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Roller Furling - Change Direction?

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JJM
Navigator

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USA
170 Posts

Initially Posted - 04/14/2009 : 23:18:40

I don't think I have ever seen this question or topic on this forum before.

I received a call from my marina late this afternoon that my sail was starting to 'come undone' in the 30-40 mile an hour winds that were blowing onshore. I asked if it was the main or headsail, and it turns out it was the headsail. I asked them to please shore up the sail for me, and thankfully they were able to do that. I immediately went for the 40 mile drive to review and assess the situation...

After review, I now have a question.

Is there a way to change the direction that the furler is wound?

Currently my sail furls counter-clockwise and after assessing the situation and noting the direction the wind was hitting the sail, I believe that if it were furled clockwise there would have been no way that the sail would have even started to unwind.

Thanks in advance!

John
"Enchanted Becuma"
C250 '04 WK #746

Edited by - on

Arlyn Stewart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2980 Posts

Response Posted - 04/15/2009 : 04:59:19

If the furling line can be directed for a proper lead to the furler... sure.

But... I doubt that it would make any difference. The better solution is to wrap the sail with a halyard. If using the CDI furler, the jib halyard is free to use. If the jib halyard is in use on the foresail, then use a spinnaker halyard if one is rigged or if not, use the main halyard.

A roller furled headsail should not be left unsecured by either a sock or a halyard wrapping it. This is also true for even a night at anchor.

The halyards have to be taken away from the mast anyway to keep them from slapping so using them to wrap up the furled headsail is a win win. Yes, it is easy to simply use a bungee to hold the halyards away so that they don't slap but it doesn't take but a couple of minutes to move them away from the mast using one of them to wrap up the headsail.

Edited by - on

britinusa
Web Editor

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USA
5404 Posts

Response Posted - 04/15/2009 : 06:12:36

Try unrolling the sail and then when rolling it up, keep some tension on the sheets so that you get a really tight roll/furl. Makes a huge difference.

On one of our first trips, an overnight storm threatened to tear our jib apart as it was not rolled tightly.

Now it's routine, we always roll it tight. If you wrap the spare jib halyard around the sail in the opposite direction from the furl, then again, make sure it's tight.

It's amazing how quickly the wind will find that small pocket of slack sail and start to apply pressure.

Paul

Edited by - on

John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

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3444 Posts

Response Posted - 04/15/2009 : 07:13:03

I had the same problem 2 years ago. Blew out a couple of seams on my 110% It was solved using Arlyn's suggestion of wrapping the headsail with a halyard counter to the direction of the furler. A length of line crossing each layer eliminates the potential for blow out.

Furling the sail in the opposite direction would only be helpful if the wind direction never changed.

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JohnP
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1520 Posts

Response Posted - 04/15/2009 : 08:40:11

A few years ago I watched as a 35' boat near mine with its headsail rolled up nicely on its big furler rode out a 30 minute thunderstorm at anchor. I unhanked and stowed my jib. But on the other boat after about 10 minutes of violent storm intensity winds (probably 50-70 mph) the furler unrolled little by little and the jib flapped and then shredded into 5 or 6 horizontal strips.

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Jack Schafer
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USA
112 Posts

Response Posted - 04/15/2009 : 09:24:55

Don't do what I did. Most roller furled head sails can only be rolled in one direction so that the UV protection is on the outside. It only takes 3 years to destroy the sail,I know!

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Sloop Smitten
Master Marine Consultant

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1181 Posts

Response Posted - 04/15/2009 : 09:51:06

My genoa sheets are sufficiently long so when I roll up the furler they make about three wraps around the sail. At that time the furling line is fully extended from the spool and I secure it to its cleat. The drum cannot turn then and the sheet wraps secure the sail.

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pastmember
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2402 Posts

Response Posted - 04/15/2009 : 10:16:42

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Sloop Smitten
 My genoa sheets are sufficiently long so when I roll up the furler they make about three wraps around the sail. At that time the furling line is fully extended from the spool and I secure it to its cleat. The drum cannot turn then and the sheet wraps secure the sail.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
I do three to five wraps and always tie a sail tie under the wraps. It have ridden out 60-70 mph winds with no issue. Normally my sheets are loose, I do not know why they are tight in this photo, tight sheets promote bird perching/pooping. Note I also use my boom vang tail to secure the mainsail, I have never left a mainsail cover to its own fasteners.

Edited by - pastmember on 04/15/2009 10:17:47

Steve Blackburn
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
1091 Posts

Response Posted - 04/15/2009 : 11:07:56

I wrap my sheets around the jib + use 2 small velcro strips I bought at Home Depot.

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JJM
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USA
170 Posts

Response Posted - 04/15/2009 : 12:58:34

Thanks everyone for your replies here.

Jack - great point about the UV protection. I didn't even think of that!

Paul - you are right about that wind finding that small pocket of slack. My boat was really being pushed by the wind, and it was because the wind was catching a really small pocket that was exposed in the jib. I tied some line around it to reduce the effect.

And yes, last night I watched in agony as a boat in the next marina had it's jib flapping in the wind with multiple horizontal tears in it. Not something you want to be surprised with when you come to your boat...

A couple of years ago, a friend on my dock was kind enough to cut my jib sheets in 2 so that I could be a 'proper' sailor and attach the sheets every time with a bowline as part of set up. Before they were cut, I used to easily wrap them around the jib a few times with additional rotations of the furler and then hang the excess neatly wrapped and hung on the bow rail. Now I have to remove the sheets and tie the sail tightly with a sail tie.

Now I will ensure the sail is tightly furled first and add an additional line to wrap around the sail multiple times.

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 04/15/2009 : 14:00:59

Like this?

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Nautiduck
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3704 Posts

Response Posted - 04/15/2009 : 14:39:51

We do what Steve and Frank do, some halyard wraps and then a sail tie. What we can't do is have the sheets taut like Frank or the birds will sit on them and crap on the foredeck. We let our sheets lay slack.

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JJM
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USA
170 Posts

Response Posted - 04/15/2009 : 14:52:21

Don,

Exactly (sort of...)

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John Russell
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3444 Posts

Response Posted - 04/18/2009 : 15:00:07

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by JJM
 
A couple of years ago, a friend on my dock was kind enough to cut my jib sheets in 2 so that I could be a 'proper' sailor and attach the sheets every time with a bowline as part of set up. Before they were cut, I used to easily wrap them around the jib a few times with additional rotations of the furler and then hang the excess neatly wrapped and hung on the bow rail. Now I have to remove the sheets and tie the sail tightly with a sail tie. <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">I'd send him the bill for new jib sheets. I use a cow hitch and find it best for securing the jib sheets. Two bowlines simply increases the mass at the clew of the sail. That becomes problematic in light wind sails and makes it easier to catch the clew on the shrouds. Your "proper" sailor friend owes you new sheets.

Edited by - on

GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4304 Posts

Response Posted - 04/20/2009 : 22:19:50

We had wind gusts up to 48 over the weekend. When I went down to the boat Sunday there were four boats in the marina with loose and torn roller furled headsails. One across the fairway had his sheets wrapped around tightly four or five times but the wind found a pocket about 2/3 of the way up and just shredded the sail.

I think using a spare halyard would be the way to go. Hopefully someday I'll have this issue to worry about. It's a pain to hank-on sails every time I go out. Especially since I solo so much.

But then again, my headsails are removed after each sail and are stored upstairs in an environmentally controlled bedroom away from rain, wind, humidity, and sunlight!!!

Edited by - GaryB on 04/20/2009 22:20:26

pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

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2402 Posts

Response Posted - 04/21/2009 : 08:00:47

48 isn't much, it sounds like these must have been highly UV damaged sails. Bottom line though is you develop whatever method that lets you sleep at night, we are all ultimately responsible to "get it right" for our own boat.

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Arlyn Stewart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2980 Posts

Response Posted - 04/21/2009 : 09:11:48

I agree only in part that each of us are responsible to our own boat. In some measure we are all indebted to those who have mentored and payment for that is to pass on to others.

The rules of how that is done are vague. Do we only do it when others specifically ask?. Are we free to do it for those who have previously allowed an open invitation? My point is that sometimes the lines of propriety get confusing and we offer something to someone who doesn't want the advice or information because they have their traditions or ways to do things.

I moved to Texas after getting out of the Army and saw instantly a culture contrast. The Army is made up of a broad spectrum of people from many parts of the nation offering exposure to a great variety of ideas and traditions from many American and overseas cultures. However, when moving to Texas, the culture was more narrowly defined and best summed up this way. In Texas, a good many natives didn't give a s__t how or what others do.

Bottom line, there will always be those who value good advice and always those who don't.

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