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The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.
I am planning a furling genoa purchase for my C25 TR. I have a hank on 150 now and I was thinking about getting a 135 furling (based on Forum input). After reading many posts on furling genoa selection along with some pro and cons stated, a wierd thought came to me. (Promted by one where it appears one guy has been (unknowingly) happily sailing a genoa designed for the std rig on his tall rig. What if I purchased a 150 designed for a std rig for my tall rig instead of the TR 135? The luff is 1.5' shorter and this will allow for better visibility; the foot is 1.5' longer. The std rig 150 is a little more square feet than the TR 135. I am a daysailer and not overly concerned with loosing a little performance. Is this crazy or what?? Thanks for your input!
Moved to C-25 Forum where you'll get more responses.
I have a friend here at my club using a std genny on his tall rig furler and while it was a purchase of convenience he has been happy with it and the visibility is good as long as you put a ped ant at the tack. If the price is right buy it... it will not be your last sail purchase. It is good to hear you have been reading the forum for info. When I joined way back when I read about a year's worth of postings before I posted anything, it was great reading and it helps you recognize the "voices" of the forum and pickup on who thinks like you do and who doesn't. A lot of my mentors are no longer on the forum but some of the best still are.
I use a pendant on my hank on 110 which keeps it higher to see under and love it. Always like seeing ahead of me on a crowded lake. Can't comment on roller, haven't used one on this boat. Anyhoo.. sounds like a plan to me.
Oh.. and can't you see under the tall rig RF sail with it not fully extended, which is a common way to sail?
and as others suggested, as long as you're not gonna race....
Standard rig 150% genoa on a tall rig will give you the sail area of about a 130% genoa on the tall rig, but all of the hassles of tacking a big genoa and getting it around the shrouds and mast.
If you are a day sailor and don't care about performance I'd just get a 110% jib cut for your forestay length. You'll give up some sailing performance in light air, but get better tacking angles (the smaller sail can be pulled in closer to the centerline), easier handling, and better visibility.
This is probably not the right thing to do but when I am on a lake crowded with boats I do not unfurl my 150 all the way so I can see under it. Next jib will be a lighter weight 135. A 135 SR sail on a TR w/pendant makes good sense to me if your are not a racer.
I assume you're sailing on eastern Lake Erie--good westerlies and huge fetch! I tend to agree with Alex and Howard (above)--as a daysailor/cruiser on my SR C-25, I never felt a desire for a bigger headsail than my furling 130. 150+ is a performance maximizer that you'll probably end up keeping partially furled for comfortable sailing, and a partially-furled anything has a higher foot and clew, as well as sub-optimal shape. Add to that the sail not being designed for the boat, and you'll have something that looks a little odd (if that matters to you). I'd go with the SR 130-135 that you'll more likely fly fully deployed, and which will be easier to handle. It will also perform more naturally under genny alone than will a 110, and you might come to appreciate genny-alone sailing in your area.
I would also suspect, in your area, you'll often want to reef the main, which gives you approximately a standard rig main. If you don't have it, you might find a second reef to be a worthwhile addition.
I appreciate all the great input on my question! (I also got my username changed per the recommendation.) I Should have mentioned that I do have the hank-on 110 & storm jibs in addition to the 150. I am planning on a furling conversion at the strong and persistant urgings of my first mate (wife). I am looking at an old Schaefer free-furler with cable in luff of (included) sail this weekend. We need to measure it, if it fits, and is in decent shape it may be an inexpensive ($300) interim solution. If not, I'll probably order a new CDI and new TR 135. (Does not seem worth the money to modify my current 150 for furling when I can get new with all the needed features and proper cut for 300-400 more.)
The CDI furlers have the major downside that they make it very difficult to get good luff tension. I'd recommend something better that uses your existing halyard instead of an integrated one.
Can that old Schaefer furler reef, or only do a full furl? Usually furlers of that type can't do any reefing.
The Schaefer free-furler is not designed for reefing, only complete furling. I heard that it may allow reefing on some level but with limitations......I don't know if that is true.
A whole lotta people are satisfied with their CDIs. They are factory equipment from various manufacturers including Catalina. I don't know about prices, so don't know what I'd choose in today's market, but for a non-racer, CDI is apparently a cost-effective solution. (And it leaves a spare halyard for a drifter, asymmetric, or whatever.) I didn't have one, and I am not an investor...
I know that they are a common budget solution. The downsides of them are rarely mentioned and are significant, which is why I brought them up. Wingman or other shoppers may read those downsides and still choose to go with the CDI furler.
The halyard setup on the CDI furler makes it difficult to get sufficient halyard tension for good sail performance in higher winds. It also makes it very difficult to change sails.
The design does allow them to save money on an expensive part (the upper swivel), and so it is cheaper than other furlers.
Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ. The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.