Furling Main

May 2, 2012
276
Catalina 310 Toronto, Ontario
Good day fellow sailors. Last season I was having a problem with the OUT furling of the main. Someone mentioned that with furling main you CAN NOT have the mast bent even slightly. If this is so, does anyone have the tension the LOOS gauge should be set at. I have it at 900 but I think that was for a regular hoisted sail. Any feed back would be appreciated.

Cheers :beer:
2 OLD PIRATES
 
May 17, 2004
5,679
Beneteau Oceanis 37 Havre de Grace
Our US Spars mast tolerates furling with about 3” of bend, but less is generally better, especially if that’s how the sail is designed. Removing the bend isn’t as straightforward as a single tension though. The relative tensions of the backstay, forestay, uppers, intermediates, and lowers will all factor into the bend and stability of the mast.
 
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Dave Groshong

SBO Staff
Staff member
Jan 25, 2007
1,867
Catalina 22 Seattle
I'm not sure about bend, but halyard tension is a major issue, peak up the halyard tension and upgrade to a Dyneema rope. A lot of mainsail furling mechanisms jam, or barely work if the sail slips down even an inch
 
Jan 23, 2022
11
Catalina 310 Upper Chesapeake
I had a problem with my outhaul last year because my halyard was too tight. Had to back off on the tension a bit and it worked like a charm.
 

JamesG161

SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
Feb 14, 2014
7,770
Hunter 430 Waveland, MS
Mine has pre-bend and works fine,
Carefully look at all lines on this picture.

NewFurling.jpeg


The purple and orange lines on the bow side of my mast, show you the pre-bend. Where they intersect is maximum or where it is needed.
Jim...

PS: I can help anyone on in mast-furling, I am expert now.
 
May 2, 2012
276
Catalina 310 Toronto, Ontario
James ............ I have all the tensions for the rest of the shourds and they work perfectly. It was the split backstay tension I was supplied with (900) seemed a little high and my sail was lagging on hauling it out and then some one mentioned (after haulout) that I should check the bend in the mast. I thought someone here with a 310 with furler may know.
 

Tom J

.
Sep 30, 2008
2,325
Catalina 310 Quincy, MA
James ............ I have all the tensions for the rest of the shourds and they work perfectly. It was the split backstay tension I was supplied with (900) seemed a little high and my sail was lagging on hauling it out and then some one mentioned (after haulout) that I should check the bend in the mast. I thought someone here with a 310 with furler may know.
I can't speak to specific tensions, but I can relate the process my neighbor went through with his furling main. His was a C350, but I think the furling mechanism is identical to yours. He struggled the first season he owned the boat to furl and unfurl the main. The next season, he hired a rigger to troubleshoot the system, twice. Each time, they tweaked everything and said it seemed fine, but then, the owner couldn't get the sail to unfurl or furl. I offered to help him, and we were finally able to get the sail to furl and unfurl to his satisfaction. I had noticed that the furling line was lying slack and unsecured, and the sail was sagging and bunched up inside the mast. It was a struggle to unfurl the sail at first, but running it in and out a few times, and moving the boom up a few degrees seemed to solve his issues. I stressed that the tension on the furling line was critical, and must be maintained. A week later, I walked past the boat and noticed that the furling line was slack and the sail was bunched up in the mast. Oh, well.
 
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Likes: jssailem
May 2, 2012
276
Catalina 310 Toronto, Ontario
LOL ....... doesn't that take the cake.
I've worked with the boom level and the tension on the line when furling the sail in and all works fine. Furling in is no problem.
For some reason it takes 3 sectional pulls to get it out fully. I have to grab the car and pull it and it come out for a 1/3 each time and then stops.
Very strange
Really appreciate all your feed back here. I'll give it a really go once it's back in the water.

Cheers All