headsail furler

[johneri1]

By many accounts, furlers are used to reduce headsail size but [at least some] furler makers and sailmakers say not too. Besides distortion of the sail shape, does anyone know why you should or you shouldn't?
Thank you very much!

[cooper]

Hi
the basic principle of furlers has been around for years. The original fore sail furledr was used to stow the sail not reef it. The drum and rope was (is ) very similar but the sail was hanked unto a wire strop, not a aluminium profile. To keep the shape of the sail when used in the modern context, some sails now have a strip of foam pading, so as it reefs it changes shape. On boom furling is also very old. The sail was rolled to the needed size and a outhaul and cunningham reattached. This had the same problem with distorting sail shape because the sail was usually pulled down under tension.

[44'cruisingcat]

Having the sail partially furled puts a large torque load into the furler foil. I would presume the manufacturers who say not to do this haven't engineered the foil to handle those loads.

[David M]

So are there furlers and sails designed for partial deployment?

[delmarrey]

The new roller-reefing headsails have a strips (2-3) of padding sewn into most of the length the luff of the sail. This creates a cushion for the sail to wrap around the foil helping it to avoid pinching of the cloth.

It does wrinkle but the tighter is gets, it pulls out the wrinkle rather then crushing it against the foil, possibly breaking the fibers (especially on a weathered sail).

You can see a little of the strips in the upper RH of the picture....................._/)

[Yotboss]

Originally Posted by David M

So are there furlers and sails designed for partial deployment?

Simple answer is 'yes'. However, not all furlers are built for reefing; check the specs before making a decision. As others have mentioned, sails have to be built properly for reefing, i.e. with a foam luff.

Tom

[Ex-Calif]

We have a 150 genny. We have run it at 150%, 100% and about 50%. We have the "padding" at the luff and it works pretty well.

The main issue is that with the headsail partially furled we lose pointing ability big time. The "bulge" around the foil disturbs the air and stalls the headsail early.

Our foil has two grooves so headsail changes are possible.

So while I am a huge fan of furling I would probably change sails on a passage rather than run with the inefficiency.

We arrived at the club Friday night at 5:15. The wind was great so we made the decision to go and at 5:30 we were underway and sailing with 6 hands on board and a case of beer on ice. Two hours later we were on the buoy.

The furler just makes jumping in the boat a no brainer decision. Anything that encourages one to sail more is a good thing in my book.

[Southern Star]

Most roller reefing/furling manufacturers will tell you that you can only reef efficiently by about 30% of the size of the foretriangle - i.e., a 150% genoa to 120%, a 110% to 80%. There are a couple of reasons for this: firstly, the weight of sailcloth should be heavier for a sail designed for heavy air and consequently, you are apt to blow out a 150 if used in winds that require a working jib, or something smaller; secondly, a sail is not a flat piece of material, but rather has some built in camber or 'belly' which cannot be properly taken up by rolling the sail on a straight extrusion. Foam luffs are designed to compensate for this and allow greater compression at the head and tack, resulting in better sail shape when reefed.

Think of it this way - in slab reefing on a mainsail one is usually advised to tighten only at the tack and clew and to use the short lines from the reefing cringles only for the purpose of gathering up the loose (reefed) portion at the foot of the sail. Why? Same thing, so you will not distort the shape of the sail.

So far as I know, the only furling systems currently made that are not designed for reefing are those used with screechers etc., and which are intended to be detachable.

Brad

[Hud3]

I have a 110% genny on a Harken RF on my cutter rigged boat. I had foam luff pads sewn in it, and it keeps a flat shape all the way in now. In 30-35 kts, I roll it up until it just overlaps the staysail. With 2 or 3 reefs in the RF main, we're punching through the waves, pointing well, and comfortable. Before adding the luff pads, the genny's shape was so bad I couldn't reef it more than 30% or so.

[GordMay]

A good rule of thumb is that genoas should cover the following approximate apparent wind ranges (your mileage may vary):

* Light No. 1 (150%) between 0-12 knots
* Heavy No. 1 (150%) between 10-20 knots
* No. 2 (130%) between 18-24 knots
* No. 3 (110%) between 22-30 knots
* No. 4 Storm (<90%) from 26-plus knots

UNDERSTANDING HEADSAIL FURLING SYSTEMS ~ by Bill Hooper
UNDERSTANDING HEADSAIL FURLING SYSTEMS* by Bill Hooper

[Celestialsailor]

Furlers are a great thing to have if you are single handing and want to stay in the cockpit...providing you get it in soon enough. I have had a Harken and now a Profurl. My vessel is a cutter/Ketch. So when it is time to reduce, I can roll it up fully and use the staysyl only.
I think there is only one reason a sailmaker would advice against furling a sail...and that is to sell you more than one sail.

[Stranded Mariner]

I am having a 43' Dix built with a cutter rig. I am considering a Profurl 420 for the genoa, and a Profurl 380 for the staysail. I am still not sure if I should go for that smaller furler there or not.

[Kanani]

IMHO.....Profurl is the best when set-u with a padded luff genoa.

The manuf may have a cautionary statement for CYA. Most roller-furling headsails will do a good job. I have just found that the Profurl is the easiest one to reef when the going gets rough.....that's important .

[Stranded Mariner]

Originally Posted by Kanani

IMHO.....Profurl is the best when set-u with a padded luff genoa.

That is good advice, thanks, and I will definitely order the genoa that way.
As I said I am not so sure yet about the staysail. Either another furler, or a normal staysail and a separate storm jib.

[GordMay]

Luff shaping tapes can include foam or rope along the leading edge, offering a better draft shape when partially reefed.

The Rope Luff* is claimed to last longer than foam, better resist mildew, and (unlike foam) won’t compress under load, and has no "memory".
* A tapered series of polypropylene ropes in a polyester sleeve along the sails’ luff .

Has anyone any longer-term experience with both “RopeLuff*” and Foam Reefing Pads?
* North Sails call their option “RopeLuff”