Best way to furl the jib

[BlackHeron]

On many of the 30-footers I have sailed on like C&C, Hunter, and Catalina the furling line typically runs along the lifelines and then as it gets to the cockpit it jumps down to the deck or combing just behind or outboard of the jibsheet winches through a clutch, and then back to a cleat as I had mentioned above. It is handy to operate from the cockpit, even while running the sheet winch with the other hand.

When unfurling it is possible to operate the sheet with one hand and lightly drag the furling line around the belay with the other to keep a little nrension on the line and ensure a fairly tightly and evenly-wound drum with no loops or over-rides.

On some of the older boats I sailed on failing to do this would just about gaurantee an issue when you went to furl it back in again.

[sail4evr]

If you are short on strength, buy a pair of electric winches. You will only get weaker with age. If we hadn't installed electric winches (and getting weaker as i got older never crossed my mind) when we bought our 44 ft cat, I was 55 then and 70 now, I would have had to retrofit electric winches, hopefully before i gave myself a heart attack, or sell the boat or give up sailing and just motor around. I cross sheeted the port jib and run the boat by myself. If I would be looking to my 65 yr old Admiral to crank it in, well that would have been the end of it all. She picks up the mooring and that is it. To say that electric winches saved my marriage and my life would be putting it mildly.

[a64pilot]

Electric winches are nice, but big $$$.
If you don’t want to or can’t spend that kind of money, look into a Milwaukee drill and the “Cranker” since it replaces the chuck it weighs less than just a bit in the chuck.
Besides being lower cost, it makes all your winches electric.
I now use the Genoa winches and the drill to raise the dinghy, I can pull it up without winches, but it sure is easier if I use a winch and the drill.

[waterman46]

Originally Posted by sail4evr

If you are short on strength, buy a pair of electric winches. You will only get weaker with age. If we hadn't installed electric winches (and getting weaker as i got older never crossed my mind) when we bought our 44 ft cat, I was 55 then and 70 now, I would have had to retrofit electric winches, hopefully before i gave myself a heart attack, or sell the boat or give up sailing and just motor around. I cross sheeted the port jib and run the boat by myself. If I would be looking to my 65 yr old Admiral to crank it in, well that would have been the end of it all. She picks up the mooring and that is it. To say that electric winches saved my marriage and my life would be putting it mildly.

Thread drift but can't let this go. Very different take on this from different folks. I am also 72. I also need to singlehand since wife has little experience or strength. If I needed electric winches to singlehand my 46ft boat, I would downsize. I enjoy the brief exersize I get when tacking the big genny, and would miss the feel of how much power is in that sail if I had to use electric winch.

Some of the answers here are very dependent on size of sails. Is it really a problem to reef the jib on a 30 footer in 20 knots?

[argonauta1]

Luff up a bit as required while easing the sheet.