Furling Mains

[RWALTHOFF10]

I am considering a furling main on my Tartan 37. Need a new mast anyway so now would be the time to do it. What are the ups and downs?! How bout furling boom as an alternative. Of course the furling mast would have to be external ie. Behind the mast. Any thoughts out there.

[atoll]

if ya gonna spend the money better to get a fully battened main with cars.

rollermains are a pita,especially the add on type

[markpierce]

A furling main is easy to deploy and to rewind, particularly if it is loose-footed. Don't know how that affects sail efficiency, but in my case it isn't critical.





With the right traveler/rigging, one doesn't necessarily need a boom.

[eisselhardt]

Love the furling main! I have a Bene 381, and every now and then the top of the sail (the tightest furling point) gets hung up on the unroll. I crank it back and forth a few times, and so far it always opens up. In retrospect, I think that I would prefer a furling boom, or even better, a pocket boom. If something gets warped, its alot easier to walk forward than upward...Having said that, we're live-aboards, but our sailing is day sailing, so my perspective might be a bit limited.

[truant]

We have a Selden furling main on our Hunter 41. Overall, I'm pleased, but look at the advantages of a furling boom. I think you can get better sail shape with a furling boom, can more easily reef, and if there's a problem you can more easily lower the sail. Just some thoughts.

[DRS]

I've got Profurl in boom and a fully battened main. Its way to easy! and if things go bad I can always dump it on the deck like a regular sail.

[DRS]

Truant must have been typing at the same time I was

[RWALTHOFF10]

Originally Posted by RWALTHOFF10

I am considering a furling main on my Tartan 37. Need a new mast anyway so now would be the time to do it. What are the ups and downs?! How bout furling boom as an alternative. Of course the furling mast would have to be external ie. Behind the mast. Any thoughts out there.

Ok. So the obvious has been stated that boom furling is safer..you can always dump the main. What are the down sides to boom furling ? Does it jam up more etc?

[DRS]

The only time mine jammed up on me was when I tried to furl the sail with a broken out haul. The sail rolled up the boom to quickly and when the second batten was due to roll it bowed out the batten so it would not wrap around the boom "drum". Grabbed some sail ties and flaked it over the boom. Tied it down and sorted it out back at the dock. Of course it happened in 30kn winds but its a boat and bad stuff never happens when its calm

[daddle]

Mast furling seems to be for 'powerboats'.

Boom furling works okay. It's fussy. The boom needs to be at just the right angle. Tension just right. Sail shape is optimum. Reefing is proper.

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by RWALTHOFF10

Ok. So the obvious has been stated that boom furling is safer..you can always dump the main. What are the down sides to boom furling ? Does it jam up more etc?

Even if it did, you can reach in and fix it.

I have seen in-mast furling mains in use offshore, and speed and convenience are a definite plus. Sail shape is, however, not. Personally, I would prefer in-boom furling for access, less weight aloft, the ability to retain full battens and thus sail shape, the ability to remove the entire boom without dismasting for service or adjustment, and the fact that I could use a typical main if desired, or reef down with lines if desired or if the boom furler was damaged. If the in-mast furler is damaged, you can only drop the sail entirely.

However, at 37 feet LOA, I would just rig reefing lines. I think 40-42 feet LOA or maybe I should say past 65 years in age* is when main furling starts making more sense.

(*Yes, I know there are very fit sailors at 65 plus. But there are rarely very fit cruising couples after 65 where both can handle the boat solo in 35 knots or can bull down every line aboard. You have to size everything for the smallest/least strong crew aboard, who of course is going to be the one hit by a squall at 3 AM when you are snug behind a lee cloth...)

[Cotemar]

Had a Catalina 380 for five years with in mast furling. Just loved it and never ever had a problem. It just worked. Fast in and fast out.

If I where to pick a new install I would do this one
SCHAEFER BOOM FURLERS
Schaefer Marine - Boom Furlers

[bstreep]

We also have a Profurl in-boom furler. It came with the boat when we bought it. We like it just fine - but there's no way I'd spend the $20-25K on one.

New boom
In-boom furler
Hydraulic boom vang (may not be required, but a rigid vang is)
Electric winch
Custom mainsail (the luff has a tape that has to oscillate back and forth so it doesn't bunch up).

[janders]

We have a Caliber 40 with an in-mast furling main. We love how easy it is to sail and we're quicker to sail than most boats around us. The only problem we ever had was when the belly of the main was blown out and it had a hard time fitting in. Other than that - easy peasy.

That being said - I always have some anxiety about it. In-mast furling is not ideal. The sail shape is crappy. And if it goes bad, it can go really bad. If I had to start from scratch, I'd prefer a boom furler to even a standard main for all the reasons stated prior.

[Cheechako]

A furling main will definitely lessen the drive you get from the main. Instead of having a nice roach with battens you will have a hollow cut there. Having said that, it is real handy eliminating the need to take a mainsail cover off and on etc. Often they can be very problematic when the wind pipes up. In a perfect world, with people who execute reefing well..... it works. I would say if you like sailing well... use a standard reefing setup. If you dont mind the performance loss, and hate sailcovers etc go for it... Why does your mast need replacing? Cant it be rebuilt..?
Although I had a brand new North mainsail, the thing just didnt seem to drive the boat at all.... useless piece of dacron u there. The old sail was near new but had been patched from a pinch /jam in the furler.... Personally I find normal reefing to be a piece of cake.... but I realize not everyone does. I loved not using a main cover though!
Everything is a compromise....