At the end of your furler line

[Steve A.]

What does everyone else use at the end of their roller furler line? I have seen cam cleats and regular cleats. I use a block with integrated cam cleat so I can pull and let out the furler line smoothly. I can use the genoa winch when I need to if I need the extra power to reef the genoa. I have attached a picture of my set-up. Any other approaches or ideas?

 

[Tim R.]

I use a standard cleat. Simple to use and no moving parts.

An item of note Steve. You should never use a winch to furl your sail. If you have a wrapped halyard, it could end badly. If you have difficulty in high winds then turn almost DDW to furl your sail by hand. It is much easier then easing the sheet upwind and letting the sail flog. It also saves your sail. If your furler is just difficult to turn then something is wrong and could eventually lead to a failure.

 

[Steve A.]

Tim R. -- I agree with you. I have never used the winch to furl the sail. Since I sail solo most of the time, I deliberately placed the block/cam cleat so that I could throw the line over the winch and release the cam. It is always best to head up into the wind until the sail just starts to luff before hauling in on the furling line. The reason I installed the set-up I have is so there was a block that redirected the line to where I was standing in the cockpit. Before the installation, there was an eye on one of the stantions forward that was taking all the force and friction -- made for pretty hard pulling on the line!

 

[newly anonymous]

I don't like your setup

You're asking that block to function as a turning block, and there's really no reason to turn the furling line at that angle. Eliminate those tight turns and you'll find you no longer need the assistance of a winch, especially on a boat under 45'.

 

[ITMaster]

For my Headsail

I use a standard cleat. Spinlock on the main sail furling system.

 

[Steve Dion]

Re: For my Headsail

We use a block with a clutch. We ended up with a Harken unit which was a smaller.

http://garhauermarine.com/images/product/FB1_path.jpg

 

[Warren Milberg]

Re: I don't like your setup

The aft-most block/fairlead on my Furlex 200 system is a ratchet block (which helps keep tension on the furling line when letting the sail out -- and helps avoid line jams in the drum). From the ratchet block I have deck-mounted cam cleat that I can use to "stop" the line temporarily when I'm alone and need three hands (to steer, to unfurl/furl the headsail, and to control the jib sheets). From the the cam cleat I have standard horn cleat on the outboard side of the combing which I use to tie the furling line off on. While I could run the furling line to a sheet winch, I agree with others here that that is not a good idea.

 

[Maine Sail]

Replace..

there was an eye on one of the stantions forward that was taking all the force and friction -- made for pretty hard pulling on the line!

Replace it with these end of friction!!
SBO Harken 7404 Lead Block Kit (LINK)
The block ordered separately is a #7403

 

[oldiesrocker2001]

I use a cleat

I use a cleat, but originally had planned to feed the furling line through the spinlock rope clutch that I was going to mount onto the cabintop. In the end, I decided that there were too many turns=too many places to trip over the line being fed back, so I waited to use that second opening in the rope clutch(first one was main halyard led back) for the vang. Simple enough with the cleat, but still lots of extra line to wrap around something when the headsail is done furling.

 

[Bill C320 Papillon]

I have the same set up as yours and it works very well. Although I don't use the winch with my furling line, I do use throw the furling line around the winch to uncleat it. I also use the furling line some to shape the Genny.

 

[BrianW]

For my Hunter 26, I have it going through a Spinlock clutch. BrianW

 

[Paul Brinkley]

End of furling line

I use a small horn cleat mounted just forward of the winch and right next to the toerail on the roof of the cabin on my 1990 26S. P.O put it there- works for me. Adding a bag to put excess line in. -Paul

 

[SamLust]

Furling line termination

My jib furling line comes aft to the wheel around stanchion mounted Schaefer clear step furling blocks and terminates at a simple Harken cam cleat. This system has worked fine in all sorts of conditions. When the boat is unattended the furling line is cleated to a plain cleat for added security.

In the picture the blue with white is furling, the white at the swivel cleat is the solid vang, green with white is genoa car control, red with white is the jib sheet.

 

[Seattle Scott]

I replaced Steve A's setup with a single block

going to a horn cleat, this cut down on some friction.

I agree with Tim R, if the wind is up, go DDW or really deep when furling.