New Mainsail with existing furling Main

[Beagle123]

I have a Selden furling main system that allows a separate main with a 10 mm luff tape to fit on an outer track of the mast (see image). As I am planning on sailing down the Leeward and Windward Islands in Jan 2018 and then back up to the Chesapeake March/April I was planning to get a second main as a spare and a more efficient main than the one on the furler.

My questions are
1) What are the advantages /disadvantages of a fully batten main v regular main?

2) Can I use a lazy-jack system with both batten and without?

3) Do you experts see any problem with having a furling main (a triangle about 2 ft x 3 ft remains outside the mast when full furled) AND then flying a regular loose-footed main using the outhaul from the furling main?

[neilpride]

How you plan to raise or lower the main ?


The second luff track is to fit a storm trysail or a spare mainsail, but i dont think is a good idea to sail with a second mainsail on and off unless you fit a track in the Groove to help you raise or lower the main in a fuzz....

[Pete7]

If you are going to get a new main particularly for the upwind work why not just replace the existing main. Better shape for upwind work. Perhaps keep the old one on board for the downwind legs on the way home.

We have inmast reefing btw and have just replaced the main due to age (2001) and sail shape with each panel stretched despite the fabric looking in good condition.

To answer your questions:

Q1. A battened main with have a roach and therefore greater sail area. If you can use this area to create power and drive you will go faster. However, we hit hull speed with a furling main so there isn't a huge advantage for us over some of the other benefits.

Q2. Possibly.

Q3. If the end of the furling main is secured separately it could work.


Pete

[Beagle123]

Originally Posted by neilpride

How you plan to raise or lower the main ?


The second luff track is to fit a storm trysail or a spare mainsail, but i dont think is a good idea to sail with a second mainsail on and off unless you fit a track in the Groove to help you raise or lower the main in a fuzz....

I would have a separate halyard (to the furling main) for the second main ...wouldn't the luff tape on the new main fitting in the grove avoid the need for a track?

[neilpride]

Originally Posted by Beagle123

I would have a separate halyard (to the furling main) for the second main ...wouldn't the luff tape on the new main fitting in the grove avoid the need for a track?

Maybe but is going to be a pain in the ass raise the main or lower,, and reef well before in advance i guess...

[daletournier]

First up are furling masts strong enough to use the slot to fit a main as you have the big gap where inmast furling main comes out?

If so I suppose you could fit a tides marine strong sail track in that second groove.

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[Beagle123]

OK Thanks for your comments about new main track v using sail tape and the existing mast slot....


But please can I also get comments on fully battened main versus regular main....which is better up wind and down wind (they will both be the same on beam reach

[daletournier]

Fully batterned main with full roach is better all over imo. Better shape and more sail.

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[captainjay]

A battened sail will hold better sail shape always. In any point of sail.

With that mast set up the best option is to get a storm sail to go in the track when needed. Then have a good sail maker make you a new furling main with vertical battens. Don't over think it or over design it. This is well established territory.

[Beagle123]

Thanks Daletournier and Capt Jay...I will need to find the threads about fully battened furling mains ...I was thinking horizontal battens and Lazy Jack storage

[Stumble]

A fully battened sail will generally be a much bigger sail than an in mastfurling one, say 20-30% moresail area. So just in sail area alone it's going to be a faster sail. It just has more power.

Secondly the roach, that the battens allow, makes for a shape that has less drag, the aurodynamics are complicated, but basically the bigger the roach, and the bigger the head the less induced drag. So not only do you have more power from the bigger sail, you also have less drag. So you sail faster and point higher.

Finally a fully battened sail is more shapable. Meaning you can control the draft position and depth in ways that roller fueling sails can't. This makes for a faster, higher pointing, and less heel inducing sail. So you sail faster, higher, and heel less.

The tradeoffs of course I sail you can't just roll it up, you have to drop it and cover it. If the performance gains are worth it to you, then it's worth it, if not the new not.

[goat]

Fully battened main will give you better performance in light winds. There's a period at the end of that sentence. However, you already have a furling main on your boat. Depending on where you are sailing you may find you can sail more, and motor less with a furling main. Such as; when the winds die down, and everyone puts their sail covers on, then the wind returns. You just roll it back out. In heavier winds your waterline length will decide how fast you sail. I've had both, I prefer slab reefing, but I wouldn't change one for the other if I liked the rest of the boat. A new unbattened furling main will be cheaper, can be made heavier, have less to go wrong and may give you enough performance, depending on the conditions you sail in. Try it the way it is for awhile, then decide if it's worth the cost and effort. Don't forget the costs of adding a reefing system for the spare main; winches, blocks, padeyes etc.

goats; ready to swim against the current.

[barnakiel]

I would not use a ('2nd') main in the extra slot while any piece of an existing furled sail sticks out from the furling slot. I cannot see how these two would not interfere.

Maybe sole exception a trisail. But this is not a main.

b.

[Beagle123]

Thanks Stumble , I accept your logic completely about the larger sail area and the roach drag.......so with a 20% larger sail I cannot see how this could be furling..it simply would not fit in the mast..as you say it would have to be dropped and covered ....
and Goat you make a good point about the added cost of reefing points ......which brings me to Barnakiel...if you have undone the outhaul (to attach to the second main in the slot outside the mast ) and locked the mechanism to prevent the in-mast main unfurling ..would the 2 ft x 3 ft overlap really cause a problem if it was secured to the boom? I am trying to get the best of both worlds ....more power with the main and the option to drop the new main and cover..... then re-attach the outhaul and unfurl the in mast main...with the loose foot this could be possible ....but perhaps I am being overly optimistic and making it all seem easy when in fact it would be quite complicated

[daletournier]

No offense but I think its not such a bright idea. Go one way or the other and my suggestion is stay with whats there, your going to cruise? The difference won't be that great. I have a inmast furler (new to me) and would probably prefer slab reefing but wint be going to the trouble of retrofitting the latter, get the most out of what you have.

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