Roller furling or Hank on

[Dick Spangler]

Another consideration is that there is the limit to the draft that can be cut into a furling jibsaill. While the foam luff is there to allow some draft to be rolled up on the furler, it does interfere somewhat with the air flow at the sail's entry. The draft in a hanked on sail can be designed and built without the limitations imposed by the need for rolling up the curved surface of the sail.

I guess the furled sail sail is necessarily flatter than a hanked on sail - not necessary bad but it is a limitation. I understand that flatter sails provide more speed potential while a sail with more draft has more power. Flatter sails provide great performance for light weight, planing hulls in flat water. Fuller sails are needed to power heavier, displacement hulls through chop.

[Dick Kobayashi]

When I bought my 25D ten years ago, my first purchase was a roller furler. Mostly (almost always) I have my 130 up, but I do have a 100 and when I know we will have sustained high winds I put the 100 on. The ease of roller furling and the comfort and security it gives my passengers makes it the winner in any discussion of hank on vs. roller. Yes, you lose some sail shape but mostly this doesn't matter because there is plenty of wind when you dial down from 130. For ease, safety, and the very quick ability to adjust to changing situations I recommend going the rf route. But don't pinch pennies when purchasing the rf. I bought a Schaefer 750 ten years ago and the performance has been flawless. It is pretty much a bulletproof design.
I am glad to hear that you are enjoying your 25D. It is a treat to fly along at hull speed with the wind at 20-25knts with a double reef in the main and the jib dialed down to 100+/-. The boat is at home in these conditions and so am I.

[bill68046@gmail.com]

Roller or hanks..what ever is in your comfort zone. I sail with storm jib and reefed main. Makes for an easy day. All of our sailing is done in the middle of Nebraska.

[SurryMark]

When they're available (hopefully this spring) I'm going to get a Selden furler for an asymmetrical spinnaker. Looks like the cat's meow to me, compared to sail-only, or even sail with a sock.

[Russell]

When they're available (hopefully this spring) I'm going to get a Selden furler for an asymmetrical spinnaker. Looks like the cat's meow to me, compared to sail-only, or even sail with a sock.

Whats the skinny on these selden furlers you speak of?

[SurryMark]

When they're available (hopefully this spring) I'm going to get a Selden furler for an asymmetrical spinnaker. Looks like the cat's meow to me, compared to sail-only, or even sail with a sock.

Whats the skinny on these selden furlers you speak of?

Here's a bit of on-line info. My son, the racer, says the Selden looks to be the most fool-proof of the various makes (yeah, right, foolproof). They ain't cheap, but not much more than a high quality sock.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhHqNneICTg
http://www.seldenmast.com/frameset.cfm? ... m=70004502
http://www.catalinayachtsstore.com/part ... urler.html

Here's a youtube on another furler
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=922qmirqimk

[Russell]

Looks pretty much like a code-0 furler. How would you fit that on a CD though? Most racing type boats that mount these have a bowsprit added for them, but most CDs already have bowsprits, would you extend the length of the bowsprit to make room? Clearing the pulpit might become an issue. Dont get me wrong, I love the idea of a code-0 furler, I might actually use light wind sails rather then the iron genny if I had one, I just cant see how one might mount on a more traditional boat (and would love to be shown I am wrong).

[SurryMark]

"Looks pretty much like a code-0 furler. How would you fit that on a CD though? Most racing type boats that mount these have a bowsprit added for them, but most CDs already have bowsprits, would you extend the length of the bowsprit to make room? Clearing the pulpit might become an issue. Dont get me wrong, I love the idea of a code-0 furler, I might actually use light wind sails rather then the iron genny if I had one, I just cant see how one might mount on a more traditional boat (and would love to be shown I am wrong).

_________________
Russell
s/v Lady Pauline
Cape Dory 36 #117 "

The GX is a cruising version of code-0, they say. I'm planning on attaching it to a beefed-up bail on the end of my anchor roller, which sticks forward at a slight angle. I've seen this done. The bottom of the sail should fly higher than the pulpit. One video I saw (but can't find again) has it attached to a middle rail on the pulpit. Last year, at different times, I attached the tack to the stem piece or the deck cleats. It was a nuisance without a sock or furler, but I managed if there was someone to steer while I wrestled the sail up and down. (I put a whatchacallit string from the tack to the fitting, to fly the spinnaker higher.)

I've had a problem with the spinnaker halyard fouling on the top of the genny roller. The solution has been to keep both ends of the halyard tied to the pulpit, when not using the spinnaker. I'm going to move the top block further forward from the mast.

[Russell]

Please report how it works out for you when you get one, I am really curious. If it can be made to work well enough that a single hander can deploy light air sails I might jump on board right after you. The sock thing works well if you have one other person, but solo its still a bit much.

[SurryMark]

Please report how it works out for you when you get one, I am really curious. If it can be made to work well enough that a single hander can deploy light air sails I might jump on board right after you. The sock thing works well if you have one other person, but solo its still a bit much.

Latest availability info on the Selden GX asymmetrical furler is that it will be shipped sometime in May. I think I'll wait for it, rather than get one of the others. One reason is that the Selden furls from the top down, and, as my son points out, it's probably easier to pull in the skinny end of the sail than the fat end, if it is at all windy, and it probably rolls tighter than a sail furled from the bottom up. Also, the unit looks relatively simple, and it can be used for different sails. I may be dreaming, but an easy way to fly an asymmetrical single handed, maybe with just the mizzen, is real appealing.

[Dixon Hemphill]

If you sail alone go with roller furling --- don't have go up on deck, safer, easier and quicker than hank on. I can't imagine having to fool with different sails at different times with the hank on setup.

My Pearson 33 has hank on and I plan to convert to roller furling as soon as I sell my CD28

[fenixrises]

Hi all,

On my 28 I often flew the very light(0.75 oz) assym. To retrieve the sail on this boat is very easy. but not the normal way.
I attached the tack to a small 3:1 tackle with a snap shackle on the end connected to the the sail.
To retrieve the sail I went forward and tripped the snap shackle. This allows the sail to "wind vane" out away from the boat and it is still secured by the halyard and sheet. Then by slowly easing the halyard and hauling in the sheet it is easy to get the sail in and I was often able to do this without getting the sail wet.

With this light sail I had to drop it as soon as the wind hit about 10k true. With a 1.5 oz sail on a bigger boat carried in stronger wind my method might not work too well, especially single-handed. That is one of the reasons I prefer, if it is to be my only light air sail, a hank on drifter with a wire luff. If the sail is the same general dimensions as a 120~130% genny then by flying both you have an ideal DDW rig. This is something that I often did on FeNIX as well.

As for furling an assym I used to look for the old Shaefer furlers that replaced the headstay. A wire luff sail would work well with one of these systems. And if you can find a used one on e-Bay it can be be had for a fraction of the price of new gear. These old system were built in the 70's and maybe 80's.

Take care,
Fred

[SurryMark]

Thanks for that info, Fenix Fred. About how far forward of the masthead was the block for your spinnaker halyard? Did you have any problems with it fouling with the top spinner of your genny furler? When flying your asym, where did you attach the tack?

[gates_cliff]

This is a fascinating discussion. I've never owned a boat with roller furling/reefing, sailed on others and when chartering. I had become covinced that I'd go the furler/reefer route. My boat came with a working jib and a lightweight drifter, no genoa or storm sail. I have been trying to decide if I want to go ahead and spend the money on roller furling/reefer or stay with hank ons. I sail alone or short handed most of the time, so have been leaning toward a roller reefing system. But, then unless you have one of those storm jibs that is specifically designed to go over the roller system what do you do? By the way, helped sail a brand new Bavaria 40 to the BVI. During a gale the roller furling main got jammed. It was fun, getting it unstuck (not)!

So after this great discussion, I'm not certain. I feel a storm jib is essentail but sailing on the Chesapeake almost requires a genny. So once again, I am on the fence.

I'd appreciate if anyone could recommend a source for decent used sails?

[Russell]

So after this great discussion, I'm not certain. I feel a storm jib is essentail but sailing on the Chesapeake almost requires a genny. So once again, I am on the fence.

I really do not think a storm jib is essential if you are sailing on the Chesapeake, the vast majority of boats there do not have them. The summer squalls that can spring up out of nowhere on the bay usually require you just dropping all sail until they pass. You do not really have the sea room to go messing about with storm jibs on the chesapeake anyway.

But sure, if going offshore it is absolutely necessary, in which case you either invest in a sleeved storm jib as you mentioned, or add an inner forestay.