Speaking of Furlers

Jan 25, 2017
147
Macgregor V222 Kentucky Lake
So it's nearly time to launch our V222. Though we still don't have a name (we have a short list, don't worry we have about 6 weeks to go), or found her hull # (though through some comments here we've determined she is early in the production run (she has ply bunks so possibly a 68 before numbers where required... that's a conversation for another post. What I'm curious about today is the furler. It's doesn't appear to have any means of winding. That to say, there is no spring or mechanism to cause the sail to roll-up. Is this normal? How does it work without a spring? I always assumed these functioned like a blind. You know, give it a little tug and it rolls up. I would appreciate any advise. Starting the rigging now. That's my favorite part... you can almost hear the waves when you get to this point in a restore.
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Fair winds fellow sail geeks!
 

vetch

.
Dec 3, 2011
111
Prout Manta 38 St. Augustine
This style goes behind the forestay and the furler line rolls it up and the jib sheet unrolls it. There is no spring. There should be another fitting that attaches to the stay. The hooks go around the forestay to prevent the halyard from twisting.
It's a system that works but getting proper luff tension is a nightmare.
 
Jan 25, 2017
147
Macgregor V222 Kentucky Lake
This is what the other piece looks like. More or less the same just nothing to attach it to the mainstay.

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So the top of my head sail (whatever I'm using 150, Storm jib... whatever) must be attached to the top of the mast prior to raising it? I have a very nice storm jib and 150, the 150 is obviously set up to work on the furler, doesn't this make running up a storm jib impossible? As it appears it's rigged to work for the furler also (that is to say it has an internal cable and same end as the 150, I assume you would have to make that decision before putting the mast up?
 

vetch

.
Dec 3, 2011
111
Prout Manta 38 St. Augustine
Your system isn't quite the same as mine. but if the swivel is attached to the halyard not the forestay the stay remains fixed and the sail is raised behind it. Then you can change on the fly but the storm jib you would want to hank on. Infact if you plan to use this furler with your 150% I would remove the hanks. I didn't on mine at first (as seen in the picture) and the hanks would frequently catch on the forestay and then the furler won't roll and that can be band in high winds.
Mine was set up on an A-23 not a Mac but the system is the same.
 

Sumner

.
Jan 31, 2009
5,254
Macgregor & Endeavour 26S and 37 Utah's Canyon Country
..... doesn't this make running up a storm jib impossible?
I weigh if you think you will be staying out in a storm and want to try sailing vs. motoring or just furling the genoa in a great deal. Not ideal as it gets the center of effort higher, but I've found that it can work.

I've been in some crap and have never really felt the need for a dedicated storm jib. If I was sailing around the world that would be different,

Sumner
======================================================================
1300 miles to The Bahamas and Back in the Mac...
Endeavour 37 Mods...
MacGregor 26-S Mods...
Mac Trips to Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Canada, Florida, Bahamas
 

walt

.
Jun 1, 2007
3,511
Macgregor 26S Hobie TI Ridgway Colorado
but if the swivel is attached to the halyard not the forestay the stay remains fixed and the sail is raised behind it. Then you can change on the fly
Yep.. I believe that is what is called a wire luft furler and as long as each sail has a wire luft, I think you could just drop the halyard and attach the different sail to the drum at the bottom and the rotating swivel at the top, then raise the halyard. Since this is separate from the actual forestay that keeps the mast up, you may also have some nice way of adjusting the tension on the jib luft with the halyard. My small sailboat with a wire luft jib had a nice 2:1 setup for adjusting the halyard tension on the fly.

FYI, I have heard that type of "wire luft" furler is good for completely wrapping up the sail but not for partial furling for a smaller sail size. Ie, its either deployed or rolled up, not somewhere in between like you can do with a sleeved furler. The other thing from my experience with a wire luft jib on my 15 foot sailboat is that it will also be real hard to furl when it gets very windy. And real windy is right when you may really need to furl and you cant. However you can still drop the halyard to get the sail down if you just cant roll it up but unfortunately in this case you likely wont have some sort of downhaul to aid dropping the jib. Probably not a big deal but if you get winds that come up strong and fast.. it can be a pain..
 

vetch

.
Dec 3, 2011
111
Prout Manta 38 St. Augustine
Walt, I would agree based on my experience with it. I didn't have any mechanical advantage for adjusting luff tension. Just walking up the halyard. As you can see in the picture I posted the luff will sag off quite a bit.

From my experience the boat won't point quite as high with this type of roller furling, and I never had much luck getting partially furled jib to draw. This was however on an Aquarius A23 and that rig is set up with the main as the primary driver. First stage of reefing was to just drop the jib anyway.
 
Jan 25, 2017
147
Macgregor V222 Kentucky Lake
I can't thank you guys enough... what a great resource you guys are! I remember trying to figure this stuff out myself, withouth the internet. I had a DS II and nearly made some fatal mistakes regarding stay tension (or lack there of) and ripped my mast right off the boat! If only I had this formum twenty years ago. I'll keep the questions coming, I promise.