boat info

[Al]

I am in the process of buying a Cape Dory 25D. I need a furling system. Any infomation on single-hand sailing would be appreciated. Any input on this type of boat of sailing single-handed would also be appreciated. Thanks.

[Bob B]

I had a CD 27 and single handed most of the time. I had hank on sails consisting of a main, storm jib, genoa and working jib. I used a tiller pilot and never had any trouble working the foredeck even in some fairly rough weather. The tiller pilot did allow me to make a lunch, hot chocolate and such as I was traveling across large bodies of water. Furling the main was never a problem single handed. The CD25 should be even easier to control and handle the sails. As to a furling system, I prefered the dependability of hank on foresails. I never had any problems with them and they trimmed out the boat very well in all types of conditions. I did on one occasion, blow out a working jib and was able to hank on the storm jib. If it had been roller furling, ....?
I am sure that there are some who will argue the other side of the coin but try it out some and see what you think. Start single handing in good weather on daysails. Then do some more extensive trips until you feel comfortable in most weather conditions.
Raise the main, then the jib of choice. The main going up will set up the boat into the wind so the jib should not foul in any rigging. Lower the opposite or heave to and lower the jib and main. I did this today without tiller pilot.
Enjoy your learning.
Best of luck with it.
Bob B



Jib8357@aol.com

[RON]

I am in the process of buying a Cape Dory 25D. I need a furling system. Any infomation on single-hand sailing would be appreciated. Any input on this type of boat of sailing single-handed would also be appreciated. Thanks.

I have sailed both hankon and furler sysrems for many years and there are valid arguments for both. It's a question of which shoes fit best.I sail a Sea Sprite 23 and have only open ocean mostly alone.Going on deck to change a jib is a challenge if not downright dangerous, especially if you are a bit older.
I added a Harken OO furler which has been a delight, and keeps me off the deck completely, The unit sells for about $700 and can be self installed if you are handy, otherwise $100/150 labor. The modern units have anodized groves which allow the sail to slide real slick, and changing jibs is actually much easier, but rarely needed. Just pull a string and the jib is reefed or gone.
Good lucki with your new boat RON B

[Lee H. Hodsdon]

Al,

I singlehand almost exclusively. My wife Carol is either reading, drawing/painting, napping or preparing sumptuous treats from the galley (it's atough job ....). I sail with hanked on headsails with a downhaul and have no problems at all, in fact I like it that way. But everyone has their favored method.

I still have the roller furling (HOOD I think)removed from my CD 25D last winter, and have no intentions of using it again. If you are in the NH area you are welcome to the entire assembly minus forestay, REAL cheap. I say the entire assembly because the foil sections are attached to each other with silicone and an inner pvc tube. This assembly is permanent, the only method of disassembly requires a hack saw. If you are interested in the furling mechanism by itself I can remove the remaining foil sections, send you the mechanism and you can purchase new foil sections. The unit was working perfectly when removed, the paint had come off of the aluminum surfaces, only cosmetic.

I to have a tiller pilot and can not say enough good about it. As to working on the foredeck in rough weather I wear an auto inflatable life jacket/harness combination attached to nylon jack lines running from the cockpit to the bow cleat on each side. This is a backup to keeping low, moving slowly, one hand for the ship and DON'T step on the sail makes for a winning combination.

I tend to ramble, but one suggestion. If your boat is moored, practice sailing off of and on to your mooring. This will greatly improve your boat handling.

Sincerely,

Lee H. Hodsdon

I am in the process of buying a Cape Dory 25D. I need a furling system. Any infomation on single-hand sailing would be appreciated. Any input on this type of boat of sailing single-handed would also be appreciated. Thanks.

lhodsdon@nh.ultranet.com

[Dave Olson]

Last year we installed a CDI flexible Furler that I bought from Defender. We had the Genoa modified with a luff rope and foam pad. Works like a champ! Simple mechanism means less to go wrong and lower cost.

Lake Minnetonka has fluky wind so I am adjusting depending on where I am on the lake.
Good Luck
Dave

I am in the process of buying a Cape Dory 25D. I need a furling system. Any infomation on single-hand sailing would be appreciated. Any input on this type of boat of sailing single-handed would also be appreciated. Thanks.

Dav_Olson@starkey.com

[Bob Ohler]

Al, it sounds like Lee and I sail the same boat, if not, at least we think alike when it comes to sailing.
I sail the CD25D, hull #2 "Aloha Spirit" out of Deale, MD on the Chesapeake Bay. More often than not, I'm single handed. Many times, when I have just have one other guest along, it's actually easier to sail, doing everything myself, as if I was alone.
1. SAILS: I use hanked-on jibs and gennies, and once you've been frustrated with roller furling (as I was on my old boat) you'll never install it again. On a light air day, there's no beating roller furling. The problem arises when the wind pipes up. The headsail loses its shape and everything else suffers too. I've seen roller furling jam before. It's never when the winds are light. Think about it. I use a down haul, and I've been known to tie a headsail on deck with rubber bands before I leave the dock. The rubber bands are easily broken when the halyard is taken up. Rule of thumb that I use, I always try to use one sail size smaller than what I might fly if I had experienced crew on board. With good crew, I use the 150% gennie. When I'm alone, I VERY seldom use the gennie. (A #2 jib will be a nice addition to my inventory of a working jib and gennie someday.) Also, if I know it's going to be blowing hard, I'll reef the main before I leave the dock.
2. HALYARDS: My halyards are lead to #6 Lewmar winches on the coach roof near the cockpit. An argument can made that this is not always the best decision to make, but it works for me when I never have the cockpit to raise or lower the sails.
3. TILLER PILOTS: I use a Navico # TP100 auto pilot. It works fine while I'm raising or lowering the sails. It's also great when I'm motoring or folding the main on the way in. It's only somewhat effective in heavy winds, but if you need a break, you can always "de-tune" the sails and go below.
4. HARNESSES: A safety harness with jacklines is a MUST for any heavy weather sailing. After a day or two of wearing one, you'll feel naked with out it. Once again, I use Lee's idea of nylon jacklines attached to the fore and aft cleats.

Well, I hope these ideas are helpfull to you. The Cape Dory 25D is a great boat! I know you'll enjoy your's.
Bob O.



bobohler@chesapeake.net

[Gary McDonough]

I agree with Dave. I have the CDI Flexible Furler on my 25D. It requires no maintenance, is cheap to install and is 100% guaranteed as long as you own the boat. There are many different opinions re: hanking on vs. a furling system. I agree with the purists that you get better sail shape, etc. by changing headsails but I'm not looking to set speed records. I like the flexibilty of adjusting to gusty conditions quickly and the safety aspect of not having to go forward in rough weather (I do however wear a harness if I leave the cockpit when I'm alone, which is most of the time).

The other consideration is storage of extra headsails on a boat with limited space.

Good luck,

Gary




garym@taxinvest.com

[Don Sargeant]

A nice feature about a roller furler is that even "hankers on" can learn to love it if they'd just run their sails up and down the slots. It works quite well if you silicone the slots and use the pre-feeder. With two halyards you can even change sails on the fly -- racers do it all the time. When you get back to the mooring just roll up whatever sail is on until tomorrow.

dps
COQUINA CD25D#189

I am in the process of buying a Cape Dory 25D. I need a furling system. Any infomation on single-hand sailing would be appreciated. Any input on this type of boat of sailing single-handed would also be appreciated. Thanks.

don@cliggott.com

[Bill]

I cannot believe the wealth of information available on this board!!!!

This is great! I agree with the purist, and use hanked on sails. I too had a furler on my previous boat, but it did jam several times and there I was forward anyway. I enjoy the routine (except in the hot july/august timeframe).

Enjoy our great little boats.

Bill
CD 25D #148
S/V Rhapsody

I am in the process of buying a Cape Dory 25D. I need a furling system. Any infomation on single-hand sailing would be appreciated. Any input on this type of boat of sailing single-handed would also be appreciated. Thanks.

cd25d@clnk.com

[Richard Stephens]

I am in the process of buying a Cape Dory 25D. I need a furling system. Any infomation on single-hand sailing would be appreciated. Any input on this type of boat of sailing single-handed would also be appreciated. Thanks.

Al,

Do you know how to hove-to? It's a very useful maneouvre when you're single-handed, and you need to leave the helm for a few minutes. With the long keel, Cape Dory's are particularly stable and comfortable when hove-to.

Richard.



rstephens@alexusa.com

[Bob Luby]

Grendel still had her original mainsail when I got her, so I got a full-batten main with dutchman, had all control lines led aft, and a halyard winch taken off the mast and mounted on the coachroof.
I also had jacklines of nylon webbing ( doesn't roll underfoot ) run between fore and aft cleats.

I plan to install single-line reefing this spring.

Since I'm not the most agile person in the world, I like to stay off
the foredeck.

Enjoy your boat - its a keeper!



Rluby@NOSPAMaol.com

[zeida Cecilia-mendez]

Al: regarding the CD-25 for singlehanding... During 18 years I had my 1980 CD25 which I bought brand new that year. I singlehanded that boat most of the time, first in the Long Island sound for four years, and then in Biscayne Bay and the Florida Keys, where I still sail. The boat is so easy to sail and a delight. It is really an advantage to have a GOOD roller furling genoa, which makes things easier. Other than that, you do not need any other arrangements. They will only cost you money, and will not add any special feature to your sailing maneuvers... To hoist the mainsail, you can just go forward to the mast cleat and do it from there, cleat the sheet and go back to the cockpit with enough time to control the boat, making sure that before you start the maneuver, you ease the mainsheet from the traveller so there's no pressure on the sail when it fills... and that's it! Once in the cockpit, you just pull on the roller furler, and there goes the genny! It couldn't be easier. Just make sure you invest in a good furling system -Harken's the best- and they make it for small boats too. Then just go out sailing and pay attention and listen to the boat. She will tell you what to do. Regards,
Zeida.





zcecil@ibm.net

[zeida Cecilia-mendez]

Al: regarding the CD-25 for singlehanding... During 18 years I had my 1980 CD25 which I bought brand new that year. I singlehanded that boat most of the time, first in the Long Island sound for four years, and then in Biscayne Bay and the Florida Keys, where I still sail. The boat is so easy to sail and a delight. It is really an advantage to have a GOOD roller furling genoa, which makes things easier. Other than that, you do not need any other arrangements. They will only cost you money, and will not add any special feature to your sailing maneuvers... To hoist the mainsail, you can just go forward to the mast cleat and do it from there, cleat the sheet and go back to the cockpit with enough time to control the boat, making sure that before you start the maneuver, you ease the mainsheet from the traveller so there's no pressure on the sail when it fills... and that's it! Once in the cockpit, you just pull on the roller furler, and there goes the genny! It couldn't be easier. Just make sure you invest in a good furling system -Harken's the best- and they make it for small boats too. Then just go out sailing and pay attention and listen to the boat. She will tell you what to do. Regards,
Zeida.





zcecil@ibm.net

[Martin Stern]

I am in the process of buying a Cape Dory 25D. I need a furling system. Any infomation on single-hand sailing would be appreciated. Any input on this type of boat of sailing single-handed would also be appreciated. Thanks.

I dont speak english very well but I want to speak something to you, and all of the people who reply to you.
I think to sail alone, you must have a sail boat with a long keel, with two or tree jibs, a wind vane, a electric auto-pilot (for the days that you go by the motor or when the wind-vane couldnt go with the sail boat alone.
I dont like the roller furling genoa, because, I dont know how do you said in english, but dont work well with hard winds, but if you have three roller furling with three kinds of jibs you could have a good performance, BUT ... all the roller furling has serius problems to pick up the sails in hard winds.
That is because I have a rope to get down the jib´s in the copckit, and never go outside the copckit, only when I take out the main.
The rudder in any wind wheather have to ve soft, and the boat must be soft in any condition, because if did not like this, you could not steer the boat correctly or if you use an Autohelm, you are going to broke it, and a wind vane didnt work, that is because if you have a lot of point to put jibs (stays), you could change the force you are doing in the rudder, and you can steer correctly without forcing nothing and the sail boat goes very well.



stern_martin@redlink.com.ar