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mainsail question

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ronrryan
Admiral

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USA
561 Posts

Initially Posted - 10/28/2003 : 10:26:50

Has anybody out there tried mainsail furling? I see a ton of this here in Florida amongst the cruising set, saw one on a Cat 27, but have never seen it on a 25. I have a spare mainsail and an old Shaeffer wire luff furler available, just pipedreaming...???? At a certain age one gets a trifle apprehensive as to gamboling about on the cabintop in a chop, ron srsk #2343 Orion 1981, SW FL

Ron Orion SRSK 1981 SW FL

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 10/28/2003 : 10:39:47

So you want to vertical furl? I am not sure how a vertical furl would handle battens, I guess the obvious answer is that it wouldn't. It sure sounds easy for you to try.

I have seen roller booms that make some sense on small boats. Catamarans and Tri's do it a lot. I have not seen the new fixed boom goose neck but if it has a pin that the boom slides forward onto then it might roll. The issue there is how easy is it to roll a boom? An electric windlass could be adapted to spin the boom. You could use a pulley from a riding lawn mower deck in line with the boom between the boom and the mast with a belt down to the motor. We have a guy at our club with an electric motor below his boom on the deck and I ask him if it was to raise a ballasted dagger and he said "nope, the PO installed it to raise the main!". What ever you want to do can be done.

Edited by - Frank Hopper on 10/28/2003 10:57:00

osmepneo
Past Commodore

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USA
1420 Posts

Response Posted - 10/28/2003 : 14:35:27

My Dad's Dragon and I think his luders 16 had a roller furling boom. I don't remember using it for sail storage, but certainly for shortening sails. However, once rolled up, why not throw on a cover and and store? One key was the the thing used for the main sheet - it was not fixed on the boom, nothing was, and thing is a devise that fit over the boom with an opening wider than the sail, and narrower than the boom. Does this make any sense?

I can see a few probles:

What about the outhaul? Add something to the mast.
What about keeping this thing positioned - I think this would be less of a problem for end boom sheeting.
What is the most effective way to reduce sail and furl?
Is this something that would be class legal for the racers? How quickly could sail be reduced?

Food for thought, I guess.

Edited by - on

MattL
Admiral

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USA
990 Posts

Response Posted - 10/28/2003 : 15:24:03

I saw a furling main on a boat at lake Don Pedro, in central California, a couple of years ago. The fellow that owned it was very talkative about himself and the boat. I did get the idea that the boat was mostly used at the dock rather than for sailing. Information I have seen in articles and advertisments leads me to believe that they are ment mostly for larger boats, ie. 30' or over. Smaller boats just don't have the sail area that would warent it and the change in sail shape would be a little too drastic to remain very effecient.

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Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 10/28/2003 : 16:08:24

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by MattL
 they are ment mostly for larger boats, ie. 30' or over. Smaller boats just don't have the sail area that would warent it and the change in sail shape would be a little too drastic to remain very effecient.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I looked around on the web and I asgree with you, it looks like a person should just get lazy-jacks and forget it.

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ronrryan
Admiral

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USA
561 Posts

Response Posted - 10/28/2003 : 20:23:25

I get a distinct sense I am headed for lazy jacks and a downhaul. Lets see: about thirty cents and stuff from my junk bucket, versus recutting/wiring main, etc at $???---seems like the left hand is the winner. But the idea of pulling a string and watching the main go the way of the genoa has a certain appeal, ron srsk #2343 Orion 1981 in SW FL

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ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

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3072 Posts

Response Posted - 10/28/2003 : 20:49:42

A very simple roller furling mechanism was common to most early MacGregors... Easy enough to set up.

The boom has a simple bolt going through the mast (not tightened too much).. a little stainless retaining bar and a wingbolt keep the boom from spinning freely when you don't want it to.

Since the mainsheet control is on a 'loose' tang already, you simply remove the wingbolt and start rolling the main onto the boom like a windowshade. As I recall, there was a little 'crank' option that helped you turn the boom.

Since this was really designed to be 'furling' and not 'stowing' you didn't worry about the battens (unless you really rolled things up a long ways)...

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Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3321 Posts

Response Posted - 10/28/2003 : 21:11:44

Beneteau has a furling main option - it retracts into the mast. Unfortunately, the main has to be cut as flat as a too thin pancake and has virtually no drive. One Beneteau 331 owner on Canyon Lake is deciding whether to quit racing or buy another main...definitely a very inefficent sail.
Derek

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Bill Sloane
1st Mate

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USA
91 Posts

Response Posted - 10/29/2003 : 16:25:03

Ron: Go to this site: http://www.harken.com/mainsail/4058lzjk.pdf
which describes how to install a Lazy Jack on a Catalina 25. You just need two blocks, by Harken or otherwise, and about 100 feet of rope and a few little eyelets for the mast and boom. Less than $100 if you buy the rope someplace other than West Marine. Seems easier than a furling boom.

Bill.

Suede Shoes C-25 SR/SK No. 496
currently moored in Hammerseyley Inset, WA

(with a tip of the hat to Douglas for this tip)

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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.