Hard time hoisting

My 1985 E32 is equipped with the original Kenyon mast with the standard luff track, the sail is fitted with white plastic guides. The problem is it takes an inordinate amount of effort to raise the mainsail. Once it is up it will not drop independently it requires one to pull it down. I've been doing this for some time but it has occured to me that this shouldn't be necessary. Rather than purchasing an electric winch to do the work is it possible that the guides in the track are the problem? Or maybe the exit block at the top of the mast has a bearing problem? Here in central Kansas there are no professional shops and the work is usually owner provided. I've visited the rigrite.com site but they're not too friendly to non-professionals. Any history with this problem? Any suggestions? Should I try to replace track ,guides, etc.?
Thanks for listening:

Overall, the enemy is friction. That halyard makes a 180 turn at the top over a 20+ year old solid axle block... Then you have a a 90 deg. turn at the base of the mast and a jaunt through the block on the housetop halyard organizer... and thence through the clutch stopper to the winch.
At least that's the path on my '88 model with a similar Kenyon rig.
The slugs can create some friction but that's easy to fix and test for quick results by just spraying all the slugs with McLube spray and then do the hoist and drop. The observed phenomena that the sail does not like to drop makes me guess that the sheave at the top is the main culprit.
After all these years it might be time to replace it with a modern ball-bearing one from Harken.
Someone, probably you, will have to go there...
Unless you have a rigger handy and it sounds like you might not. That pin at the top is likely held in place by a SS screw threaded into the aluminum spar and it, in turn, will resist removal.

A test you can perform from deck level: hoist and drop the sail from the foot of the mast, letting the pile of halyard accumulate there and then feed back into the slot. At least that will tell you how much friction there is (or was) from the spar on back to the rear of the housetop. Prepare to be mildly surprised.

How are the molded plastic halyard guides in the slots on the spar? Or are yours SS?
You might want to unlimber the ol' digital camera and post some pics for us.

Best of luck,
Loren

I'm not sure that the original sheaves in the Kenyon mast even had bearings. Mine didn't. I had a similar problem and found the sheaves which were wooden had pretty much seized up when I bought the boat. Raising the main felt like I was pulling a rope over a tree branch. I took the sheaves out and replaced them with Garhauer sheaves. What a difference. I'm not sure if this will be your experience but it sounds similar. You should solve this problem before you install an electric winch. If it's the sheave or track you'll just wear out the motor before it's time.

Cheers

Michael

James,
Couple of things to try for starters.
1. Get some slack in the halyard and just pull it back & forth through the sheave. If you feel resistance there, it is a sheave problem.
2. Drop the sail off of the mast track, inspect each slide for damage.
3. Take one off of the sail and tie it on to the halyard, also tie on a tail for retrieval purposes, and hoist it up the mast to see if it binds any; it should run free.
You could also have the wrong slides on the sail, or sometimes the slide on the headboard is different(metal) and since it seems to be binding the whole length of the hoist, it could be just that one.

Good luck

Haliards

I have a hard time hoisting both my sails. I intend on replacing the shivs when I drop the stick in April, along with all the standing rigging, and the roller furling. The shivs have a loud squeek wich I am prety sure contributes to the problem. I have often wonderd if the haliards could be crossed inside the mast, as the running rigging was replaced with the stick up before I bought the boat last year. New Garhauer bearing shivs sounds like a step in the right direction.

Similar issues

Jim - I've got an '85 32 and have had some similar issues. Lots of the ideas are good, in the end it could be a combo of a number of the issues.
When I replace my main it had new slugs. Before putting it up I cleaned the track with a rag that I put on an old slug and pulled it up and down the track with the halyard and a downhaul line, then I used this same procedure to put McLube into the track (soaked the rag and ran it up and down the track). After all that I got the sail up but had a heck of time getting it down. Turned out the slugs were too small by just a bit and would turn and bind in the track. Replaced the slugs, lubed each one and now it goes up and down no problem.
Seperate issues are the sheave at the top of the mast and then, if yours is led back to the cockpit, the block at the base of the mast, the deck organizer and the line stopper if you are running it thru there. As others have indicated the trick is to remove each of the friction points and see if that helps, if so then you'll need to change each friction point. I put new ball bearing blocks at the base of the mast (for the main sheet too) and this has helped all the aft led lines. I'm in the process of replacing the blocks in the organizers on deck with ball bearing sheaves (ther originals are Shaufers (sp?) and are not ball bearing). Garhauer makes sheaves that will fit the organizers although they are not listed in the catalog. My mast head sheave had already been replaced.

All this has led to a main that goes up pretty easy and comes down with no problem. As an aside my mainsheet is also much easier to use now that all the blocks in that system have been replaced with ball bearing blocks.

Good Luck!

This may be obvious, but if you have a boom vang, make sure it is not tight. Also could help if the main sheet is relaxed. And the reefing lines are running free.

Hard to hoist

Thanks a lot guys, this site never lets me down. I've looked over all the threads and I'm getting a plan together. I'm convinced now that probably all the friction points are contributors none of the bearing points have ever been lubricated. I've got 30 to 45 days of winter yet here so plenty of time to check and replace each point. Thanks again; I'll report again in six weeks or so.