Luff tape jumping out possibility ??

[macbeth]

I have a pennant about 8" long at the top of my Genoa (it's a used sail and really the sail luff is too short for the furler, but dollars count when you are retired !).

At any rate, I'd like to eliminate the upper pennant and raise the sail further up the forestay so I have a better view under the foot. Only trouble is, that when I do that, the luff tape is not long enough for it to stay in the sail feeder, i.e. the tape end disappears up the furler slot for about 6" above the feeder. There is then about 12" of "free sail" i.e. sail not in the furler slot, until you get to the clew cringle. This clew cringle would be attached to the clew shackle on the furler drum by a 8" pennant. i.e. I'd like to move the pennant from the top of the sail to the bottom. I'd pass a length of strong line through the clew cringle and then around the shaft of the furler so as to keep the clew cringle and thus the sail luff as close to the furler shaft as possible.

Anybody see any problem with this arrangement ? Thanks.

[Stu Jackson]

Yes, you could damage the furler extrusion. It's a good idea to raise the foot of the sail as you suggest, but don't worry about the bottom end, having the tack (not clew) cringle connected by the pennant to the top of the drum will be just fine. That's just what I've done. Don't tie the tack of the sail around the furler extrusion.

Good luck, you'll enjoy the increased visibility and safety.

[Ex-Calif]

I agree with Stu. Change the pennant around.

However if the fact that the bottom of the luff doesn't stay close to the forestay nothers you do not do what I ex-partner did.

He tightened the genny halyard super tight to "straighten" the sail. He actually did this because the forestay was not "straight" and was sagging a bit.

This transferred all the sail loads to the top and bottom furling drums and not distributed along the forestay. The lower drum exploded. Let the furler extrusion and forestay carry the loads and don't overtighten the halyard.

The real solution (after replacing the furling unit and forestay) was rigging the mast properly.

[macbeth]

Thanks for the responses. Seems I should have been saying "tack" and not "clew". Just waking up from a long winter !

[cal40john]

When I talked to a sail loft about putting a pennant on the tack, he said to tie the tack to the foil. The loads purportedly are more in the direction of pulling the bolt rope out at the tack as opposed to more down at the head.

I have seen storm jibs with a series of grommets behind the bolt rope to tie the jib to the foil so the sail won't pull out. Seems that would cause damage to the foil if anything was going to.

[Kestrahl]

If the sail is made correctly for the particular furler it will have a little bit of tack cutback (distance from the back of the foil to bearing point on the tack shackle. So when you lash the tack to the foil you need to replicate that measurement. If you don't lash it to the foil it will put a lot of pressure on the end of the luff tape which will possibly fail over time.

[macbeth]

Went sailing this afternoon with a friend. He suggested placing a tube of white PVC around the bare length of the furler extrusion, i.e. the bare part which starts at the lower drum and goes up to the sail tack. The PVC would have to be cut longitudinally, slipped around the furler and closed up with tape. Slight problem here is that the bottom 18" of bare furler extrusion is a bigger diameter than the other 18" above it.

Then attach a line from the tack to the PVC (with a loop that goes around the PVC). He reckoned any pull from the tack would then be distributed along the bare extrusion, and not just at the point opposite the sail tack.

Opinions ?

[Terra Nova]

I can't see how that will work very well. The tack is supposed to fasten directly to the furler drum, so the drum can roll up the sail.

[Ex-Calif]

If the furler foil is in great shape and the bolt rope is the right size and the halyard and forestay tensioned right it shouldn't jump out and a loop at the lower end is not necessary.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

If the furler foil is in great shape and the bolt rope is the right size and the halyard and forestay tensioned right it shouldn't jump out and a loop at the lower end is not necessary.

Agreed! Give it a try, inspect under load and check to see that it isn't trying to escape. If it is the correct size luff tape it will be fine.

Jim

[macbeth]

It currently looks ugly with the sail tack about 4" away from the furler extrusion !!

[Blue Stocking]

A few turns and a reef knot of 1/8" braided line around the foil, and thru the tack cringle will do no harm, IMO.

[roverhi]

Assume the lower few inches of the sail at the tack doesn't have luff tape. If proper tensioning the sail doesn't take care of gaping at the bottom, tying the sail to the luff shouldn't cause a problem.