Hank on vs Furler Help/Information Wanted

[jmczzz]

I recently purchased a new to me '85 O’Day 26 CB. It has been modified to have a roller furling headsail.But she came with a full complement of good hank on headsails. It is my 5th sailboat. However, i never had roller furling. I am thinking of going back to the hank on headsails. I have had on a C 22, An O’Day 23 MH, a Hunter 30, and a C25 swing keel. I keep hearing how much better the roller is, but i keep seeing the visions of the tattered and ripped apart roller headsails in the aftermath of several Hurricanes I have experienced. Plus doing some heavy weather sailing with a double-reefed main and a storm jib running before a H’cane. I would appreciate any advice or comments to help me decide which way to go this time. Replace the roller with a hank on forestay or learn and keep the roller? I also add i have no idea how to put the roller furl headsail back on the furler? I also would like to know what may be required to remove the furler and replace it with a hank on for stay? Will I need to drop the mast? I posted this on another forum, it has 10 views so far but NO COMMENTS. Is this a hard question to ask? thanks jmc

 

[DeniseO30]

Most people would never go back Hank on sails.

 

[jmczzz]

Most people would never go back Hank on sails.

thank you, but i am srange, not like most people.
and i never had or sailed with a furler, I do not know how to replace the headsail taken off for the winter.

 

[Hello Below]

but i keep seeing the visions of the tattered and ripped apart roller headsails in the aftermath of several Hurricanes I have experienced.

Too easy just remove the foresail itself.
Hoisting a Furling Jib - Sail Fanatics

 

[DArcy]

Putting the headsail back on the furler is pretty straight forward. Attach the halyard to the top of the upper swivel, shackle the head of the sail to the bottom of the upper swivel, feed the luff tape into the groove in the foil and raise away. It is best to have two people to do this, one on the halyard, one to feed the sail into the foil, but I have done it on my own. Then shackle the tack to the bow fitting, same as you do for hank on.

The question about using a furler or hank on is personnel. I have a friend that removed the furler from his 42 foot boat because he likes simplicity and wanted to be able to switch out sails. He is young and in good shape. That is certainly not the norm. I had hanks on my C&C27 and really had no desire to change to a furler. The sails on that boat were small enough I could handle them easily by myself and I got very good at dropping the working jib on deck in a blow single handed with no fuss. My current boat, being bigger, is more to manage so I like the roller furling. Something to consider is, if you do want to swap out sails under way, the furling sail becomes a flailing mess when you drop it in any kind of wind since it is not attached to the forestay when dropped. Hanks keep the luff of the sail in place when dropped.

 

[jmczzz]

Putting the headsail back on the furler is pretty straight forward. Attach the halyard to the top of the upper swivel, shackle the head of the sail to the bottom of the upper swivel, feed the luff tape into the groove in the foil and raise away. It is best to have two people to do this, one on the halyard, one to feed the sail into the foil, but I have done it on my own. Then shackle the tack to the bow fitting, same as you do for hank on.

The question about using a furler or hank on is personnel. I have a friend that removed the furler from his 42 foot boat because he likes simplicity and wanted to be able to switch out sails. He is young and in good shape. That is certainly not the norm. I had hanks on my C&C27 and really had no desire to change to a furler. The sails on that boat were small enough I could handle them easily by myself and I got very good at dropping the working jib on deck in a blow single handed with no fuss. My current boat, being bigger, is more to manage so I like the roller furling. Something to consider is, if you do want to swap out sails under way, the furling sail becomes a flailing mess when you drop it in any kind of wind since it is not attached to the forestay when dropped. Hanks keep the luff of the sail in place when dropped.

really good points and useful info. I am a 79 yr old vet with a steel implant in my lower right leg. so i understand the change in ability from 40 to 79. But i do want to "go outside" on occasion and sure remember the secure feelings of running before a blow with the storm jib and double reefed main on my then H30 making it safely into Hurricane Creek . thank you, jmc

 

[jssailem]

With @DArcy

Hank on are still the simplest management tool for good sailing with a locker of different sails.

Furler equipment brings ease in sail size change, but adds equipment complexity.

As sizes of sails increase most sailors seek the ease in handling over the opportunity of options in a sail locker.

You have a boat size that makes Hank on sails a decent option. Having the various options in your locker, why not.

 

[jmczzz]

that is a confirming comment, thanks. it also agrees with my thinking. a 26 is not too big for me to handle, which is the main reason a picked the size. the 23 was too small to be comfortable in the cabin but very easy and simple to sail. i hope the 26 turns out to be a good compromise. thanks jmc

 

[DeniseO30]

I used to single hand my O'Day 30 for about 10 years gave up on having friends and family learn to sail just did it by myself it was easier in the long run.
Roller furling Head sails have always made it easier, but I've always known if I didn't have roller furling, I would definitely have them rigged with a downhaul because weather change pretty quick!

 

[BarryL]

Hey,

Furling units have been mostly bulletproof for over 20 years. Yes, after a storm you will find some tattered and destroyed headsails. That is not a problem with the furling units but a problem with the owners who don't properly furl and secure the sail.

You can have your current sails modified for the furler - the sailmaker will remove the hanks and add the correctly sized luff tape. You can use different sized sails with a furler - you do need to drop the current sail and hoist the new sail.

There is no way I would remove a working furler to back to hanks.

Barry

 

[FastOlson]

When you see shredded sails on a boat after a high wind event, it's because the owner left it poorly secured. Like a bagged up hank-on head sail, take it down or off the deck for winter storms.
I would not blame the furler, but rather the boat owner. Even a furled head sail will safely withstand a lot of wind if furled tight and well secured at the clew point.

When we moved from a 26 footer to our present 34, we immediately put a furler on it. The general ease of sailing soon caused us to realize that we wished we had done so on the previous boat. (Same with the solid vang, if anyone is curious...!)

I did have a "down haul" light line threaded up thru all of the jib hanks on the old boat, just to get the jib to stay down on the foredeck when putting away sails on a windy day. That line was led thru a small block and back to the cockpit.
Have fun with your O'D-26. A friend had one for quite a while with the (rare?) factory one cylinder Yanmar. Real nice pocket cruiser.

Also, before declaring that those old bags of hank-on sails are "good"... have them evaluated by a good loft. Many may be blown out and not worth keeping. Modifying them for furling is often a poor use of your $$.

 

[Tally Ho]

I think hank on gives you more options (if you have the sail inventory). But a furler gives you alot of adjustment in size, without the time (and hassle) of changing head sails.

I fly a genoa on a furler, with 2 distinct reef point markers, but can make almost infinite adjustments to the sail size but rolling it or letting it out.

i bent the sails on my O’Day 322 Tally Ho today, and shook out the sails (well, the head sail at least). Lots of wind, made 6.4 knots with 2 reefs in the jib…



For full disclosure, I will say I have never sailed without a furler.

Greg

 

[Davidasailor26]

I have sailed with hank on (with no downhaul), slotted foil without a furling drum, and a furler. The slotted foil with no drum is a great racing option but the worst of both worlds in every other way. I would go with furling myself, assuming the furler works properly. Since you have a full complement of hank on sails that is a compelling option, if they’re in good shape, but wouldn’t sway me.

For me the biggest reasons to suggest furling are the flexibility of quickly going from full sail to partially furled, and the ability to just furl the jib and walk away at the end of the day, without needing to fold and bag the sail. Having the sail torn apart in a hurricane doesn’t worry me - I don’t expect to be sailing in those conditions. I always take care to furl properly, and if a major storm is forecast I take down the sail, which is not significantly harder than taking down and folding a hank-on.

 

[higgs]

If you do go with the furler, which I would, be sure that when you furl it you keep a little tension on the jib sheet so that the folds are tight. Be sure to the jib sheets wrap around the sail 3 times to add further security. When leaving the boat I always make sure I have furled the jib so no wraps remain on the drum and then cleat the furling line off so that the drum cannot move even in strong winds. As for hurricanes, you strip all sails and canvas anyways.

 

[Dalliance]

If you do go with the furler, which I would, be sure that when you furl it you keep a little tension on the jib sheet so that the folds are tight. Be sure to the jib sheets wrap around the sail 3 times to add further security. When leaving the boat I always make sure I have furled the jib so no wraps remain on the drum and then cleat the furling line off so that the drum cannot move even in strong winds. As for hurricanes, you strip all sails and canvas anyways.

Exactly. A little tension on the sheet when furling, three or four storm wraps and cleat both sheets and the furler line. Always. Just assume there could be an unexpected storm at any time. You don’t want to be that guy in the harbor with the shredded head sail flapping in the wind.
I find my roller furling genoa to be very flexible. Infinite sail size adjustment without leaving the cockpit. As an aging solo sailor, it just seems safer to me to minimize time up on the deck. Luff foam in the sail helps maintain better shape.

 

[capta]

I began sailing before roller furling, including a circumnavigation under sail, and I would never opt for being on the foredeck handling sails again. I much prefer being safely ensconced in the cockpit. Though it is unlikely that one would encounter ocean sailing conditions on a smaller sailboat like yours, a moderate chop could make the foredeck a dangerous place on a small boat.
Perhaps, if I was racing seriously, I might reconsider. However, I will not ever race my own boat, so it is a moot point.

 

[Scott T-Bird]

The furler makes life a lot more convenient. Modifying good headsails for use with the furler makes good sense. If all those extra headsails are stretched out bags, you will waste your money if you convert them.

One thing that I have learned that I have to watch out for with a furler is that when unfurling to go sailing, you need to maintain control of the furling line. The wind wants to take the sail out in a rush and if you just let go of the furling line, it is easy to get a snarl on the drum that bites you on the ass when you try to roll the sail back up. With enough wind, it's easier said than done. I've burned my hand on the line (and so has Sue ) as the wind fills the sail and yanks the line out. When the line rolls up with no tension, it tends to snarl on the drum. When you go to pull the line out to roll up the sail, the snarl will not let you. On one episode, I had to drop the headsail to the deck in 20+ knots of wind to get in and take the snarl out while at the dock!

 

[kappykaplan]

when unfurling to go sailing, you need to maintain control of the furling line.

I, too, have burned my hand, even with sailing gloves on.

 

[jmczzz]

more great info and the burning hands from the furling line going wild is an affair to remember. thanks, jmc

 

[markwbird]

I'm a hank on man, myself. I actually removed the roller furler on my last two boats for hank on. The main reason is performance. The hank on head sail can go all the way to the deck. More sail area down low. Roller furler is hard to roll up in heavy air and can jamb or break which is a real problem in big wind. Simpler is more reliable. Also, I like to be able to change out the headsail for different wind conditions. There is some compromise: Roller furler is very convenient and great for sailing into a down wind slip where you can gradually reduce sail as you come in. Also, easy to quickly get out the sail if you need to. Overall, I find the pros of the hank out out weigh the cons.