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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

Roller Furling or Hank-On ?

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Alan Clark
Captain

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406 Posts

Initially Posted - 10/17/2006 : 19:10:09

When We bought "Leprechaun" she came with 5 sails, everything from a 170 to a storm jib., We have used all. We are now looking at buying a new 155 % genoa. We use the boat for Cruising and racing. Admiral does not mind hanking on sails BUT roller furling is alot eaier to change sails. I know the boat points better with hank on sails but there is also a difference in time when using roller furling. We could sell the other sails and pay for the roller furling.. Any thoughts ?

Alan & Eileen
2001 Catalina 310 Hull #155
"Anam Cara"
ex-1987 C25 TR/SK #5612
"LEPRECHAUN"
Troy Ohio USA / Lake Erie-Catawba Island
ASA 101 103 104

"The clink of an anchor - chain, the 'Yo-Ho!' of a well time crew, the flapping of huge sails - I love all these sounds."

John 'Rob Roy' MacGregor

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Edited by - on

John P
Captain

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USA
324 Posts

Response Posted - 10/17/2006 : 20:19:42

this is the first boat that I have ever sailed with a furler and I love it. So much easier and cleaner. Makes soloing so much easier.

Edited by - on

dave holtgrave
Captain

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USA
427 Posts

Response Posted - 10/17/2006 : 20:50:24

i have sailed for 33 years
i have raced every thing from lasers to e scows to my catalina 35.

the hank on is ok.

i went to the harken ooal and a ullman sail 155 cross cut with foam luff. would not, would not, would not, would not, would not replace for anything.the minute i need to reef i put one or two rolls in the jib. anymore than that , i reef the main first. the 25 power is in the jib.
with reefed main and good trim i can sail past anyone thats reefed a jib down to a 110-120%.

155 reefs go till about 125 with foam.

i sail alot by myself and when i get in i have jib rolled and cover on mainsail.

just tidy up and take my personal stuff.

the "would not", i don't studder

you will not be disappointed. and it's a fairly inexpensive way to go.

dave holtgrave
5722 sk/tr
sailing carlyle lake in southern illinois until the 29th.

Edited by - on

Alan Clark
Captain

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406 Posts

Response Posted - 10/17/2006 : 21:09:27

I forgot to add I would also add storage space in the port side lazarette due to potential sail removal

...also lighten up the boat.

Edited by - on

John P
Captain

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USA
324 Posts

Response Posted - 10/17/2006 : 21:35:00

hey Dave, how did you like the E-Scow? I sailed on them for quite a few years.

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Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 10/17/2006 : 21:41:17

Our club has several storage yards, we all have spaces for our trailers, during the winter lots of boats stay in the yard; some boats just seem to stay in the yard for years. Virtually every boat that stays on the hard and does not get launched has no furler. Boats with furlers sail more often.

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djn
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1561 Posts

Response Posted - 10/17/2006 : 21:42:13

When my boat was converted to roller, the PO turned his 135 hank on into a roller. Don't know how much it would cost, but if you are looking to keep the cost down, you could just convert your 170. Cheers.

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mashedcat
Navigator

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USA
194 Posts

Response Posted - 10/17/2006 : 22:29:47

i had luff tape sewn on my 150. cost was $120 by a loft in pdx

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Alan Clark
Captain

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406 Posts

Response Posted - 10/18/2006 : 07:17:27

I appreciate the open discussion, a friend stated that he has seen lots of problems with roller furlings getting stuck and questions over cheap roller furlings or furlings without ball bearings. I have sailed Catalina 30,Catalina 38, Beneteau 40. I have had roller furlings get stuck but not that often. Our 170 is Vetry Light sail, I would not cut it down...I have looked at CDI and Harken.. CDI looks interesting and price is reasonable, I guess ball bearings are important? Duane, What do you think?

Edited by - on

cat1951
Admiral

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USA
636 Posts

Response Posted - 10/18/2006 : 08:04:28

We recently installed a Harken 00AL on our 25, but have yet to sail with it. (Seems like between weather and other things we have not been getting to the lake as much as I would like.) However, that said, we are looking forward to using the furler. I am the one that goes forward to untie the jib when we are ready to raise the sail. The Admiral does not like being left to be the one to pick me up if I fall overboard. We are going up this Sunday to try it out for the first time. And finally, like Alan said, it sure opens up the lazarette for other things.

And really finally, when doing the install, we took the mast down and were able to replace the steaming light, the anchor light, all of the masthead sheaves, and added a windex. So all in all, we got a lot done during just one project.

Edited by - on

djn
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1561 Posts

Response Posted - 10/18/2006 : 08:11:52

I have the Harken and it will get stuck a lot if there is not proper tention on the forestay. I don't think you have to cut your 170 down to convert it to a roller. Cheers.

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 10/18/2006 : 09:36:15

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by djn
 ...I don't think you have to cut your 170 down to convert it to a roller.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
You probably do... The hank-on 170 probably has a foot that is too horizontal and the clew too low to pull out and roll up properly. The conversion usually includes cutting away the foot and raising the clew. And if it's a lightweight, you really don't want it as your general-purpose roller genny.

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dave holtgrave
Captain

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USA
427 Posts

Response Posted - 10/18/2006 : 10:13:14

hey john p.
i sailed scows in the 1981 to 1986 era.
fiberglass hulls.
also sailed on the old wood boats.

the problem was keeping crew for two races every sunday 26 weeks a year.

loved the boat.

i am lloking right now at buying a mc scow for myself to sail during the summer when you can't stick your head the cabin without frying your nose.

i sailed lasers at night for a couple of years and miss that evening sailing.

the mc is more stable at the docks.

i love the thrill of planning in a scow.

dave holtgrave
5722 sk/tr
sailing carlyle lake in southern illinois till 10/29

Edited by - on

Alan Clark
Captain

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406 Posts

Response Posted - 10/18/2006 : 13:21:38

Thanks for the input.. I was looking at the CDI as JSI has it priced VERY REASONABLE.. I think the Harken was twice as much.. With the CDI an option was ball bearings?.. any other thoughts?

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 10/18/2006 : 13:39:39

My boat came with a Harken unit, my first furler, and I'll never go back to hankers.

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Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 10/18/2006 : 14:32:24

The Harken is the shizzle but the CDI with bearings is a good fit for our boats, saves a halyard, cheap and better than one would expect it to be.

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Buzz Maring
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1771 Posts

Response Posted - 10/18/2006 : 15:08:17

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by fhopper@mac.com
 The Harken is the shizzle but the CDI with bearings is a good fit for our boats, saves a halyard, cheap and better than one would expect it to be.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Hi Frank,

Why does the CDI "save a halyard," but the Harken does not? What is the difference in the way they are attached to the mast?

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Bruce Baker
Captain

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USA
402 Posts

Response Posted - 10/18/2006 : 15:59:32

Here's the basic question: if you race, do you care if you win? If not, get a roller furler. It's a lot less work. I think the biggest sail you can put on a roller furler is a 155. I've heard good things about the CDI.

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Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 10/18/2006 : 16:20:27

The CDI has an internal halyard, others use your headsail halyard. When I fly a drifter on my boat I have the regular halyard to do it with. If I had any other brand My halyard would be in use so I would need to install a second headsail halyard. My boat has internal halyards so it would be a project to do it right on my boat. On boats with external halyards you simply put a block Up at the masthead crane and add a halyard; $100.

Edited by - on

JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts

Response Posted - 10/18/2006 : 16:27:02

I took my old roller furler off. Admitedly it is a very old Schafer design that you hoist up the wire forestay - you can't change sails, the 135 has a heavy wire sewn in). Also, you can reef with this old one - its a furler, not a reefer.

But in it's place I have a whole bunch of hank on sails and I almost always have the right sail for the day.

I'd be interested in buying a hank on 135 in good condition and maybe your 170, too.

Not planning to go back to roller furling.

These boats are small. Raising and lowering the jib is easy. Folding it up takes just 5 extra minutes.

Edited by - on

Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3323 Posts

Response Posted - 10/18/2006 : 16:47:16

If you want to race and score well, a furler is worse than a pinch of coon dung! Under PHRF you get an extra 12 seconds/mile for R/F with UV cover - and it is not enough! Hank-ons are more efficient and most efficient is the tuff-luff headfoil which carries no penalty but is worth about 3 secs/mile over hank-ons.

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Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 10/18/2006 : 20:59:17

hear hear, and the new Harken version may be faster yet

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atgep
Master Marine Consultant

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1009 Posts

Response Posted - 10/18/2006 : 23:21:02

I sailed with Jim a week or so ago. I like the clean-ness(not a word) of the hanks. I was out yesterday with my 5yo and we unfurled the jib while fishing. Easy -easy. The furler takes the nonsence out of sailing but makes sailing like driving a minivan where the eqipment is always lacking something.

my 2c

Tom.

Edited by - on

crcalhoon
Captain

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USA
303 Posts

Response Posted - 10/19/2006 : 09:46:58

I had roller furling on my last boat and liked it o.k. On two occasions it almost caused me very great if not disastrous trouble. One of those was my fault and just would not have happened with hank-on sails. The other serves as a warning. I was at the masthead in a bosun's chair doing something else, like replacing a light bulb or something, and decided to check out the top fittings on the roller furling. (Harken) When we disconnected it, the top shackle fell apart in three pieces in my hand. Salt water environment. But the point is, once you put up a roller furler, you tend to forget it and have to make a concerted effort to remember to take the darn thing down and inspect it every now and then. You inspect a hank on everytime you raise or lower it. This would not be a problem for those of you who have to haul and launch every year, but for those of us who stay in the water 12 months. . .

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Gloss
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1916 Posts

Response Posted - 10/19/2006 : 12:12:01

Hey Frank

What is a "shizzle"?

Is it better than a pinch of coon dung?

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Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 10/19/2006 : 12:15:48

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=shizzle

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