Cruising Asymetrical and Furler

[Stumble]

Darrell,

The current system is still being installed, but I can give you the list of the parts to date. The boat is a 2001 Beneteau 381

Bowsprit - Selden sel9909970 99mm Aluminum Bowsprit Kit - 10.4 Ft
Furler -Selden GX 10 top down asymetrical furler (this furler is new to the market in may)
Anti-torsion line -Selden 3/8 GX Anti-torsion line 52'
Furling line - made it myself 1/4" amsteel blue end for end spliced
Fair leads -Colligio marine stantion mount line guide (absolutely rediculous, but I had them already).
Sheet blocks - Harken 75mm loup blocks
Halyard - endurabraid tapered halyard

We are using all titanium shackles, and rings on the sail. Probably unnecessary for a cruising boat, but it's an advantage to selling titanium hardware.

Originally Posted by opwan2002

GREG: CAN I GET A LIST OF THE PARTS YOU USED TO PUT TOGETHER YOUR SYSTEM AND WHAT SIZE BOAT ARE YOU USING THEM ON? YOU MENTIONED FACNOR FURLER: I WAS LOOKING AT THE FX4500 FOR MY CATALINA 470 BUT I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THE SNAP SWIVELS TO CONNECT TO THE BOW SPRIT OR THE HEAD SWIVEL ETC. A LIST OF THE COMPONENTS WOULD REALLY BE A HELP, AND DID YOU HAVE SOMEONE AT THE SAIL SHOP FABRICATE THE ANTI-TORSION ROPE?
-WHERE ARE YOU LOCATED?
-LIST OF PARTS?
-SIZE OF BOAT?
THANKS DARRELL

[Stumble]

I looked at the strait luff sails, but I really wanted a sail to go deeper than that would allow. Theoretically we can carry a true deep runner, but settled on an AP, so we can harden the luff to go upwind, and let it out and go deep.

Up until this Selden unit came out there were really two options, the tight luff furlers that ran around $1,000 or a top down unit from Karver that is about $3,000. Then I found the selden unit was coming out, and the price on it, and decided to wait until it was available.

The sail flies free of the torsion rope completely. The tack is attached to a swivel, the drive line turns the torsion line, which is attached to a head unit. As the furling line is pulled, the torsion line rotates, but the sail tack stays stationary. As the torsion line spins the top swivel starts to roll up the sail.

I haven't had it up yet so I can't confirm it works as advertised, but I have used the Karver units before, and they work a treat.

[Kestrahl]

Interested to hear about the Selden system.

You can actually sail reasonably deep with a tight luff sail and keep it set, it just isn't as fast as it doesn't have any projection in the luff. In saying that a gennaker isn't very effective compared to a spinnaker running deep unless the boat can drag the apparent wind forward.

The further the tack is away from the mast also has an big effect on how deep you can go and still keep the sail full and of course if the prod can rotate which is getting abit complicated for a cruising boat, although I did see a Jeanneau 42ds with a rotating sprit recently.

[Kestrahl]

Originally Posted by islandplanet

Kestrahl,

We've been doing a lot of straight luff sails as well and the customers report good times. Typically we're hearing that the average 40'er is getting 6 knots in 10 knots true. And the sails are much more manageable as you know. Loosen the tack line and they are even ok downwind. Kind of a Swiss Army knife of a sail.

Roger that. Although I did one for a customer who races and I don't think it performed as well as he would have liked, but they are perfect for the short handed cruiser.

[Stumble]

My concern with a strait luff like a code zero, was that these retrofit poles aren't nearly as strong as say the J Boat ones, and since I didn't want to fit a bobstay, I was concerned that luff tension could cause a problem. That and I have a 155 on the roller furler, so I dont need much help going upwind.

[Arcady]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

I believe RollGen is that horrible Bamar thing I used once. I would not buy one for my own boat.

A spinnaker does not really go well with a furler. Go for a gennaker and get a good furler if the sail is too big to lower in the regular manner (or if you are going to single handle, then get an AP too).

A nice kite furler can be used for a gen, then disconnected and used for a light genoa/drifter/zero type of sail.

b.

Not sure why you describe it as 'horrible'. In terms of quality of materials it seems to be up there with the best. We've used ours for four seasons and have no issues with either construction or performance.

[chris_gee]

Yes I know the Facnor has a line to the midgirth. That was not the issue raised. The new Selden GX does not. It is a top furler because the tack/ furler connection is not fixed but swivels. I am not in a position to comment on which system is better in the absence of independent tests

[gramos]

I bought a furling kit for my chute many years go , before "torsion ropes " were invented .
the system was useless !
the sail just would not furl and often just wrap itself around the forestay .
so I gave up and chucked it in a dark corner , mentally and physically
now I am inspired by the development and think I my dust it off and fit it up with a torsion rope as this seems prevalent in ll the new systems ,
So , what makes a rope a torsion rope ? I have lots of lines hanging around spare can anyone tell me how to "create " my own torsion rope ? its not rocket science is it !
What is done to stop them twisting ?
I have one idea , what do the sailing brains on board can suggest ?

[goboatingnow]

I had a Facnor asymmetric on a previous boat. I liked it, yes you couldnt sail too deep , but it worked well.

Dave