Raising Sail Solo

I find it difficult to raise the sail solo due to the way the halyard pulls out on the bottom. I like to stand up next to the mast and guide the sail through while i pull up with the other hand. That upward pulling motion however always rips my knuckles apart on rigging. Is there a better way to do this? I was thinking about running a block off of the traveler and feeding the halyard through so i can pull toward my self.

I usually raise the main while sitting on the tramp facing forward (the boat is tied to the dock at the time). I can pull on the halyard and when the sail gets a little bunched up I can just reach forward and fix it. I changed the halyard to a new smaller line last year and sprayed McLube on the track last year and it goes up much easier. The only time I have to pull hard is the final hook engagement and especially getting it off the hook.

Recently I have had problems with the back tips of the battens getting hung up in the main sheet (behind my back where I can't see it) and I will be pulling and it does not want to go up. I can fix this by laying out the sail better in advance.

I also removed the SS sail feeder last weekend it it feeds much better just into the slot in the mast.

Raising the main solo isn't too tough, you just have to make sure you've prepped everything before hoisting. Start by lubing the sail track and removing the sail feeder as mentioned above. Also make sure the boat is pointed directly into the wind. Unroll the sail and lay it on the tramp. Slide it forward so the bolt rope is pulled near the front crossbar and in line with the opening in the mast track. Push the boom over to one side so it's clear of the sail. If everything works as planned, you can just grab the halyard and walk backwards until the sail is fully hoisted and the halyard ring engages the hook although, sometimes the batten caps will get stuck under the tiller crossbar and you'll have to pop them free.

If the sail gets hung up feeding into the track, walk forward (hand over hand on the halyard so the sail doesn't drop) step up onto the tramp, clear the jam, and then continue hoisting.

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I have a new halyard and have applied mclube recently. Things go smoothly, its just an awkward angle. I find that it is easiest for me to point it in the wind when I am standing in the water at the mast base. Id say the last third of the sail is the only part where the "awkwardness" makes things tough

For what it's worth, I pull the halyard down while standing in front of the crossbar. My halyard does not go down into the mast, I leave it outside (was getting caught on the sail in the mast).