Is there such a furling as this?

[tyguybye]

Just purchased a custom 38' with jib furling, but it is unlike any other furler I have seen. So my question(s) are is this a legitimate furling system and will it work with any headsail or is this something missing and unworkable?

The current Headsail rigging has a headstay and then the furling system is directly behind that headstay with a furled jib, upon unfurling the jib there is no foils and no track just a jib that seems to be furled upon itself and and the hanks flying freely... I have never seen this, does anyone have opinions?

[cabo_sailor]

If it is was I think it is then yes, I've seen them before. Basically one is rolling up along a wire luff. If it were mine, I'd start saving for a proper roller furler and sail. My main problem with them is that one can never get the headstay, or in this case luff, tension tight enough. You lose power and a good deal of pointing ability.

A friend had one on his cutter. Recently he replaced it with a Profurl and a 110 Yankee. He was all grins when he came back from trying it out.

Perhaps others have a different opinion.

Rich

[Gashmore]

Sounds like a staysail furler. Just a spool and a head swivel and the sail winds up on the luff wire. Works great for what it is intended but as Rich said probably not appropriate double up with the head stay.

[tyguybye]

My main concern is what headsail I can use with this furling system it seems to me that I would need to have my headsails re-enforced to be able to furl up safely this way, and would this not greatly degrade the sail shape if it is rolled up on it's own luff?


Thanks..

[cal40john]

Other than there being hanks on the jib, this sounds like the early jib furling systems. You can find them in Street's Ocean Sailing Yacht. The Cal 34 I used to sail had one, but we never used it. There was a pad eye just aft of the headstay that was tied to stem fitting with a steel plate. The jib has a luff wire in it substantial enough to take the load of the rig. The jib halyard however was not up to the task on this boat, as the sheave would get torn up. Basically the closer you could get the headstay to go slack the better you could point. Have you ever rigged one of the sloop dinghies (FJ, 420, Hobie 15) where the forestay is to hold up the mast while the sails are off, and it hangs slack while you're sailing? They aren't supposed to work as well as the modern furlers, but I have read that some cruisers like them better as once it is furled, you can lower the furled sail and roll it up in a loop and stow it.

John

[Bloodhound]

One such furling system is a Mariner Roller Furler. I have both a jib and stays'l Mariner furler on my Westsail (as many Westsails do). They do indeed have a swivel at the head and a roller at the base of the forestay and stays'l stay, and the hanked-on sails wind up around the stays themselves. The luffs shouldn't be overly tight or they make the swivels harder to turn, but neither should they be too loose. I find them easier to furl than to unfurl, but this may have something to do with the furlers being 30 years old and a bit stiff (sealed bearings so lubrication is difficult). On a cruising boat pointing ability isn't usually of great interest anyway and these furlers work just fine. But you probably wouldn't have them on a racer.