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Mainsail luff hardware
On some boats the supposedly simple task of hoisting the mainsail can be a real struggle thanks to unnecessary friction. Often a stiff sheave at the masthead is assumed to be the problem, but the issue is more likely to be with the sail’s luff hardware.
Luff slides or slugs need to be matched to the profile of the mast’s luff groove, but on many older boats the hardware may have been replaced with the wrong items. So it’s worth checking they are an easy fit and slide up and down without sticking.
