Mahe 36: Rig and Sails

[kev&jo]

Originally Posted by ireaney

Hi Scott, Is that a bow sprit I see in picture 3, can't quite make it out from the angle, if so can I see some more pictures of it especially close up. Thanks

Hope this helps.....

[ireaney]

The other little niggles I have with the Mahe is that there are no genoa tracks/cars, when I asked about how easy it is to retro fit the likes of these and winches/deck gear ie does the lining come away easily to enable easy access, I was told that it is best to have it done at time of order as the lining does not come away easily or cleanly.
Have any Mahe owners found this.

[Jef & Marin, Netherlands]

Dear all, we have ordered a Mahe for delivery May 2008. We are still wondering whether to include the bowsprit / spifurl option from the factory yes or no. Or maybe: is there a good (better or cheaper) non-factory option? We are very interested to hear this forum's views

[HMachiz]

Jef & Marin: I would definetley get the bowsprit option. It will allow you to use a gennakker. I think this is the best option for your boat. The spifurl is OK but the gennakker will perform better. You could contact the company that makes the sails for F/P and at the same time get estimates from other sailmakers. Kind regards.
HMachiz

[jean1146]

I did not get the bowsprit for our boat,I wish I had.I will be getting one in the near future.I think it will be a great addition to the boat,though it performs very well.We were sailing last saturday in 20 t0 25 kts,furled main,doing 10 to 12 kts,lots of fun.I am starting to get a real good feel about the boat.
JC.

[DtM]

I do not know what the factory now charge for the bowsprit option but it is probably the one thing you should get.

When we bought it represented good value (as opposed to some other items).

I would think that fitting something not from the factory will be expensive since it is a one off and getting the factory to do it during your build will be sensible.

The furler drum that they provide is too small but you can retro fit a continuous line furler. You will also need to add a further swivel.

[Jef & Marin, Netherlands]

Dear all, thanks for your much appreciated answers.
HMachiz, why do you think a gennaker is better than the spifurl? Do you have experience with the spifurl? We have never even seen a picture of it.

It is very strange that Fountaine Pajot wants to sell a bowsprit and spifurl and they do not have photo's and sail plans and specifications of this expensive options for the dealers to show the customers. We have some idea what a bowsprit is from some posted Mahe photo's (the Swiss couple), and from some other models we saw in La Rochelle during our sea trial.

DtM, do you have the spifurl? Reading your remark that the furler is too small indicates so.
Well, only getting the bowsprit (which includes the furler) and not the spifurl because you might prefer a gennaker or non-furling spi seems a waste of the furler. Why don't they include this furler with the sail?
Probably nobody even in Fountaine Pajot knows the answer to that.....

A Dutch sail making company said they don't like the furling asymmetric spannakers since they wear quickly due to the rolling. Any comment?

Hoping to hear,
Jef

[DtM]

Jef,

I have a gennaker. You can get your local sailmaker to build you one.
There is no reason not to furl a gennaker in my view. Even though the cloth is relatively lightweight it is probably no worse for the sail to be furled than stuffed into a bag willy nilly, as we do with the racing spinnakers on the monohull I race on.
The relatively light cloth together with the length of the foot means that you need a larger drum. The light cloth can start furling quite tightly if you allow it to and then you add the long foot and there is a lot of rope on the drum.
In fact if I hand rolled the rope onto the drum very carefully it was just enough but you have to do so each time which is a real pain.
A continuous line furler removes the drum size issue. Why don't FP do it? Easy, cost .
I guess perhaps you could negotiate a reduced cost if you wanted only part of the factory option.

daniel

[pguillemin]

See the attached pictures ;
Gennaker is a lot easier to have on a furler.You can keep it rigged ,ready to go.Size and weight are indeed optionnal.THe shipyard option is for a "middle of the road" sail.After that it is up to your abilities and desire for speed and adrenaline.
You can also add an assymetrical spinnaker in a sock.( the specialist is ATN here in Fort Lauderdale-they have been and are doing socks and accessories for every racing boat in the world
ATN Home Page -- sailing, sail, storm, gale, tacker, spinnaker, sleeve, stasher, flasher, douser, chute scoop, sally, case, furler, roller, reefed sail, single handed, short handed, cruising, transatlantic, round the world, Jules Verne Trophy, BOC, w

[Nordic cat]

The FP boats are conservatively rigged as most are used for charter work, and no manufacturer wants their name involved with accidents. I would definately reccomend that you just buy the bowsprit, all the other stuff you can get alot cheaper from a sailmaker i would think. I can see from the photos above that the sail is made by Incidences so just google them and ask for a price, then compare with a couple of others.

I would suggest going with the bowsprit and a sock for the asymmetric. I have one for my Tobago, on a home made bowsprit. Furlers for asymmetrics need to have a relatively large "furling line" to wrap the sail around.

I have a Code Zero on an endless furler, that just furls on itself, but this sail is not as deep as the asymmetric and much stronger = more expensive. Its like a very big genoa, and not optimal for downwind work, like an asymmetric is.

The ATN sock is nice, but at the more expensive end. You can get decent socks from any reputable sailmaker.

You will need a couple of good large diameter blocks for the sheets, and somewhere strong to mount them at the aft outside end of the boat, just ask your dealer if there already are attachment points mounted, and a way to lead the lines to a winch on each side.

Generally standard boats also have small (cheaper) winches as standard, so consider upgrading at least one size up for the genoa winch(es).

Regards

Alan

[lstyles]

I bought my boat without a bowsprit. Does anyone know how much it would cost to get just a bowsprit (no sails or furler)?
thanks,

[pguillemin]

You should check with your dealer
FP has a list of option and bowsprit retrofit is one

[Nordic cat]

Originally Posted by lstyles

I bought my boat without a bowsprit. Does anyone know how much it would cost to get just a bowsprit (no sails or furler)?
thanks,

This list price is 4067 Euros including extra "equipment". Won't the factory quote you the sprit alone? If not, then I find this approach arrogant to say the least.

It's not that easy to just go and buy a bowsprit like the one they offer, these are made out of composites, made in a form. An alternative is to use an aluminium pipe, like a short spinnaker pole that attaches to the forward crossbeam, and can be detached. This needs to be supported by a couple of at least 10mm stays that are securely attached as far down and as far forward as possible on the inner sides of the hulls.

Enclosed is a picture I took of the attachment point for a bowsprit on a Freydis 49. If you beef up your furler attachment, it looks like an easy solution, or else you can mount the same kind of fitting to your forward beam. Note how the furler attachmnet base is beefed up behind the plate. In the foreground you can see the forward end of the bowsprit.
I would reccomend a sprit length of max. 120 cms for your boat, mine is about 90 cms on the Tobago

I would estimate a price of around 1000-1500 euros for the sprit, stays, beefing up the furler attachment, mounting etc.

The advantage of this kind of sprit, is that you can easily remove it for docking.

I have made my own system, and can get some pictures in a couple of weeks if you want, but it is not as elegant as the one in the photo below.

Regards

Alan

[pguillemin]

It is not arrogance.Just company policy.There is a list of option and you buy into it or not.You definitively seems to have a problem with FP.
And as I say before the California dealer will have a pricing and details.
The company bowsprit is nicely done in a mold and add to the look of the boat;
In brief..you get what you paid for

[kev&jo]

The wait is over, I have just taken delivery of my new boat, which includes the bowsprit and spifurl, which FP said it was the first mahe to have one!

It is fantastic and very simple, it is huge and good for upto 25Knts so they say, not sure I would be brave enough to go that far.

The pictures above is our boat with Jo in the picture, so lets have some more.

I am really pleased I bought the spifurl and bowsprit.

By the way the boat is fantastic, it was the right choice!

One very happy owner