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Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Furler decision

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OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts

Initially Posted - 09/20/2010 : 18:14:18

Wow, used the Furlex furler (that came with the new-to-us boat) for the first time yesterday. We stood with our mouths open after seeing how quickly it furls and unfurls. We were going to put the Harken I purchased from ChrisZ (swapmeet) into storage and buy new hank-on sails this winter, but now we're not sure.

Can you unfurl partially yet pull the foresail tight in heavier winds?

Performance vs covenience!

Edited by - on

GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4304 Posts

Response Posted - 09/20/2010 : 18:21:49

Glad to hear the good review about furlers. My new Harken Mark IV furler is supposed to arrive Friday. I can't wait to get it on and try it out.

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bigelowp
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1778 Posts

Response Posted - 09/20/2010 : 18:28:33

There are several threads on the subject of reefing the head sail with a furler. The short answer is yes, but the performance issues enter the equation and each furler handles the sail slightly differently. For my non-racing sailing I would never go back to hank-on sails!

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Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5379 Posts

Response Posted - 09/20/2010 : 18:51:16

I use the furler to shorten sail in gusty conditions regularly. May not be ideal, but I'm not in a great hurry either. So if there are 12-15 winds with 18 kt gusts, I shorten the main (using the jiffy reef) and the genoa (with the furler). We had a few days like that last week.

And, when I'm heading down or upriver, it is frequent that we get header winds (on 330 or 150). If I had the genny up, it would be flailing a lot, which is destructive. With the furler, I wait until I'm out of the channel, unfurl, then sail off on a reach.

Gives you one less thing to futz with while you're heading out or returning to the dock.

I find also that I cannot heave-to using the full genny. If I try, I will get spun around, then off on a close reach on the opposite tack. I unfurl the genny 1/2 way, backwind it, pull the tiller to leeward and heave ho! Works like a charm. Heaving-to would otherwise require me to change sails to a storm jib without the furler. My buddy and I stopped for lunch yesterday by heaving to.

I had a furler on my 16 footer and now on Passage - I can't see how I'd live without it.

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Stinkpotter
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Djibouti
9081 Posts

Response Posted - 09/20/2010 : 20:09:59

I think the furlers that are not suitable for reefing are those that (1)are independent of the forestay, and/or (2) have a continuous line (both ends back to the cockpit) rather than a drum. Most of these are anachronisms except perhaps for furling a drifter and being able to lay the furled sail down on the deck. If a furler has a rigid (preferably aluminum) extrusion around the forestay and a drum with a single line controlling it, it should be able to hold a sail in a reefed position, even close-hauled. Others will generally state they cannot be used for reefing.

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 09/20/2010 20:14:55

islander
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4024 Posts

Response Posted - 09/21/2010 : 15:42:18

I have a Furlex with a 135 on it. I tell Sara that its the gas pedal. Roll in, slow down, Roll out, speed up.

I'll reef it down to about a 100 and pull it as tight as I can when pointing without any problems. Just remember to adjust the cars.

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Stinkpotter
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Djibouti
9081 Posts

Response Posted - 09/21/2010 : 18:14:41

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by islander
 ...Just remember to adjust the cars.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">As the wind picks up, you want the cars further back to flatten the lower part of the sail and allow the top to twist off. The good news is that as you partially roll up the head-sail when the wind pipes up, the cars become further back (relative to the clew) by default--without moving them. You might want to adjust them for the ideal shape, but the basic desired change of moving them "back" happens automatically.

However, I'm a proponent of reducing the main before the genny... I preferred my full 130 even when I reduced the main to zero. Of the two sails on my C-25, the genny gave by far the most drive with the least heel--my main mostly just added a little weather helm and slightly better pointing. I concluded that in heavy air, the heel induced by my main sometimes detracted from the drive from my genny. Maybe that was because my main was 6-8 years old... Anyway, I would shorten it first.

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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.