report on furler and sails

[katiekb]

Finally sailing!

Still with a couple of glitches, but don't care! Just wanted to get out there--we sailed her home late on Friday night from boat yard--reached mooring in the dark, very exciting! It was beautiful, and more safe because no one was out. We didn't plan on such a late sail, but it took us longer than expected to get the sails up (shamefully couldn't figure outnew top batten on North mainsail) and the furler--well, we have the dreaded halyard wrap so not a great jib set, but I believe we were still faster than we would have been with the old sails.

Yesterday late morning, my best friend and I got the battens in, and had a great sail in the Sakonnet passage--it was blowing a bit 10-15 knots, good waves, and we just relaxed with the mainsail. I'm still on my sailing "high."

So--the jib I think is still too small, and will talk to northsails at the end of the season. Plus, they made if for a CDI furler, which I didn't want (in my mind I want to easily change out my small jib someday.) I had wanted a schaeffer, but would not have fit the luff tape. So I found a reasonable furler that fit my jib: Facnor LS. I think I like it, except for the fact of the halyard wrap we currently have. I just think that the halyard guard and top piece are not spaced currectly for the proper halyard angle. The facnor is designed for installation with the mast stepped, so I think we will be able to fix the pieces.
The mainsail is a bit long, so we've lowered the boom. It is pretty tricked out with Ty and my hull number. It is loose footed-- ok I guess, I think it kept a good shape in the heavier wind. I may ask them to change it to the slugs as I originally stipulated. New mainsheet really made a difference for me--doesn't require as much strength to pull out of the cleat to adjust boom.

I thought my mainsail would be too busy/tacky with the insignia and number. But I think it looks good!

Happy Sails,

Kathryn

[RLW]

Congratulations! We were on our mooring overnight on our other boat, and may have seen you go by. We also saw a CD (what looked like a 30) sail into your mooring area and drop the hook for the night. Did you see the lone anchor light? Enjoy your new sail; you still have over three months of good sailing ahead!

[katiekb]

Yes I saw that pretty boat and the light. Hope to get some sailing in this weekend! Nick from North Sails is coming over on Thursday to check out my sails. The new furler is working great.

[Steve Darwin]

More beautiful sailing weather coming your way for the weekend. Enjoy your beautiful boat.

Wondering, though, if you were happy with North Sails. From your narrative, it sounds like they failed to follow your instructions, and sent you a sail that didn't fit the boat.

I had a CDI furler on a Bull's-Eye and loved it for its simple design; it always worked, never jammed. Does the Schaefer have a bearing at the top of the furler?

[pjust]

Whatever you do, be very careful with the installation! I have a CDI furler on my Ty, which worked flawlessly until two days ago. I was sailing single-handed in a fresh breeze, both sails reefed, doing about 5 knots. A passing lobster boat presented me with a pretty big wake, and I turned into it. Dolcetto pitched up a down as I cut across the wake and on the second pitch the furler parted company with the mast, which came crashing down. I was unhurt, though more than a little surprised. I got on the VHF, put in a distress call to the Coast Guard (to whom I was able to give a very precise location because the radio doubles as a GPS receiver; always carry a radio), which was picked up by a nearby lobsterman and the Maine Marine Patrol. The lobsterman rigged to tow me when the MMP showed up and those excellent gentlemen towed me back to my home port. It looks as though no real harm was done, aside from a deep scratch in the hatch cover where the gooseneck struck. I didn't rig the furler myself, so I'm not completely sure what went wrong. It looks like it was attached to a tang on the mast via an extension strap by means of a locking nut, which sheared. Bad idea. I will try rerigging the furler today.

[Neil Gordon]

I have a CDI furler on my Ty, which worked flawlessly until two days ago... the furler parted company with the mast, which came crashing down.

The CDI furler surrounds the forestay and turns around it. It's not attached to the mast, just to the stay. Either the forestay or a critical component failed (which might be due to improper installation of the furler, i.e., improper re-attachment of the stay to the mast).

[katiekb]

Very interesting Peter, and I'm glad you are ok. Nick from North Sails came out to look at my new sails on the boat. We are happy with the main (of note, it is loose footed.) Mystery solved as to my jib size. The sized it so that the sheets go INSIDE the shrouds, stating something about angles, tracks, and sail shape. He is going to add some area to the bottom only as it is a little high off the deck.
We tried to hoist the jib back up, and still had halyard wrap, and could not do it. So he climbed the mast (we were on the mooring!,) and found that my forestay was shredded. How that happened I do not know. I thought the forestay was in good condition to start. Was it us trying to yank too hard to raise the jib with the furler as it was wrapped? In any case, back to square one. She is back out of the water, mast is down, forestay (and bent furler foils from DROPPING) the mast are at West Marine. So if anyone knows anything about bent furler foils.....

[Terry]

Sorry for your troubles. I wasn't sure what halyard wrap was, so looked it up. I found an warning article posted by walden rigging at:

http://www.waldenrigging.com/sitebuilde ... ntions.pdf

The article gives some indication of how it occurs, and what to do to relief it.

It sounds like it could have been quite dangerous. Happy you were not injured.

Hope you get it all worked out soon.

[katiekb]

This is excellent, thank you! And I'm not too discouraged. We're learning a lot this year and I still love my Ty! I just hope to do well by her eventually.

[s2sailorlis]

As Neil mentioned, the CDI design would not have anything to do with the mast failure, your rigger clearly did not attach the forestay properly to the mast head or stem fitting.

What is concerning is your "rigger" using a "locking nut"....IF you're referring to a typical nylon locking nut, then your rigger should be put in jail....

Whatever you do, be very careful with the installation! I have a CDI furler on my Ty, which worked flawlessly until two days ago. I was sailing single-handed in a fresh breeze, both sails reefed, doing about 5 knots. A passing lobster boat presented me with a pretty big wake, and I turned into it. Dolcetto pitched up a down as I cut across the wake and on the second pitch the furler parted company with the mast, which came crashing down. I was unhurt, though more than a little surprised. I got on the VHF, put in a distress call to the Coast Guard (to whom I was able to give a very precise location because the radio doubles as a GPS receiver; always carry a radio), which was picked up by a nearby lobsterman and the Maine Marine Patrol. The lobsterman rigged to tow me when the MMP showed up and those excellent gentlemen towed me back to my home port. It looks as though no real harm was done, aside from a deep scratch in the hatch cover where the gooseneck struck. I didn't rig the furler myself, so I'm not completely sure what went wrong. It looks like it was attached to a tang on the mast via an extension strap by means of a locking nut, which sheared. Bad idea. I will try rerigging the furler today.

[s2sailorlis]

How bent is the foil? Minor bend - maybe 1/8" or less deflection is prob OK.

One advantage of CDI is that its flexible so when stepping/unstepping no damage. With traditional foil you have to be very careful as you found out...

You do need to address the halyard wrap by placing a padeye toward top of mast to prevent wrap. If your sail is less than a full hoist, you can add a pennant to the sail head in order to play with the angle being made between the top foil, pennant and mast.

Some furlers are better than others with respect to this - some have built in wrap stops (eg, Furlex for example).

Very interesting Peter, and I'm glad you are ok. Nick from North Sails came out to look at my new sails on the boat. We are happy with the main (of note, it is loose footed.) Mystery solved as to my jib size. The sized it so that the sheets go INSIDE the shrouds, stating something about angles, tracks, and sail shape. He is going to add some area to the bottom only as it is a little high off the deck.
We tried to hoist the jib back up, and still had halyard wrap, and could not do it. So he climbed the mast (we were on the mooring!,) and found that my forestay was shredded. How that happened I do not know. I thought the forestay was in good condition to start. Was it us trying to yank too hard to raise the jib with the furler as it was wrapped? In any case, back to square one. She is back out of the water, mast is down, forestay (and bent furler foils from DROPPING) the mast are at West Marine. So if anyone knows anything about bent furler foils.....

[Sea Hunt Video]

Hopefully, if I did it correctly, this is a website with a recent Practical Sailor article by Ralph Naranja on furlers. It primarily relates to the furler's "lead line" but may be of some assistance to you.

http://www.practical-sailor.com/blog/Im ... ints080515