Chrysler Sailors Forum

I have been looking at alot of sailboats lately...i have noticed that some have their jib wrapped aound the front stay. I found out today that is called a furling system (of course i could be wrong) I also looked at the price for those....wow!!

has anybody made a set for their boat??

just asking, because there has to be a less expensive way to keep my jib off the front deck, and me tangled in the ropes......

thanks

Guy

Hey Guy Your not missing much I don't have one on my C-22 and other then playing deck ape to wad the genoa up in the front pupit I never had problems with the genoa being hank on. I thought I wanted the furlo set up and thought it was great when I got the C-26 and it had one,,, I'm not sure how much I like it. its been far more of a hassle then its worth. I'll know after a few more outting if it will stay.

I don't think it would be that hard to make one after you see one in person.

Hey I found this from another site on home made furlers:

http://forums.catalina.sailboatowners.c ... p?t=104914

My C-22 doesn't have one, I had one before on a small boat and when it worked it was cool... when tangled it was a pain, cuz it always did it in the worst weather...

Bhacurly wrote:... when tangled it was a pain, cuz it always did it in the worst weather...

Yes, that's why I'm a little afraid of them, aside from it being cost prohibitive for me. I am going to order one of these bags so I can at least leave the headsail hanked on unless I need to reduce sail for rougher weather, which shouldn't be that often. You can use the halyard to hoist the bag off of the deck. There is one on my friend's Catalina, and we have only had to reduce from the 150% to 110% one time this season. You can leave the sheets fastened and just run them out of the bottom of the bag.

http://leesailcovers.com/_wsn/page5.html

I was recently reading something by Lin and Larry Pardey where they advocate adding reef points to headsails. Simple, cheap and effective.

For those considering roller furling . . . . .

Roller furling on a jib when used properly is perfectly safe and easy to use without any snags, snarls, or entanglements. They make life extremely easy and safe for using the jib.

However, please not the words "WHEN USED PROPERLY".

First lets assume the furling system is indeed installed properly.

The problem with the furling systems out there is the improper use. It only takes once and you either learn to use properly or learn to hate your furler. The biggest mistake is not keeping proper tension on all the lines.
Picture yourself motoring out into the bay and the wind is blowing 12 kts steady. You are ready to sail! you release your windward sheet, release your furling line, and grab the leward sheet. You start pulling the leward sheet, and amazingly the furler turns and out comes the jib! One third of the way out the wind catches your jib and now she is unfurling on her own! Whoooo hooo! You pull in the leward sheet, fill the sail and off you go!

Now it is the end of the sail and it is time to furl up the jib. You turn off the wind in a tight reach , release the sheets, wrap the furling line on a winch and start cranking . . . . only to find the furling line is a big knot on the drum!!!!! YIKES!


Who's fault is that? YOURS! When you unfurl the sail, you should NEVER let the furling line run free! You need to keep some tension on the line as you unfurl the sail. It does not take much but it is indeed needed.


If you are not sure what I'm talking about, picture the old spool of kite string when you were a kid! Last time you flew that kite you did not roll the string nice and tightly on the spool. Now it is time to fly the kite again and as you slowly let the kite out the spool becomes a big old KNOT! Kind of ruins your day! This is the same concept when unfurling. As the sail comes out, your furling line wraps up on the spool. If the spool is loosely wrapped it will become a big knot when you put tension on it as you pull to furl up the sail!


Similar concept when putting the sail away. A breeze the flopping the sail will keep enough tension so the sail furls nicely and snug however . . . If there is no wind and you furl the sail, you need to pull the sheets and keep light tension on the sail as you furl. This makes for a nice neetly wrapped sail that wil unfurl perfectly every time!!!

Don't be afraid of furling sails.

I have furling on the jib and the main on Destiny.
I love it!

Scott