400: Is there an easy way to attach a furler to the bowsprit

[CatNewBee]

Hi there,

how do you attach the shackle of your code 0 to the Lagoon bowsprit without falling over board? Is there an easy and safe way to do it?

I have done it in the marina, and it is a pain to reach out and get the shackle through the little hole upfront, I guess it would be quite dangerous to do it on the ocean to attach the code 0 furler without using a bosun chair or something else to secure you from falling off the bow.

On YT I did not found any video that shows the process on properly attaching the head sail to the stick of a Lagoon bowsprit.

What technique do you use?

On passage it may make sense to switch between a Code 0 for light upwind and a Wingaker for downwind sailing, but there is only one halyard, so you need to remove the code 0 before you can fly the Wingaker. It may be a good idea to detach the furler and store the Code 0 down below instead of leaving it attached and down on deck / the trampoline.

I am very curious how you deal with it.

[rom]

Have a look at other cats e.g. a catana 47 longer bowsprit. The furler is attached to a pulley with a rope passing through a spinlock attached to bowsprit. So you can safely attach the furler to the pulley and they pull the rope. I am afraid Lagoon left us with a small, simple yet unsafe bowsprit. AFAIC I use a harness.

[CatNewBee]

I thinked about it, but attaching a furler to a rope through a pulley would probably turn it around when furling or create an undesired momentum, so I guess, a direct attachment would work better?

Is there a way to easy detach the bowsprit before connecting the furler / what is the point of the bungee up and the pin down below on the bowsprit - is it meant to be manipulated to attach the sails?

[rom]

Originally Posted by CatNewBee

I thinked about it, but attaching a furler to a rope through a pulley would probably turn it around when furling or create an undesired momentum, so I guess, a direct attachment would work better?

Is there a way to easy detach the bowsprit before connecting the furler / what is the point of the bungee up and the pin down below on the bowsprit - is it meant to be manipulated to attach the sails?

If we were to add the pulley system (which to my knowledge is the best possible system) then we would have to recut our existing sails shorter. I am not sure our bowsprit is meant to accept a spinlock anyway (is it aluminum ?).


As to detaching the bowsprit, why not. It is dark now, too lazy to go check. Let me know if you find something. Just make sure you don't let it fall

[meirriba]

The idea of Lagoon designers was that you detach the bowsprit using the pin, connect the furler and reattach the bowsprit. It is cumbersome process but safe.

[CatNewBee]

Originally Posted by meirriba

The idea of Lagoon designers was that you detach the bowsprit using the pin, connect the furler and reattach the bowsprit. It is cumbersome process but safe.

Yes, but how? there are the steel wires down below and the high tension of the bunjee, also the tiny pin, that sticks tight and easy can be lost. One probably must kick down the bowsprit to get the tension off on the steel wires, but then the bunjee gets even stiffer. To untie the bunjee every time and re- knot it later is a PITA too and I guess not intended - otherwise there would be a shackle.

There must be an ingenious idea behind this construction I am not aware of yet.

[meirriba]

Originally Posted by CatNewBee

Yes, but how?.

A. The pin is captive. You cannot pull it entirely out, only as far as needed to free the sprit. So it will not be lost.
B. The bowsprit is free to move upwards. So once you pull the pin out a little, incline the sprit upward and pull it forward, away from the boat and it will come free. You cannot loose it into the water as it is connected through bungee and the two bobstays.
C. Take the whole bundle closer to you, connect the furler and reverse the process.
As I said, cumbersome but feasible.
Personally, after going through the above exercise several times, I prefer the monkey trick. I get out of the rail, stand on the beam holding the headstay with one hand and connect the furler with the other hand. Not recommended if you are over 30 years of age (I am touching 70...).

[Bean Counter]

The forespar end fitting seen here https://www.mauriprosailing.com/us/p...BoCmUQQAvD_BwE

[jbinbi]

Great topic. My solution is to get a uv cover on my gennaker and leave it up for much longer times.

I know this is not a solution to the problem, but I barely used my sail due to having to wrestle it out of the locker, do the acrobatics to attach to sprit, hoisting it, using it, trying to fuel it with the short furling line that can only be done while on the tramp, doing acrobatics again to detach the tack, then fit it back into the bag.

The good news is that you only use the sail in up to 15kts, so wave heights are just a foot or two[emoji6]

[CatNewBee]

Well I had mine on the furler the whole last season too, because it is a lot of work to get it on the spreader, and I also used it several times in light up-wind sailing.

But thinking about buying a Wingaker or parasailor or spinnaker for downwind creates a necessity to bring down the code 0 and use the halyard to rig the downwind sail. There is only one there. So what to do with the code 0 then, leave it attached to the bow on deck or wrestle the bowsprit to stow it away?

[Bean Counter]

Rather than have the UV strip sewn on to a lightweight sail which does not prevent the thing from unfurling or top part flapping loose in a serious blow, i was considering a sunbrella sock with a zip that could be hoisted up the furled sail. It would need a light halyard. This would allow the gennaker to be permanently attached, give 100% UV protection and heavy wind would not unravel it. Just a thought

[meirriba]

Originally Posted by Bean Counter

Rather than have the UV strip sewn on to a lightweight sail which does not prevent the thing from unfurling or top part flapping loose in a serious blow, i was considering a sunbrella sock with a zip that could be hoisted up the furled sail. It would need a light halyard. This would allow the gennaker to be permanently attached, give 100% UV protection and heavy wind would not unravel it. Just a thought

It is a good idea if you have a free (forward facing) halyard.
Standard L400 rig has 2 such halyards (and 2 blocks for halyards at masthead). Once is used for the genoa and the second for the gennaker (through a deflector).
So how do you arrange an extra halyard for the sock?

[CatNewBee]

That would be doable, like the sock of a spinnaker, with a block at the sail top attachment and an (endless) rope, attached to the lower end of the sock, so you can pull it up and down.

But this does not solve the problem of changing the sails for upwind / downwind.

[arsenelupiga]

Originally Posted by Bean Counter

Rather than have the UV strip sewn on to a lightweight sail which does not prevent the thing from unfurling or top part flapping loose in a serious blow, i was considering a sunbrella sock with a zip that could be hoisted up the furled sail. It would need a light halyard. This would allow the gennaker to be permanently attached, give 100% UV protection and heavy wind would not unravel it. Just a thought

i had my gennaker up furled in 40-50 steady and gusting to 60. There was no hint of unfurling. In what conditions you think unfurling is possible, assuming well rolled and fastened code 0?

my solution to CNB problem is actually not to use spi, but rather wing on wing with gennaker&mainsail. I get boat speed ~ apparent wind speed. Total sail area respectable 137m2. But it is way easier to depower and less chances of stuff up. Especially if singlehandling. Chance of MOB incident due to handling is virtually 0 as all is done from cockpit.

[CatNewBee]

I have tried this wing on wing, all three configurations:
with code 0 + jib
code 0 + main
jib + main.

In the Med the wind is often light and changes directions, so you run into jibing or luffing / flapping of the sails. Downwind I preferred not to use the code 0, but only jib (Genoa) and main over 10kn.

In stronger winds the code 0 creates a lot of force and it is hard to balance it out, there is then a lot of pressure on the rudder to stay on course and not go to the wind, it is best between 60° and 110°.

Also Code 0 + jib makes you sail almost blind from the helm, no visibility forward in any direction

However I think a Wingaker would be a much better choice for passages - dead downwind or broad reach - jibing would be no problem (no need of a preventer rope for the main, no main use at all), better in light wind conditions and much better visibility (flies higher). also easier on the autopilot.