Silencing in-mast foil

[sailorbob]

At both ends of our Lake Michigan sailing season, the boat is in the water after the mainsail has been taken down and bagged. The foil bangs mercilessly, with very little provocation. I run the swivel about half way up the mast, with a messenger line, and that helps some but not enough.

Has anyone figured out how to silence the foil? Once the sail is rolled around it, it's not a problem, but that's usually a weekend or two after launch, and sleeping aboard is challenging until then.

Thanks.

Bob
"Second Wind" #301

[yodagwb]

I definetly know of what you speak. I guess we are lucky in that I to run the swivel 1/2 way up with a tag line but in our case it seems to take of the problem. How about trying a piece of foam pipe insulation on the tag line around the foil?

[sailorbob]

Thanks for the pipe insulation suggestion. I bought 6' lengths of foam pipe insulation at Lowe's, with 1" internal diameter. With the swivel on a downhaul messenger line about half way up the mast, I was able to slide three sections of insulation up the foil, but I could not force a fourth. They helped, but did not completely eliminate the foil banging. I did this while the boat was still in the cradle. Now that we are floating again, I pulled the foam out - the upper two sections came out as I pulled the swivel down. As the boat rocks in the slip the foil made a lot more racket (until I got the mainsail on and rolled up). I think more sections of pipe insulation would make it even quieter, but I think I'd have to go up in a bosun's chair to install them (and maybe to get them down).

Thanks again.

Bob
"Second Wind" #301

[MarkElliott]

When I bought my boat it came with a "sacrificial" sail, a smaller sail which was used to wrap around the mainsail pindle when the main was off. Fills that space so does not clang.

[R.B.]

I solve the problem by running some rope up the mast using the main halyard. Once up 3/4 of the way I spin the furling about 10 times or so. No more clang. When I am ready to hank on the sail, I just reverse the process.