Code 0 type sails staying hoisted for days

[aiolos.dn]

Hi everyone.

I am considering a Code 0 sail (or similar) but I want to be able to leave it furled and hoisted while I am in my boat in the summer for days or even weeks at a time. I'll be using it daily and, of course, plan to take it down if wind is over 25-30 knots.

Does anyone have experience with that? Would UV protection would suffice? What furling system is the safest to prevent accidental unfurling in moderate conditions?

Any other advice?

Thank you.

[Zzmeyer]

Many leave their Code 0 with UV protection up. Many in our marina leave it up all the time. I rig it when I get to the boat and take it down when I leave - whether later that day or three weeks later. A big problem with leaving it up is that it is more likely to unfurl than a furling jib due to the nature of a continuous line furler. I mitigate it by having a ratchet on the furler and also a velcro strip to help hold it.

[barnakiel]

Well. If you use it daily, it will be furled only during the nights. Hence no UV damage.


Hoisting a 0 on its furler takes 1 minute. So is dropping it. Where is the challenge?


b.

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by aiolos.dn

Hi everyone.

I am considering a Code 0 sail (or similar) but I want to be able to leave it furled and hoisted while I am in my boat in the summer for days or even weeks at a time. I'll be using it daily and, of course, plan to take it down if wind is over 25-30 knots.

Does anyone have experience with that? Would UV protection would suffice? What furling system is the safest to prevent accidental unfurling in moderate conditions?

Any other advice?

Thank you.

The thing is, sails are a big investment. Probably the biggest investment after the boat itself. I, for one, cannot afford to replace them any sooner than necessary.

So I take extreme care of my expensive sails, and, as a sailmaker myself, I know what exposure and wind can do to a constantly hoisted sail.

If it was me, I'd take that sail down and only hoist it when I'm getting ready to set it. And take it down as soon as it is furled for the day.

[fxykty]

Originally Posted by aiolos.dn

Hi everyone.



I am considering a Code 0 sail (or similar) but I want to be able to leave it furled and hoisted while I am in my boat in the summer for days or even weeks at a time. I'll be using it daily and, of course, plan to take it down if wind is over 25-30 knots.



Does anyone have experience with that? Would UV protection would suffice? What furling system is the safest to prevent accidental unfurling in moderate conditions?



Any other advice?



Thank you.

A few things to think about.

If:
- you think you will be using it in the next two or three days, and
- the sail has UV material on the leech and foot, and
- the conditions aren’t likely to exceed 20 knots, and
- you tend not to use it opportunistically if it’s not already hoisted, and
- it’s not terribly expensive, and
- you can secure the furling line so it doesn’t come unfurl, and
- it has a bottom up furler,

Then:
- if all answers are yes, go ahead
- if any answer is no, probably not a good idea to leave it up long term

[aiolos.dn]

Originally Posted by fxykty

A few things to think about.

If:
- you think you will be using it in the next two or three days, and
- the sail has UV material on the leech and foot, and
- the conditions aren’t likely to exceed 20 knots, and
- you tend not to use it opportunistically if it’s not already hoisted, and
- it’s not terribly expensive, and
- you can secure the furling line so it doesn’t come unfurl, and
- it has a bottom up furler,

Then:
- if all answers are yes, go ahead
- if any answer is no, probably not a good idea to leave it up long term

Thank you!!

Your list makes sense.

I'd be interested to know why you consider bottom-up furler as one of the pre-conditions. I am considering a top-down furler only because most people say that it results in a much tighter and reliable furl (for a larger boat like mine - 55 ft).

[aiolos.dn]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

Well. If you use it daily, it will be furled only during the nights. Hence no UV damage.


Hoisting a 0 on its furler takes 1 minute. So is dropping it. Where is the challenge?


b.

Maybe I am lazy.. Aren't most of us? ;-)

This will be my first code 0 but I find it hard to believe that one can hoist/drop such a sail in 1 minute. Maybe after doing this hundreds of times..

Or maybe there is a trick one can play.. The process I am thinking starts going down the sail locker for a large 40 lbs bug and ends with rigging 2 sheets through multiple blocks. I also plan to do the whole thing myself.

I'd estimate closer to half an hour.. What am I missing?

[JebLostInSpace]

I spent several months leaving mine up as long as the wind stayed below ~25-30 kts. I very much enjoyed being able to deploy it at a moment's notice. I singlehand, so rousing the sail out, attaching the foot, hoisting, and unfurling is a fairly decent hassle when underway. I found that by leaving it hoisted, I was using it much more often, and having a better time when out sailing because of it.

However, I have now stopped that practice after a couple of frustrating experiences. As others have mentioned, they don't furl as tightly and reliably as a roller-furler jib will. I was out in 15 kts one day, and it started to unfurl itself. The hassle involved with trying to get a half-unfurled sail under control and down on deck, single-handed, in 15 kts and 5-foot swell, while dodging crab pots, while on approach to my anchorage.... Was so much worse than the hassle of hoisting and striking the sail each time. I certainly want to avoid doing that again. The second frustrating one came shortly after the first. I sent the sail back up a few days later, deployed it, sailed on it for a while, and attempted to furl it towards the end of the day. Either because the sail had unfurled a few days earlier without the matching line coming onto the furler, or because I was furling in a little too much wind, I ran out of furling line before the sail was completely wrapped up. So once again I'm up on deck trying to get the partially unwrapped sail down. Gigantic pain. Plus, this time I had to take it ashore and reset the furling line.

Anyway, that's my 2 cents. The convenience of having it up is certainly nice. I appreciated it for several months with no issues. But eventually it caused me a problem that was frustrating enough that I'm no longer willing to risk it.

[FabioC]

I think the best solution would be to use a separate sleeve cover (you'll need a second halyard to hoist it).
My furling jib has no UV protection (it is a membrane) and I use the sleeve for it when not sailing. The sleeve is very simple to use (it truly takes less than two minutes to hoist it and zip it, even less to take it down) and allows you to have a sail without UV protection.
In the case of a Code 0, the added benefit of a sleeve cover is that it solves the unfurling issue. With a Code 0, completely eliminating unfurling is not going to happen. In my experience, the moment you have 12-15 knots of wind from the "right" direction, the sail will partially unfurl, it is intrinsic in the top-down furling system and in the cut of the code 0. Above 12 knots, I even take it down when going upwind (I also see a lot of racing boats do that) to prevent it.
With the sleeve, you can be sure that it does not unfurl. In high-wind conditions, you can even go out sailing while keeping the Code 0 inside the sleeve, without any worry of bad things happening. If you want to use the sail, you take off the sleeve (it is not difficult at all even when underway) and then you use it.

[Roshni]

We cruise short handed with code zero on 46ft boat. Talk to a few sailmakers about cutting the code zero so it can be left up as much as possible , less roach on the sail plus uv protection.. Catamarans leave theirs up a lot in high winds often called a gennaker. Ours has a big roach which has caused it to unfurl in squall's. Try and buy new style without torsion cable. Best sail on boat and replacing it with good quality new Code zero , light air sailing and heavy air broad reaching, easy to handle. Practice furling angles in light winds ready for the squall ( managed to furl in 40 knt squall, fun sail).

[FabioC]

Originally Posted by aiolos.dn

Maybe I am lazy.. Aren't most of us? ;-)

This will be my first code 0 but I find it hard to believe that one can hoist/drop such a sail in 1 minute. Maybe after doing this hundreds of times..

Or maybe there is a trick one can play.. The process I am thinking starts going down the sail locker for a large 40 lbs bug and ends with rigging 2 sheets through multiple blocks. I also plan to do the whole thing myself.

I'd estimate closer to half an hour.. What am I missing?

I think you are both correct.

The "1 minute hoist" refers to the situation of the sail with the furler and furling line rigged and the sail resting on deck. At that point, yes, hoisting and taking it down takes one minute or less. On my boat, we take the Code 0 down while going upwind to avoid the possibility that it unfurls, and we hoist it back up when needed. When down, it is simply "snaked" on deck, lashed to the lifeline, sometimes we even keep the halyard on. To expedite things, you'll need to mark the halyard and tack line in the hoist position, so you do not need to fiddle around to get the proper tension on the torsion rope.

"half an hour" refers to the situation from the sail inside the locker to the sail rigged and ready to be hoisted.

[Tupaia]

Since the code 0 is a performance sail I cannot see why you would leave it up all the time as the furled sail will reduce your windward ability, as it will disturb the airflow in front of the jib.



To simplify things you can rig with a single sheet, you cant tack it and you certainly wont be short tacking with it so furl it and walk the sheet round to the other side. This makes it very quick to hoist and drop from a forward locker.

[SaltyMetals]

I often wonder if people refer to a code 0 when in fact they mean a gennaker. On the latter (which i have) it would unbalanace the light fabric of the sail to hve an anti UV strip on the leech and the foot. The light fabric is very susceptible to UV damage so when i am not using it i leave the sheets and continuous furling line rigged but drop the sail and pack the gennaker in into its sailbag secured on the foredeck. About 5 mins to get it out and hoist it.
Andrew
"Genial Bee"

[Zzmeyer]

Originally Posted by SaltyMetals

I often wonder if people refer to a code 0 when in fact they mean a gennaker. On the latter (which i have) it would unbalanace the light fabric of the sail to hve an anti UV strip on the leech and the foot. The light fabric is very susceptible to UV damage so when i am not using it i leave the sheets and continuous furling line rigged but drop the sail and pack the gennaker in into its sailbag secured on the foredeck. About 5 mins to get it out and hoist it.
Andrew
"Genial Bee"

You're right. A code 0 is typically a lightweight laminate and the UV strip is much lighter in weight than the UV material on a genoa. While you are taking 5 minutes to rig and hoist the gennaker, my code 0 has been flying for 4 minutes and 45 seconds. I personally found that after a half dozen sets offshore, I tended to wait too long or not long enough on setting by gennaker. I find I use my code 0 at least twice as much as I am lazy.

[fxykty]

Originally Posted by aiolos.dn

Thank you!!



Your list makes sense.



I'd be interested to know why you consider bottom-up furler as one of the pre-conditions. I am considering a top-down furler only because most people say that it results in a much tighter and reliable furl (for a larger boat like mine - 55 ft).

We also have a 55 foot (well, 54 foot) cat.

A top down furler is only needed if the sail has a big roach - Code 1+ sails or other asymmetric spinnaker. It is not necessary for a flatter sail that has very little or no roach.

As others have pointed out, what do you actually mean when you say Code 0?

If you are talking about a flatter sail that you can use in light wind close hauled and for heavier winds reaching then it is generally called a gennaker or screecher (equivalent names for a really flat sail that’s like a big genoa for going upwind close hauled) that have leach roaches less than 10%. These sails are easily handled by bottom up furlers.

Bottom up furlers are basically the same as as the furlers that you use for regular headsails. The only caveat is that you need to cleat or tie off the endless furling lines to prevent the furling drum from turning and unfurling the sail. It’s also good practice to continue furling and wrap the sheets 10 or so times around the sail before cleating it off. As long as you maintain the halyard tension the top swivel won’t turn easily and the sail will stay furled, just as your headsail stays furled through thick and thin.

Also, as others have pointed out, if your sail is made of relatively light material, say 6-7oz fabric, then that will be too light to apply UV material to the leach and foot (Sunbrella is 8-10oz) and the sail won’t fly properly. In that case you either need to hoist a UV sleeve or to drop it to the deck and store it in a UV deck bag.

That’s exactly what we do, into a 4m sausage bag the length of our trampolines. Hoisting it from the tramps takes a bit of time, but not nearly as much as bringing it up from the sail locker. And it removes the windage and better protects the sail from UV damage.

I’ve heard of UV paint being used, so you could look at that.