[Rhodes22-list] Removing the main sail from the mast

[cjlowe]

Rex,
Sliding the mast down the furling tube would be tough,I'd suggest sliding
the furling tube into the mast. The furling tube has a bearing arrangement
on the top end of the tube (which ,I forgot to mention,you have to remove to
slide the sail out the top of the furling tube)that guides the tube in and
out of the furling tube chamber in the mast.
Yes the sail has a line sewn in the luft and a tough fabric sewn on -top and
bottom-that you screw to the furling tube ,to keep vertical tension on the
luft to hold it in place. The luft rope slides in a grove that runs the
length of the furling tube.The job is best done with 2 or more people,and
goes like this:
1- take off top bearing
2- unscrew fabric strips,top and bottom
3- 1 person grab the top fabric strip and hold, the other person grab the
bottom of the furling tube and pull it off of the sail.
 when putting the sail back on,let the tube lay on the ground,while One
person starts the luft rope into the grove in the top of the tube and slowly
pulls,  the other person feeds the sail in the grove at the top of the mast.
When the sail is in position,screw the fabric back down on the tube and put
the top bearing back on.
Clear as mud,
Jerry