Jib Sail Beat Down..

Nov 26, 2012
1,653
Hunter 34 Berkeley
In heavy wind do not try to furl it going into the wind. Instead, go downwind on a broad reach and blanket it with the main to take the wind out of it. Rolls right up.
 
Nov 9, 2012
2,500
Oday 192 Lake Nockamixon
Assuming you have the 28 with a wheel there's not much need for an autopilot when furling. Set the wheel brake, and just bump the wheel with an arm or a foot if you start to wander off course while you're furling. An autopilot is great for when you need to go below or to the mast, but furling from the cockpit should be manageable without it.
Oh, yeah. If you've got a wheel, my comments about tillers don't mean a hill 'o beans! :rolleyes:
 
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Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
If you have a wheel you can still tie off a wheel. Some wheel brakes no longer work. Igor a tee shirt to prove it.
 
Nov 9, 2012
2,500
Oday 192 Lake Nockamixon
I like my tiller tamer. Shows what I know.
Joe, I was remiss in my assessment of the Tiller Tamer. Or, rather, less than thorough. While a Tiller Tamer does work, I find it to be too fiddly. You need to reach under (typically) the tiller to tighten and loosen the twisting knob in order to hold the tiller. On my small boat, I have had situations where I thought the tamer was loose, but I tacked and the dang thing held the tiller hard over, which kinda wasn't a good situation, as I was getting to skinny water and wasn't racing needing to make full turns with an unexpected gybe headed my way...

I've also seen Tamers that deteriorate and crack, because they are plastic and are left out in the sun too much.

I really like the Wave Front Marine Tiller Clutch because it's on or off, with a quick flip of the lever. When it's on, it's not so grippy that you can't nudge it to fine tune the heading. Or you can lift the lever a bit to slide along the control line, but not enough to flip the lever into full open position. Also, I find that with the clutch in full open position, and the control lines tight, you get just enough friction to allow for easy hands-free balanced rig sailing. Oh, that's so much fun, because it makes you feel like a sail trim genius! (Mind you that's something that full keel boaters think all the time :biggrin:) The Tiller Clutch is made of anodized aluminum, and has been very durable in my experience. It seems an incredibly well-thought-out piece of kit, and well executed.
 
Aug 3, 2012
2,542
Performance Cruising Telstar 28 302 Watkins Glen
I second the Wavefront Marine Tiller Clutch! Like Brian said, it does not lock the tiller too tight. You can give it a nudge. I also like that I can flip it on and off with my foot. Hey, I don’ wanna have to get off my comfy throne!

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Sep 20, 2014
1,320
Rob Legg RL24 Chain O'Lakes
... I don't want to spend the $'s on a fancy auto-pilot - any recommendations for a homemade version?... Tom O'Day 28.
Yes you do, but don't buy a new one. If you are patient, you can find one on Ebay for less than a 100 bucks. It will be the best 100 bucks you ever spend, second to buying a bimini if you don't already have one. If you mostly sail alone, it just makes things so much easier. In many conditions, it can sail the boat better than you can. It just allows you to move about the boat, without being tied to the tiller. I've used a tiller tamer type device. It has its place, but does not replace the auto pilot.
 

capta

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Jun 4, 2009
4,766
Pearson 530 Admiralty Bay, Bequia SVG
I don't understand why everyone likes furling an RF sail head to wind. I always considered it an advantage of an RF sail, not having to do that and flog your sail to death. On a beam reach the sheets aren't tearing up the boat and it's easier to keep the sail with a tiny bit of wind in it to keep the roll tight.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
I don't understand why everyone likes furling an RF sail head to wind.
Ahhhh again we meet. Practical sailing experience and book reported technique/just try it methods.

I am glad you weighed in @capta. That is the way I always play with my sails. I get a bit more balanced roll on the sail. It helps if your furler is functioning properly.

In a "BIG" blow downwind covering the sail can be a benefit, especially if the furler is cranky. I just hate loosing ground downwind especially after fighting upwind to get to my home port.
 
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Aug 22, 2018
59
Hunter 33 Prinyers Cove, PE County, ON
The only time that I have had a problem furling my jib was because I had too much tension on the halyard. When this happens I slack of the halyard slightly and presto, I can now put the jib away.
 
Dec 29, 2008
805
Treworgy 65' LOA Custom Steel Pilothouse Staysail Ketch St. Croix, Virgin Islands
LIGHTBULB: Wondering if I simply didn't have enough line wound on the furler? That wouldn't explain the tough start, but maybe not being able to finish the process??
A couple of points here.

Good advice about furling on a broad reach. As Capta pointed out, flogging sheets can do lots of damage to the boat and people.

My first thought was, is your furler from open or closed? Can the furling line escape the drum and wrap around the furler foil and sail above it? We have to watch our old furler which will let the line jump out of the drum . When it does, it wraps around the bottom of the foil just above the drum. That is a MUCH smaller diameter and makes it nearly impossible to fuel at least the first few turns until it unwraps. That made me wonder if that’s what yours is doing.

An even bigger concern is if you either have a furler in bad need of bearings, or if you have a halyard wrap at the top. Twisting the furler without the foil turning can actually snap your head stay. We had this happen in a friend’s 52’ boat approaching Montserrat, and we were lucky we didn’t lose the rig. The only thing hold it up was the sail itself. A hard to turn furler is something to take seriously.

Let us know what you find out.
 
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Jim26m

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Apr 3, 2019
579
Macgregor 26M Mobile AL
I had the same issue in a blow. I had crew aboard so was able to go forward and start the furl by hand turning. Once I got a few turns, the crew was able to complete the furl from the cockpit. I was running a Genoa, and it appeared that the drum just didn’t produce enough torque to start the furl in heavy air (somewhat defeating the purpose of the furler in my opinion). At any rate, the sail wrapped much tighter in those circumstances - such that I ran out of line on the furler before the sail was completely furled.

Like you, I pointed up to furl.

Worked fine before and after in lighter conditions.

A few extra wraps on the drum cured the incomplete issue. Haven’t tried a downwind or otherwise blanketed furl, but suspect that may solve the failure to start problem. If not, a larger drum that produces more torque might be in order. My boat came with a “budget” furler. Haven’t been out in a blow again to try it yet.
 
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Aug 28, 2015
190
Oday 28 St Joseph, MI
I’ve had problems such as this, furling my genoa. I’ve found that sometimes when unfurling the head sail, the line on the reel gets bound and when I try to furl the sail its very difficult to pull the bound/stuck/over lapped line from the reel of the furler. I’m wondering if there is a lubricant made for rope, something not so slick I can’t hold on to it. Maybe I should switch to dyneema.
 
May 17, 2004
5,032
Beneteau Oceanis 37 Havre de Grace
I’ve had problems such as this, furling my genoa. I’ve found that sometimes when unfurling the head sail, the line on the reel gets bound and when I try to furl the sail its very difficult to pull the bound/stuck/over lapped line from the reel of the furler. I’m wondering if there is a lubricant made for rope, something not so slick I can’t hold on to it. Maybe I should switch to dyneema.
You could try keeping just a bit of tension on the furling line while you unfurl. Doing that should help ensure that the line wraps nicely around the drum without any overwraps.
 
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Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
@wing15601 Use the tension as @Davidasailor26 suggests. It will help a lot. Also check the angle of the furler line at the first block to the forestay. The angle should be 90 degrees plus or minus 5 (most manufactures say 10 degrees but that is half up and down from 90 degrees. Closer to 90 the better). This allows the furler line to properly wrap around the drum moving up and down the drum as you pull in or release the furling line.

An even wrap makes everything work smoothly. If the angle is too steep or shallow you will find that the line will wrap around the drum favoring either the upper or lower half of the drum. This will contribute to winding jams as more line gets wrapped. The amount of line wrapped will vary with the size of the fore sail you use. A 135 Genoa takes more line than a 90% jib. Go figure...
 

Jim26m

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Apr 3, 2019
579
Macgregor 26M Mobile AL
I may try a slightly larger furling line before I spring for a bigger furler. That would give me a little more mechanical advantage to start the furl. But many good points above to check out the next time I’m struggling with my furler while clenching my teeth on the pulpit trying to stay aboard.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Note a larger furler line may not be a solution. It may contribute to more issues. We sail in boats that are compromises. While a larger furling line may give you more purchase to hold and pull, it will contribute to less line on the drum not more.

If I understand your challenge you want to be able to pull on the line and more easily start it to furl the sail. With the head sail fully deployed you have most of the line wrapped around the drum. The drum is at its largest diameter with the line wrapped. Adding thicker line will not significantly change this issue and may well cause the line to jamb on the insides of the drum cage. If anything slightly smaller line will allow you to wrap more line around the drum. Kind of like "pre-wrapping" the drum with line. Line that will stay wrapped around the drum even when you have fully furled the sail.

If you need help to start the furl of the sail then you may need to add a ratchet turning block (that has bearings) to the cockpit end of the furler line. This will help in you reduce the friction and improve pulling in on the furler line.
 

Jim26m

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Apr 3, 2019
579
Macgregor 26M Mobile AL
@jssailem,
See your point. My furling line is very small. Even when the sail is fully deployed, the outer diameter of the drum wrap is small. I’m thinking with a larger line, the outer wrap diameter will increase giving me more torque at the furler, per pound of tension on the line. I have a turning block that has a good angle on the drum, and a winch handy, but I’ve still got enough arm to furl it if it’s right. I was causing a pretty severe deflection of the forestay with no result. I have a rotating mast, so my rig tension is a bit less than most - which may be exacerbating the problem.

You may be correct. Taking more wraps with a smaller line would give the same result. I was thinking the larger line would be less prone to tangle and offer a better grip. I may try your way first, since it’s free.
 
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Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Good luck. No back stay could be a factor. Furler’s like to be able to rotate in column. That is one of the reasons it can be difficult to furl when loaded up in a strong breeze. When I tighten my backstay it is always easier to furl in the sail.
 
Jan 7, 2011
4,727
Oday 322 East Chicago, IN
I have had issues with the furler on my O’Day 322. I have a CDI furler (original) with an integrated wire halyard. Sort of a nice design, no concern with halyard wrap at the top of the head stay.

But I tighten the tack, not the halyard, and if I tighten it too tight, the drum doesn’t turn easily.

Also, my furling line is as big as will fit in the furler drum...any larger rope, and it would not all fit (and the head sail would not fully unfurl).

I also had an issue where the furling line was not wound in the drum correctly, so when I rolled up the sail, I ran out of furling line before the sail was totally furled.

In all of cases, the issues were self-inflicted. Usually caused by removing the sail for the winter layup and then not installing it exactly correctly in the spring.

This spring., I think I put the jib on 3 times before I got it right...damn, I am getting old and forgetful. Need to make a video of doing it right, and then I can watch it right before I install it. Same for my Mack Pack...getting those lazy jack lines rigged each spring can be a trial and error process.

Oh well, spend a little time seeing what is going on, and the answer will probably be evident.

Good luck.

Greg