completely remove a bolt rope and go without one. Maybe not though. Speaks to the issue of pre-load after easing the bolt rope then stitching it back to the cloth.

he is a SAILMAKER............and .quite a good one when he's not tryin to run the country

 

[Marty Gingras]

he is a SAILMAKER............and .quite a good one when he's not tryin to run the country

The guy in the video? If so, good to know but doesn't help understanding all that much.

 

[167149]

The guy in the video? If so, good to know but doesn't help understanding all that much.

no, the bloke howard up the page is one

 

[Rushman]

If you're not getting full hoist and the sail is looking fuller than a state school the luff rope may have shrunk. There may be other issues also. Another story......
Easy fix......well....usually..... The bolt rope is likely seized off at the head, tack and if it's a main, each reef.
Leave the head. Find where it's seized - look for machine or hand stitching - at each other point. Unpick it. Tie the head to something substantial. Grab the tack and give it a good hard pull. Bolt rope should slide up inside the luff tape. Reseize it.

If the bolt rope has been tightly 'piped' i.e. tightly stitched along the side of the rope with a half foot it's not that easy and you may have to charge mo.....oops I mean unpick the length of the luff to free the rope up
It's quite a common issue

This is a really good summary, Howard knows his stuff

 

[Great Red Shark]

From personal experience, I've had an otherwise fine, current sail become 'luff bound' - whereby you'd be hauled hard-ass tight on the halyard against the bolt rope and the luff fabric itself was just barely coming full hoist.

Took it to our guy, who said "Yeah, they do that sometimes." and had it back to me the next day for the usual slab of ale.

Works fine now, although several more years on, now approaching replacement time.

 

[Ex Machina]

If you're not getting full hoist and the sail is looking fuller than a state school the luff rope may have shrunk. There may be other issues also. Another story......
Easy fix......well....usually..... The bolt rope is likely seized off at the head, tack and if it's a main, each reef.
Leave the head. Find where it's seized - look for machine or hand stitching - at each other point. Unpick it. Tie the head to something substantial. Grab the tack and give it a good hard pull. Bolt rope should slide up inside the luff tape. Reseize it.

If the bolt rope has been tightly 'piped' i.e. tightly stitched along the side of the rope with a half foot it's not that easy and you may have to charge mo.....oops I mean unpick the length of the luff to free the rope up
It's quite a common issue

How the fuck would you know that ?

 

[Howard Juno]

Wunce I coodnt evn spel saylmaykr now I ar wun

 

[Howard Juno]

How important is getting the right amount of bolt rope 'pre-load' before reseizing it?

Depends on the rope. If it's good n solid - none. Even tension is fine. If it's a little stretchy maybe pull 2 or 3 ". It's only there to stop the sail tearing in half.
Make sure you only unpick the stitching around the bolt rope. Do not unpick the luff tape itself

If it's a large sail you have potential for a ball ache of epic proportion but if it's smaller, you have the time and space, you're reasonably handy and have a sailmaker's palm with needle n thread, fill yer boots.

If you get stuck, send photos

 

[Code 2]

Why not just allow the bolt rope to run unseized at the tack with the pig tail hanging out?

Downhaul takes out the wrinkles if you need to do that.

The only issue is taking down the main if the pigtail finds its way into the mast track below the gooseneck.

 

[Marty Gingras]

Depends on the rope. If it's good n solid - none. Even tension is fine. If it's a little stretchy maybe pull 2 or 3 ". It's only there to stop the sail tearing in half.
Make sure you only unpick the stitching around the bolt rope. Do not unpick the luff tape itself

If it's a large sail you have potential for a ball ache of epic proportion but if it's smaller, you have the time and space, you're reasonably handy and have a sailmaker's palm with needle n thread, fill yer boots.

If you get stuck, send photos

Thank you very much Howard!

 

[Marty Gingras]

Why not just allow the bolt rope to run unseized at the tack with the pig tail hanging out?

That's how we are now with the main on which I eased the bolt rope about a week ago and why I asked about pre-load prior to re-stitching. It's a beauty, but I'm worried about over-stretching the cloth when tensioning the luff. Howard wrote of the bolt rope, "It's only there to stop the sail tearing in half." so I'm absolutely going to re-stitch.