I recently installed a roller furling 90% jib on my CD 28. Does
anyone also have one and what kind of experience do you have with
a roller furling jib?
margrit@earthlink.net
Roller furling
Moderator: Jim Walsh
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Tom
Re: Roller furling
Margrit, I think you will learn to love that sail. The great thing about roller furling is that you don't have to go forward on a deck that is plunging and throwing spray all over you to dowse it. You can make sail changes from the comfort and safety of the cockpit and thus you tend to carry it a lot longer than you might otherwise. You also tend to set it sooner than you might otherwise because it's so fast and easy.Margrit Keyes wrote: I recently installed a roller furling 90% jib on my CD 28. Does
anyone also have one and what kind of experience do you have with
a roller furling jib?
Of course there's the down side. I don't think roller furling sails set as well as hank on sails. When you reef them by rolling them partly in the clew rises and thus you have to adjust the sheet lead farther aft otherwise you stretch the leech and put a belly in the foot. They work best when rolled fully out and that isn't as good as a hanked on sail. If you're into performance or race you probably won't like it, but if you mainly cruise as I do you'll gladly give up that for the wonderful convenience, safety, and ease of stowing. I wouldn't consider going back to a hank on. But why only a 90%? Most people when they go roller furling go for a big lapper because it's just as easy to operate and stow as a small sail and gives you all that additional drive. If you have any weather helm it also helps that by moving the center of effort. JMHO
TomCambria@mindspring.com
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Jon
Re: Roller furling
Margrit,
I agree with Tom; you will love your new roller. I also favor larger headsails for a roller system, preferably sails with some foam sewn into the luff to help hold shape when partially furled. I'm not sure if there really is a downside in performance though. When I used my hank on jibs, the luff would become scalloped if winds got up over 20. I think this was due to the stretch in the halyard, and the intermittent nature of the hanks. The foil is continuously attached to the sail on a roller system, so there are no unsecured sections for bags/scallops to develop in high winds. I also feel it is much safer to reef from the cockpit in such conditions as opposed to going forward when you least want to. The roller furling does have many advantages.
I agree with Tom; you will love your new roller. I also favor larger headsails for a roller system, preferably sails with some foam sewn into the luff to help hold shape when partially furled. I'm not sure if there really is a downside in performance though. When I used my hank on jibs, the luff would become scalloped if winds got up over 20. I think this was due to the stretch in the halyard, and the intermittent nature of the hanks. The foil is continuously attached to the sail on a roller system, so there are no unsecured sections for bags/scallops to develop in high winds. I also feel it is much safer to reef from the cockpit in such conditions as opposed to going forward when you least want to. The roller furling does have many advantages.