In-mast Main Furling Tips

[johnny666]

Hi ...
Any tips for mast furling main to ensure a good furl (no jams !!!) appreciated.
ie; pressure or no pressure on sail
if pressure, port or starboard (subject to direction the sail furls)
vang on, vang off
halyard tension
etc

[delmarrey]

Keep a little tension on the sheet when furling up. But not too tight.

Avoid furling up in a blow. Furl up in advance. If the winds get above 15kt consider reefing. Use the Genoa with the sheet as far aft as possible. A lot of times in heavy weather I sail with Genoa alone.

IMHO inmast furlings are for day sailing, not offshore.

[rmesfo]

Originally Posted by delmarrey

Keep a little tension on the sheet when furling up. But not too tight.

Avoid furling up in a blow. Furl up in advance. If the winds get above 15kt consider reefing. Use the Genoa with the sheet as far aft as possible. A lot of times in heavy weather I sail with Genoa alone.

IMHO inmast furlings are for day sailing, not offshore.

Agree. That is the secret for the sail to not bind up, especially when bringing in the main when windy and trying to reef.

[nortonscove]

Originally Posted by delmarrey

Keep a little tension on the sheet when furling up. But not too tight.

Avoid furling up in a blow. Furl up in advance. If the winds get above 15kt consider reefing. Use the Genoa with the sheet as far aft as possible. A lot of times in heavy weather I sail with Genoa alone.

IMHO inmast furlings are for day sailing, not offshore.

Someone should inform the folks at Rassy and Oyster.

The thing with all inmast seems to be researching the system you have a sticking with their protocol. I spent the first year listening to what others have written but that simply added to my frustration. Upon reading the literature for my specific system it all came together. I can furl in just about any winds as long as I'm oriented so I'm on the starboard tack.

[chrisr]

Originally Posted by nortonscove

Someone should inform the folks at Rassy and Oyster.

The thing with all inmast seems to be researching the system you have a sticking with their protocol. I spent the first year listening to what others have written but that simply added to my frustration. Upon reading the literature for my specific system it all came together. I can furl in just about any winds as long as I'm oriented so I'm on the starboard tack.

re my post further up, i still can't understand why you must furl / unfurl in the same directions. once our m/sail is fully deployed, it will roll up either clockwise or anti-clockwise.

seems to make no diff whatsoever. keep unfurl button depressed, drum keeps rotating, and sail starts to furl in (on the other side)

so if on port tack, i'd furl the sail in anti-clockwise direction. if on starboard, furl in a clockwise direction.

of course if the sail is part furled, you are locked in to continuing to furl in that direction...but that's no big problem

cheers,

[jr_spyder]

Originally Posted by chrisr

re my post further up, i still can't understand why you must furl / unfurl in the same directions. once our m/sail is fully deployed, it will roll up either clockwise or anti-clockwise.

seems to make no diff whatsoever. keep unfurl button depressed, drum keeps rotating, and sail starts to furl in (on the other side)

so if on port tack, i'd furl the sail in anti-clockwise direction. if on starboard, furl in a clockwise direction.

of course if the sail is part furled, you are locked in to continuing to furl in that direction...but that's no big problem

cheers,

Chris, I was with you about this until I learned that different masts are made different ways. I have a Hood Stoway and the slot is symmetrical on both sides and allows the main to furl on either side. So you can optimize the side you're furled on for less chaff (don't let the canvas lie on the metal). Some masts (Seldon for one I think) have the slot slightly off to one side so you can only furl in one direction. If you went the other way the canvas would definitely be resting and dragging along the edge of the slot. Don't do that. So as said a previously the first thing to understand is your mast maker's tips.

Because I can furl either way sometimes I start out on a new and windy day needing a reef or two, but from the previous say I left the main "on the wrong side" in its slot. In this case I unfurl the sail all the way out and then reef back in on the optimal side, especially if I know I'll be holding that particular tack for most of my sail.

As for another tip: listen! The sound of the outhaul line moving through it's blocks and the sound of the mast furler doing its job will tell you almost all you need know about proper tensions and effort. This takes a while to learn but once you have it it might be the most important input while you're also trying to steer the boat, watch traffic, keep guests onboard, etc.

I never expected or asked for a in-mast furler but it came on my boat. I'm now very pleased I have it.

[chrisr]

Originally Posted by jr_spyder

Chris, I was with you about this until I learned that different masts are made different ways. I have a Hood Stoway and the slot is symmetrical on both sides and allows the main to furl on either side. So you can optimize the side you're furled on for less chaff (don't let the canvas lie on the metal). Some masts (Seldon for one I think) have the slot slightly off to one side so you can only furl in one direction. If you went the other way the canvas would definitely be resting and dragging along the edge of the slot. Don't do that. So as said a previously the first thing to understand is your mast maker's tips.

Because I can furl either way sometimes I start out on a new and windy day needing a reef or two, but from the previous say I left the main "on the wrong side" in its slot. In this case I unfurl the sail all the way out and then reef back in on the optimal side, especially if I know I'll be holding that particular tack for most of my sail.

As for another tip: listen! The sound of the outhaul line moving through it's blocks and the sound of the mast furler doing its job will tell you almost all you need know about proper tensions and effort. This takes a while to learn but once you have it it might be the most important input while you're also trying to steer the boat, watch traffic, keep guests onboard, etc.

I never expected or asked for a in-mast furler but it came on my boat. I'm now very pleased I have it.

yes, our slot is central so sail can roll either way. there is also a plastic strip along the edges, so the sail does not rub on the metal

cheers,

[chrismn]

Originally Posted by delmarrey

A lot of times in heavy weather I sail with Genoa alone.

That doesn't unbalance the boat and give you lee helm?

[Ded reckoner]

In addition to what delmarrey said, your mainsail is furled a particular direction (ours is counterclockwise). So, we help it when furling by being on a starboard tack. This orients the sail so it furls into the mast on a straighter angle.


Also, ensure the halyard for the mainsail has the correct tension.

[CarlF]

Be sure the mast isn't tuned with a lot of "pre-bend" where the middle of the mast is slightly forward and the top back. When you sight up the mast it should be very straight.

As said, you'll quickly learn the right tension to get a nice smooth furl.

Before furling or reefing, adjust the vang/kicker to keep the boom at the angle where it furls best. Usually slightly less than 90 degrees (like 87) but it depends on the cut of the sail.

While you're getting used to it, always furl on a close reach on the tack where the sail winds best. As you get familiar with it, you can experiment with more points of sail. Don't furl with it luffing motoring into the wind.

Again, after you gain experience you'll find you don't have to be so careful. Today's in mast furlers are far less jam prone than the early ones. I read somewhere that 80% of the monohulls sold in Europe are in-mast furlers.

[kas_1611]

As others have said always try to furl your main in on the tack that allows the sail to enter the mast as straight as possible. On my boat that is a Starboard tack so the boom is kicked out slightly to Port. Sail as close as possible to the wind using the Jib or Genoa to keep drive and let the boom out to de-power the main. Keep some tension on the outhaul so the main doesn't get creased as it rolls in and furl as quickly as you can. If you have to stop and reset the course or sail position rather than fight it. You shouldn't need to resort to winches unless the wind has suddenly picked up and you are trying to reef in a hurry. Secret is to lubricate all your turning gear every year (Teflon grease is great and so it WD40).

Also make sure there are no loose halyards or lines (mousing lines for spinnaker uphaul for instance) that could get caught up in the furling sail. I know from personal experience!!!

If you have a gas kicker then find the optimum angle for the boom and make a clear mark on the kicker so you can easily set the angle correctly each time from the safety of the cockpit. Around 85 to 87º is about normal.

Like a regular, slab reefed main the key to using your in-mast furler is practice. Try, try try again when the conditions are easy and get a good technique. That way when you do get caught out with a wee bit too much sail you won't struggle to get the sail in safely.

An In Mast furler is just as capable as any other kind of main sail when used well. We've sailed comfortably in 30+kts, survived 45kts squalls and thunderstorms and reefed in safely many times with ours. And achieved hull speed in our 40ft on multiple occasions. You just need to understand how to sail a slightly different way to a battened, slab reefer.

[ERON]

I have an in-mast sail..
When bringing out the sail, I point upwind, and take all tension off the boom, loosing the main sheet and vang. and just roll it open.
When bringing in the sail, again I point upwind and like the previous posts, I set the angle just right, sometimes even using the traveler to do so.
Then I tighten down the main sheet and sometimes the vang too. The point being is that you want to roll the sail into the mast flat. When I roll it up I keep a lot of tension on the outhaul and keep an eye on the sail where it goes into the mast, looking for a possible fold. If you get a fold into the mast thats when it jams, usually when you open up again. If it starts to fold, I open the sail up again and redo. My boat is from 2001, I understand that the newer boats are more forgiving and easier.

Oh and the trick I learned is that I can bring the sail in while hove to. No need for the motor.

[sailing_gal]

Generally, the best angle to the wind is either 1:00 11:00, depending on how your sail furls, you do not want the sail rubbing against the slot as it comes in. That angle off the wind generally allows you to have just enough pressure on her so she comes in nicely. As others have mentioned, find the right angle for the boom, usually a bit less than 90 degrees.

Also, I have had no problems sailing with my in-mast furler off shore- as a matter of fact went through hurricane force winds in the Atlantic on a trans-Atlantic crossing. The nice thing about in-mast furling is you have an unlimited amount of furling potential, and it is easier to furl, so it is done more often. I learned that to furl in big seas, when furling, I wait until I hit the trough of a wave, and then crank her in a bit because the wind is less there, then wait for the next trough and crank in some more. Patience is the key.

[Hermia II]

..just want to add to all above that I have this winter renovated the whole furling system in my Hood Stoway mast. New S/S balls at the top of the mast (and we made a plastic "ball retainer"), new oil in the gearbox, checked the coals and collector of the motor, and the halyard swivel. This unit is about 30 years old, but I tell you, it's indestructible. It will easily last another 30 years. Very impressive.

[Davidhoy]

How old is the furler? I just recently had my mast down while replacing all the standing rigging, all electrical wiring, and installing a new radar. I took the opportunity to inspect the furler, especially since I saw some loose needle bearings. Good thing I did as the shaft on which the bearing ride was significantly scored. I had the whole unit rebuilt, with all new bearings. Now it furls so much smoother! Glad I found this now, as it would inevitably have bound up at the worst possible moment.

Regards,
David.