Best way to furl the jib

[svenskflicka]

I actually had my first ever experience with a difficult furl a couple weeks (tried to point up in 25+ kts) ago and have a question for those recommending to bear off. What about (as was the case when I had trouble) if you are running under jib only and there is no main to blanket the jib. Will bearing off still benefit due to the decrease in apparent wind?

Thanks.

[Flagman101]

Yes. Apparent Wind will Always decrease on a reach.
Less Wind = less presure.

[Montanan]

Originally Posted by svenskflicka

I actually had my first ever experience with a difficult furl a couple weeks (tried to point up in 25+ kts) ago and have a question for those recommending to bear off. What about (as was the case when I had trouble) if you are running under jib only and there is no main to blanket the jib. Will bearing off still benefit due to the decrease in apparent wind?

Thanks.

Yes, particularly if you let the jib head downwind of the forestay so as to spill its wind by letting out the sheets. It will luff and flail if released completely down wind so you will want to furl quickly, but the apparent wind will be less if the vessel is moving downwind then if it was headed into the wind or stalled in irons facing the wind, or hove to with the jib backed against the wind.

Sometimes one just needs to use the iron jib and drop the sails, that is what the halyard is for when the furler will not furl.

[gonesail]

depends on how big your boat is. on a 40 footer it takes some solid muscle or a winch to furl a big jib in strong wind. you will wish you had a hanked on sail

[Flagman101]

Originally Posted by gonesail

depends on how big your boat is. on a 40 footer it takes some solid muscle or a winch to furl a big jib in strong wind. you will wish you had a hanked on sail

How come you have a big sail unfurled in strong winds?
Unless you race, your sails should be according to stringiest puffs.
So in big winds the headsail should be partially furled already.
No?

[meirriba]

Originally Posted by Flagman101

How come you have a big sail unfurled in strong winds?
Unless you race, your sails should be according to stringiest puffs.
So in big winds the headsail should be partially furled already.
No?

The key word here is 'should'.
Not always what should be actually is...
And then you 'should' know what to do.

[wingssail]

I was surprised recently sailing on my friend's Westsail 42. When the wind increased to 20kts true we were overpowered with the huge genoa. We set the staysail and then furled the genoa. It was a lot of work, I had to grind it FOREVER!

Subsequently, when the wind went down we again unrolled the genny but at the end of our sailing day when we had to furl it again, it was again difficult and we tried it upwind and down, tensioning and easing the sheet, nothing made it much easier. Dang!

To me it is an example of something which is supposed to make sailing easier but in fact makes it equally as hard as before.

We can drop our own headsails in a flash. We don't have roller furling. But of course someone has to go forward, usually me but Judy does it often.

The real advantage is that we can quickly change sails to suit the conditions.

And I find that furling the genoa is just as hard, or harder, and much slower, than grinding in a genoa on my own boat, however we have bigger winches. And certainly slower than dropping a genoa onto the deck.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by gonesail

depends on how big your boat is. on a 40 footer it takes some solid muscle or a winch to furl a big jib in strong wind. you will wish you had a hanked on sail

I have a 135 Genoa, and its not that bad, but out of laziness I've just moved a Lewmar 16 winch to furl it, actually put a bigger winch on the cabin top because the 16 just wasn't big enough for the code zero halyard.
Crazy as this sounds but furling the big Genoa in high winds hurts my knees as they are shot.
But use a Milwaukee drill, then anyone can furl without problem, you do of course have to ensure nothing is jammed cause the Milwaukee may could damage something, so like any powered anything, you have to be aware of what is going on.

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by Flagman101

How come you have a big sail unfurled in strong winds?
Unless you race, your sails should be according to stringiest puffs.
So in big winds the headsail should be partially furled already.
No?

Not as simple as that. Suppose the genoa is perfect for the conditions when you start out, say, 10kts. Then the wind builds. At 15, it is still fine going off the wind but when you turn upwind or onto a reach, it's a bit much. About that time the wind rises to 20, or more, quickly, which you didn't see coming.

Now furling it is a bitch.

When, in that scenario, should you have partially rolled in the genoa, and aren't you then forced to sail with a baggy shape?

Sailing is a sport, an athletic activity, not a sedentary one. Watching TV is much less work.

[BlackHeron]

I am with Wingsail. We also run hank-on jibs and we can run the perfect sail for the conditions without the massive inefficiencies of a roller-reefed luff. I like being able to run our 155% 1.5oz nylon drifter in light air or our tiny yankee-cut storm sail in high winds. Changing sails is an easy job that takes only a minute if the sails are prepped properly before dropping the current foresail. I also like the option of running the large drifter Genoa instead of dealing with a spinnaker. The drifter is very manageable because it is hanked and doesn't tend to drop into the water without a complication like a snuffer or sock.

But that all said, when I used to lead sails on the club boats of my old sailing club I learned that the more power in the jib when trying to furl it the harder it is to roll it in.

Bearing off helps with the apparent wind speed but for the luff to roll in easily it should approach the foil directly into into the apparent wind angle. This requires easing the sheet to just past the point where the outer tells have stalled, but not yet causing the massive luffing which will occur if the sheets are eased too much.

Either that, or the course needs to be headed up into the wind until the sail is pinching and depowers, which presents an issue of higher apparent wind going into the true wind and also losing way and helm control in irons eventually. This method is best done with the auxillary to maintain minimal way and helm.

[thinwater]

I don't see this mentioned:


Even if you are hauling by hand, put a single wrap on the winch. This will prevent it from getting away from you if a gust hits. Same with the sheet. Nice and controlled.

[Tom1340]

I have had bad luck furling when running. To take pressure off sail, I slacked the sheets till the sail luff moved forward of the forestay/furler. Then in bouncing seas and shifting winds, the luff wrapped the foil out of sequence and the whole rig bound up. This happened twice. In both cases, I was able to go forward and correct the problem, but it was scary. I don't furl down wind any more.
Also, I hate to use the winch because I can't always tell the difference between wind drag on sail and fouled furler or wrapped halyard. I know a winch can pull a rig down. In difficult situations, I've had success running the furling line across the cockpit to the second winch, then pulling the line laterally at the midpoint with one hand, while using the second hand to pull the "slack" around the 2nd winch. The midpoint lateral pull gives you a lot more purchase, but still lets you feel the furler's response.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by thinwater

I don't see this mentioned:


Even if you are hauling by hand, put a single wrap on the winch. This will prevent it from getting away from you if a gust hits. Same with the sheet. Nice and controlled.

That winch is available only with the wind from the port side of the boat on mine, cause the furling line is on the port side.
To always have an available winch, you need to have a dedicated one for furling, at least on the way my boat is set up.

[BlackHeron]

If the furling line runs through a clutch and then is backed up with a cleat a couple feet behind that, but still in reach, one can "jump" the line between the clutch and the cleat by pulling at it sideways with the line quarter-belayed on the cleat, and then taking up the slack quickly around the belay on the cleat each time.

A winch is usually not necessary or even helpful compared to simply jumping the line between clutch and cleat if the hardware is well laid out on the deck or combing, on small or even medium sailboats up to 30' or so.

This gives extra purchase on the line and keeps tension on the drum to prevent it jumping out. The cleat also helps keep tension on the furling line when unfurling the jib if eased slowly past it as the jib is unfurled. In this way the drum wraps smoothly without overlaps and over-rides that could cause issues when furling later and ensures less effort will be needed due to a lack of drum friction or binding.

[a64pilot]

My furling line and I think many run on the deck, actually led thru the Lifeline stanchions.
However I understand what your saying, it’s like pulling on a halyard on the mast to tighten it, pull the line away from the mast, the clutch will of course keep what you gained