I also do something similar. Using a large shock cord "rubberband," wrapped around the furler drum, and then led to the bow or trailer, is a huge help in keeping the floppy roller furler in line with the mast, and centered. Cut the "rubberband" to length, so that it is stretched fairly taught when the mast is down. The big problem with the roller fuler, in my opinion, is its tendency to flop out of line with the mast, and go to the side. Once the furler slides out to the end of the spreaders, it gets very difficult to control the mast when raising or lowering. Norton750's idea is also great, and I'd have gone with that if I had thought of it.We have a CDI Furler.
I then use a mixture of ball bungees and snap buckle straps to secure the standing rigging and furler foil.
Stepping the mast is not a problem. I just use a bungee attached between the furler drum and the pulpit.
As I raise the mast, the bungee pulls the drum forward.
FWIW: @Norton750s not only has good taste in motorcycles, but I may just switch to his mast raising method.
Are you kidding? He doesn't show any of the setup, does he sail with that big honkin' winch attached to the mast? what about the cable he used to raise it with, the one still attached to the trailer and running up to a block at the masthead? Where does that go when sailing? If he trailers with the mast sitting on that high aft support, he must have to watch for low underpasses and bridges. When I raise my mast, the hardest part is moving the mast from trailering position to step. The balance point is just inboard of the transom. I can see having a high aft brace like his would make that part much easier. Is it adjustable? Does he slide the mast up it or lift it into place? The modifications you describe, Norton, make so much more sense.When I bought my boat it came with a Furlex furler, and I pondered how I was going to deal with the foil at mast stepping time. I ended up building a winch rig similar to what Steve Hock posted at this youtube video.Instead of attaching the end of the winch cable to a piece of wood on the trailer as he did, I route the cable through a hardware store block attached at the bow stem plate, back to the end of the furler. This keeps the foil tensioned and straight as you winch the mast up, and there is no need to have someone on the ground pulling on the foil. With this rig it goes right up, the furler isn't dragging on the deck, the foil stays nice and straight and mast stepping is still a one man job.
I was also uncomfortable bouncing down the road with the furler hanging on the end of the foil, so I took a piece of aluminum tube (an old pool umbrella tube) that fits in the end of the mast, put an eye in it and clip the furler to it when I am trailering.
So far this arrangement has been working for me
I'd expect at least the chord of the sail plus some extra for wrapping a few times.PS Does anyone know how much longer the jibs sheets need to be for a roller furling sail verses hanked on sails?