Adding roller furling.

[Waybad]

If you have a choice would you pefer to roll up the sail from the port side or the starboard side?
Any reason why one side would be better suited if nothing interfers with instalation.
If this was already answered would some one let me know how to find the posting.
Thanking you in advance.
Wayne

 

[jssailem]

Which side of your foresail has the Suncover? You want the suncover to be on the outside of the sail when it is furled.

Here is Harken's install tip.

Note location of sun cover.​

Charge system by rotating furler to wrap line on drum.​

Tip: Sun cover to starboard—turn clockwise to charge. Sun cover to port—turn counter-clockwise.​

Tension line while charging.​

 

[shemandr]

I think that depends on whether the drum rotates clockwise or counterclockwise to furl. I assume but don't know that most furlers rotate clockwise by default (My in mast furling certainly did and the Rx was to furl with the sail to port). If the sail is to port you are technically on a starboard tack which gives you some protection from any port tackers nearby. I know others may say that you are head to wind when furling but that is not entirely true. The jib is luffing but the main can still be drawing and you could in fact be on a tack. I suppose the drum could be set up either way but I would want the sail to be to port.
Another factor could be the Coriolis Effect. It is subtle but the wind does not blow straight down the boat. In the Northern Hemisphere the wind has a clockwise motion. On starboard tack the sail is in harmony with this slight curve. On port tack it is not. In a sense on port tack the sail is fighting Coriolis rotation and would make furling a tiny bit more difficult.
If I had any drawing skills I would provide a diagram.

 

[Waybad]

Thanks, I like the safety of the starboard tack Idea. New sail covers, can be put on which ever way it rolls up
I do wonder if buying used sails if they are more offten on one side or the other of the sail?
Thanks
Wayne

 

[Davidasailor26]

Mine (a ProFurl) furls by the drum turning counter clockwise when viewed from the top. I furl on port or starboard tack equally well. For the foresail I don’t think it really matters. An in-mast main probably matters more based on the geometry of the foil relative to the slot in the mast.

 

[colemj]

The only thing that determines which way the drum spins is which side of the sail has the UV stripe. Since your sail does not have this stripe yet, you are free to choose. Just make sure you tell the sailmaker the correct side!

After that, it is a matter of choice which side of the boat you want the furler line to be on. One side might be more convenient than the other for reasons of an additional winch/cleat/clutch there, or something is mounted in the way on the other side (you don't want the possibility of putting your knee through your engine panel, for example), or that you are naturally stronger and more balanced pulling from one side than the other.

Once you've chosen the side of the boat for the furling line, then you can still have the furler turn in either direction by leading the line off the fore or aft end of the drum.

There is one school of thought that the drum should furl in the direction the forestay wire lay turns. This is so that if something binds under the load of furling, it doesn't try to unlay the forestay. Also, if you have a mechanical fitting, the drum doesn't try to unscrew that if something binds. Personally, I don't think this is much of a risk.

Otherwise, I've never seen a drum that can only furl in one direction, although I think there is one furler out there with a locking pawl, and that might require a particular direction. For sure, the Coriolis effect has no practical effect on ease of furling, if it is measurable at all.

The best way to furl a headsail is to turn downwind. Port/starboard has little bearing then, and isn't really an issue unless one is always furling in a fleet of boats under sail close to them. Even then, it really isn't an issue.

You are free to choose.

Mark

 

[BigEasy]

Don’t know the rationale; however, the boats that I have owned & chartered all furled with jib furling line set on port side. You guys have offered some valid reasons. I usually furl the jib with head to wind or slightly off wind & mainsail definitely slightly off wind on starboard tack with sail feeding into mast slot from port side. Eases friction as main furler rotates counterclockwise. Don’t want sail feeding into mast slot at an acute angle.

 

[Calif. Ted]

Doesn't matter in a mechanical sense, you simply furl the sail and load the line on the drum in the manner appropriate to the sail. Like Big Easy however, I cannot remember ever being on a boat that didn't have the furling line to port.

 

[Joe]

The question and solution are similar to your preference in how you like your bathroom tissue mounted........... under or over. Since I spent many years in the hotel business (fine hotels...with 2 ply..I should say) I was taught that the ONLY correct, convenient to guests method is "over the top" and of course the free end is folded to a point to make it easy to pull and reduce any chance tearing.

However, I had roomates who had absolutely no clue to proper tissue etiquette, used to drive me crazy..... but...I soon discovered that either way worked.......so.....what's the big deal.

 

[dLj]

My boat has two fore sails, the genoa and the staysail. Both furlers run clockwise to furl. The staysail furling line runs down the port side and the genoa furling line runs down the starboard side. It doesn't matter which side the furling line runs w.r.t. how the sail furls only how you wrap your drum.

How you build your sail is up to you. Most sail boats I've been on furl the head sails with a clockwise rotation of the furling drum.

dj