Hi - 2004 Hunter 41 with seldon in mast furling. Never worked right - but sail is probably stretched out of shape. Question - has anyone converted from in mast furling to a traditional rig - lazyjacks/mac-pac? Wondering if short term less expensive and long term less hassle. Thoughts ?
Convert roller furling main to traditional ?
- Thread starter spadaforaj
- Start date
It can be done, but.......
The mast will have to come out of the boat, and the slot for the furling main will have to be filled and closed. This process requires a lot of labor hours, and custom-made parts to fit the back side of your mast will have to be fabricated. A new main is required. From my experience, Harken has the best mainsail track for their bat cars, which would be attached to the luff of your mainsail. The boat's location would help get you to a shop to go to the Hunter 41, take a look, and advise you further. Location, location, location is the starting point.
The mast will have to come out of the boat, and the slot for the furling main will have to be filled and closed. This process requires a lot of labor hours, and custom-made parts to fit the back side of your mast will have to be fabricated. A new main is required. From my experience, Harken has the best mainsail track for their bat cars, which would be attached to the luff of your mainsail. The boat's location would help get you to a shop to go to the Hunter 41, take a look, and advise you further. Location, location, location is the starting point.
Hassle: If it's set up right with a decent sail, and you know how to do it, an in mast main is less hassle in my opinion. (I have used both.)
Expense - you need a new mainsail in any case - no difference. Converting to a standard main means dropping the mast, installing a new track on the mast that lines up with the main halyard, and installing at connection point for the bottom of the main on the boom. Then there is the acquisition and maintenance costs of lazyjacks and the Mac-Pac. All of these costs are in addition to the current rig.
Resale: You will have to explain a roller furling mast with a standard main track on it to every prospective buyer. Any redesign of the original boat will raise doubts at resale.
Expense - you need a new mainsail in any case - no difference. Converting to a standard main means dropping the mast, installing a new track on the mast that lines up with the main halyard, and installing at connection point for the bottom of the main on the boom. Then there is the acquisition and maintenance costs of lazyjacks and the Mac-Pac. All of these costs are in addition to the current rig.
Resale: You will have to explain a roller furling mast with a standard main track on it to every prospective buyer. Any redesign of the original boat will raise doubts at resale.
I agree with all of the above. By the time you get the main and rig adapted you’ll probably be in for more expense than a new main. You’d also still have the same old blown out sail and the poor sailing performance that goes with it. The furling issues are just a symptom of the sail being past its prime, not the sole effect. (Assuming proper technique when furling / unfurling.)
My first choice would be to replace the sail with a new, modern in mast design. A sail specifically designed for in mast furling would include vertical battens and other specialized tecnology. Inflatable battens comes to mind. Should you still feel the need to convert, after a season or two of use with the new sail, then consider this: It will cost a lot! But....... why not find someone to swap rigs with? There will be many more prospective "UP" graders you would think. It's like the wheel - tiller conversion issue. Most will consider this change an "upgrade" so they will be expecting to spend serious money for the perceived benefit of in mast furling. You can propose it as a sale, with the buyer including the old rig he will be replacing plus an amount of cash for the sail upgrade.... Remember, your RF sail is custom made and practically new. His will most likely be the same crappy mainsail he's had for the last15 years. Anyway... just a thought. good luck
The B&R rigs without furling mains have additional lower struts to support the mast. I'd either replace the sail, or if you want to get a slab reefed boat, go shopping for one. Cheapest solution will be getting a nice new mainsail fitted with a local loft.
Seldén furling masts do have a slot that accepts slugs of a convention mainsail. However, hoisting and lowering the sail on a 41 foot yacht would be a hard job and there is not a mast slot gate/cover to prevent the slugs from coming out when lowering the sail. You would have to deal with flaking and covering the sail on the boom or storing below when not sailing also... Cost would probably be a wash between buying a new coastal furling mainsail and buying a decent used conventional sail and retrofitting with lazy jacks, reefing rigging and boom cover. Headaches would be much fewer with the furling sail.
The furling mast is a nice convenience when set up and working correctly! I've owned a Hunter 38 and now a Hunter 33 with Seldén furling masts. I've chartered Hunter 36 and Jeanneau 389 with furling masts. For anything but race sailing, I would never go back to a conventional sail.
The furling mast is a nice convenience when set up and working correctly! I've owned a Hunter 38 and now a Hunter 33 with Seldén furling masts. I've chartered Hunter 36 and Jeanneau 389 with furling masts. For anything but race sailing, I would never go back to a conventional sail.