My last boat had a standard mainsail with battens and streamers. I'm getting a new boat with a furling main but the boats that I test sailed didn't have stramers on the mainsail and most photos of boats with furling mains also don't appear to have streamers. Is this normal? How would you know how to trim a furling main without streamers? Could you add them after purchase without affecting the furling action? Gary
Do Furling Main sails normally have streamers?
- Thread starter GKuffner
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Streamers???
Hmmm, "tell tales" maybe as Rick mentions and yes, you could certainly add them, although without battens the sail shape will different than a sail with them. Just the nature of the beast. I use a lot of things to trim my main than tell tales.
Hmmm, "tell tales" maybe as Rick mentions and yes, you could certainly add them, although without battens the sail shape will different than a sail with them. Just the nature of the beast. I use a lot of things to trim my main than tell tales.
Why
My jib has tell tales but my furling main doesn't yet. The jib doesn't have battens and they do a good job helping to trim it so I figure When I put my furling main back on in spring that I will try it out,they can't hurt, tell tales is just one more thing to help trimming the main. I'll be looking to see what type tell tales will do the job the best way for lasting and aid in trimming. Nick
My jib has tell tales but my furling main doesn't yet. The jib doesn't have battens and they do a good job helping to trim it so I figure When I put my furling main back on in spring that I will try it out,they can't hurt, tell tales is just one more thing to help trimming the main. I'll be looking to see what type tell tales will do the job the best way for lasting and aid in trimming. Nick
Rick is right
The furling beats the heck out of telltales. Mine last about two months and then have to be replaced.
The furling beats the heck out of telltales. Mine last about two months and then have to be replaced.
If it is not too late consider this added expense
You state that you are getting ready to buy a new boat. I hope that it is not too late for you to consider some options. I have a catalina 387 with furling set up on both the head sail and the main. The main is an in mast roller furling. Had I to do it over again, I would have gone with the in boom roller furling system which was in its' infancy at the time I got my boat. Maybe a little more expense, however, with this you would be able to have a main sail with battens. I have seen and perhaps you might want to research this a little bit, main sails with battens in them that run in a sort of verticle orientation to be used with the in mast furling system. For me, furling systems were mandatory since I am older and 99% of the time am single handing the boat. At near 40 foot, it is just too much for me to be up on the bow hoisting a 155% genoa alone in 15 to 30 knots of wind. The boat came as was and the deal was too good to pass up, so I had just had to do with what was present and since I got it to cruise with then the full efficiencies that I miss out on are something that I am willing to do with out. I will accept the loss of 1 to 2 knots per hours since if I were in a hurry I would have a power boat. I did have my sail maker add some tell tales to the leach of the main sail that help out substantially. Observation of the flow of the air coming off the main is a real true indicator, more so than at the luff since the boom disrupts the air flow in that locale, where as on the head sail you will find the opposite to be more true. I also had some additional tell tales added to the head so that when I have it furled into say about a 100% in contrast with 155% I can still observe the quality of the air flow. Also, to reduce turbulence at the leading edge of the head I had the sail maker add three luff cords. They help the sail furl up much tighter to eliminate the bulge that forms there and this reduces the turbulent air flow. Also, I strongly encourage you to get a copy of Don Guillette's [(sp) sorry Don] book on sail trim. You should read his book carefully again and again; he will explain how you can use many other factors in addition to the battens to help you get optimal sail trim. He in fact discusses trim of the head sail without the battens and explains how you can make up for their absence, which I have found that I can apply to my main with the lack of battens. Good Luck, Tom
You state that you are getting ready to buy a new boat. I hope that it is not too late for you to consider some options. I have a catalina 387 with furling set up on both the head sail and the main. The main is an in mast roller furling. Had I to do it over again, I would have gone with the in boom roller furling system which was in its' infancy at the time I got my boat. Maybe a little more expense, however, with this you would be able to have a main sail with battens. I have seen and perhaps you might want to research this a little bit, main sails with battens in them that run in a sort of verticle orientation to be used with the in mast furling system. For me, furling systems were mandatory since I am older and 99% of the time am single handing the boat. At near 40 foot, it is just too much for me to be up on the bow hoisting a 155% genoa alone in 15 to 30 knots of wind. The boat came as was and the deal was too good to pass up, so I had just had to do with what was present and since I got it to cruise with then the full efficiencies that I miss out on are something that I am willing to do with out. I will accept the loss of 1 to 2 knots per hours since if I were in a hurry I would have a power boat. I did have my sail maker add some tell tales to the leach of the main sail that help out substantially. Observation of the flow of the air coming off the main is a real true indicator, more so than at the luff since the boom disrupts the air flow in that locale, where as on the head sail you will find the opposite to be more true. I also had some additional tell tales added to the head so that when I have it furled into say about a 100% in contrast with 155% I can still observe the quality of the air flow. Also, to reduce turbulence at the leading edge of the head I had the sail maker add three luff cords. They help the sail furl up much tighter to eliminate the bulge that forms there and this reduces the turbulent air flow. Also, I strongly encourage you to get a copy of Don Guillette's [(sp) sorry Don] book on sail trim. You should read his book carefully again and again; he will explain how you can use many other factors in addition to the battens to help you get optimal sail trim. He in fact discusses trim of the head sail without the battens and explains how you can make up for their absence, which I have found that I can apply to my main with the lack of battens. Good Luck, Tom
I wouldn't
put them on. I have an in-mast furler. Last thing you want is a streamer getting hung up in the extrusion and not be able to get the main out as it got fouled when going in. One could always winch it out I suppose. With an in-mast fuler you will loose some performance anyway due to sail shape and the lack of any battens. You should be able to figure things out unless you are racing around the bouys. I would opt for tell-tails over streamers any day of the week.
put them on. I have an in-mast furler. Last thing you want is a streamer getting hung up in the extrusion and not be able to get the main out as it got fouled when going in. One could always winch it out I suppose. With an in-mast fuler you will loose some performance anyway due to sail shape and the lack of any battens. You should be able to figure things out unless you are racing around the bouys. I would opt for tell-tails over streamers any day of the week.
Roller main tell tell's
Gray, I have had my roller furling main now for 1 1/2 years on my '91 Catalina 28. It has 3 vertical battens and 3 leach tell tells. The tell tells are extremely helpful in trimming the main. When they are streaming straight back, I know I have the main correct. With the loose footed main I can set the outhaul and the travler to the best tension to get the most power from the sail. I have not had any trouble with them jamming the furler as they are on the leach edge of the sail and do not go into the mast very far (I can see them thru the slot on the outside of the rolled sail). We have sailed in 40 knot winds with them and they still look and work like new. The roller furler functions perfectly. We did increase the height of the mast by a foot. The battens allow for positive roach. I don't think we lost any performance. jerry
Gray, I have had my roller furling main now for 1 1/2 years on my '91 Catalina 28. It has 3 vertical battens and 3 leach tell tells. The tell tells are extremely helpful in trimming the main. When they are streaming straight back, I know I have the main correct. With the loose footed main I can set the outhaul and the travler to the best tension to get the most power from the sail. I have not had any trouble with them jamming the furler as they are on the leach edge of the sail and do not go into the mast very far (I can see them thru the slot on the outside of the rolled sail). We have sailed in 40 knot winds with them and they still look and work like new. The roller furler functions perfectly. We did increase the height of the mast by a foot. The battens allow for positive roach. I don't think we lost any performance. jerry
vertical battens
I get the impression you like the vertical battens. Did you have a roller furling main without these before, and if so, how would you compare the performance? (I bought a Cat 36 with roller furling main about six months ago. I like the boat, but I have the impression that it does not point as well as my previous one, due to the difference in the main.) Also, what was the cost difference? Thanks.
I get the impression you like the vertical battens. Did you have a roller furling main without these before, and if so, how would you compare the performance? (I bought a Cat 36 with roller furling main about six months ago. I like the boat, but I have the impression that it does not point as well as my previous one, due to the difference in the main.) Also, what was the cost difference? Thanks.
Should I get Vertical Battens as an Option?
Thanks for the comments on the streamers. I also appreciate Jerry's comments on vertical battens. I can order them for my boat as a $500 option. I wasn't going to get them because of the possibility that they could jam in the furling slot in the mast. Is this a valid concern? Would a vertical batten main provide a noticeable improvement in performance. If I decide to get them I have to make my mind up quick. Gary
Thanks for the comments on the streamers. I also appreciate Jerry's comments on vertical battens. I can order them for my boat as a $500 option. I wasn't going to get them because of the possibility that they could jam in the furling slot in the mast. Is this a valid concern? Would a vertical batten main provide a noticeable improvement in performance. If I decide to get them I have to make my mind up quick. Gary
I would think...
that if the boat was new and verticle battens were an option... you shouldn't have a problem with the furler. I hope that the sail that furls into the mast is cut for that application and is a laminate.... won't stretch as much. Rich
that if the boat was new and verticle battens were an option... you shouldn't have a problem with the furler. I hope that the sail that furls into the mast is cut for that application and is a laminate.... won't stretch as much. Rich
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