heavy weather jib furling techniques

[Scotty C-M]

I'm curious to know how you furl your jib in heavy (20 Knots +) wind. Sometimes I'm a little late furling (I know, if you think about furling, do it now) and I have to do it in heavier wind. Going to weather, I've found it hard to haul it in. Going downwind it seems just as hard. What tricks have worked for you?

 

[Brian M H23]

You should be able to blanket the headsail with the main downwind and have an easier time with it - sail a broad reach with the mainsail out all the way.

 

[Scotty C-M]

Brian, Thanks for your reply.



Reaching and using the main to blanket the jib seems pretty good. Paying off to come to a broad reach requires timing to let out the jib, and turn the boat. Because of our local weather pattern it is often running down with the waves on the stern quarter. It most certainly feels like surfing. It's funny that I've done it so many times, but sitting here at the computer, it's hard to analyze. I think I usually turn at the top of the wave, and as it passes me it rolls under and I'm in line for the next wave. If it feels right, I turn the boat down the wave face and just surf dowm. Surfing a 5-8 foot groundswell is fun and exciting. When the swell is larger it starts getting a bit scarry to me. At some point I'm concerned with slowing the boat down. This is where furling should have been done earlier, but if I'm caught up, it gets difficult. Also, turning down to furl eats up a lot of searoom. With big wind or waves on the coast, that can be a problem. Think lee shore.

Going up-wind, there seems to be disadvantages to heading into the wind to furl. The jib flails around with great power, and the boat moves all over. It takes a lot of muscle to bring the sail in.

So that's why I'm looking for advice. I've found a few things: My furling line passes through a line stopper after the turning block. If I'm pulling it at any sort of angle it adds a lot of friction. Also, if I leave the line stopper lever down, it also adds a degree of friction. Another thing I have noticed is that going into the wind, I can de-power the jib, so that it is luffing just a bit, which seems to allow me to furl easier. Have any of you noticed this? I'm hesitant to use the winch (much less the electric halyard winch) for furling because of the chance of "bird cageing" the forestay.

So I'm looking for some advice, opinions and information here. How do you furl your jib in heavy weather? Do you have any tricks that work for you? How about when you are flying just the jib? Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

 

[cat38skip]

If you are having that much trouble furling, check your halyard tension. You should be able to head up a bit a furl that headsail. A too-tight halyard can cause difficult furling.

 

[ITMaster]

Furling

What I try to do is use my winch, my furling line is run on the port side and it is located next to the port winch for the head sail. If I can I put the sail on the starboard side and take a couple wraps with the fuling line on the winch and start easing out on the sheet over on the opposite side. My sheets are long enough to allow me to synchronize letting out on the sheet while winching in the furling line and keeping the sail tight to avoid excessive flapping of the sail. If I am in a jam and don't have the luxury of getting the sail on the other side, then I just make do the best I can by first falling off the wind, secondly securing the sheet to my cleat that is back there and then getting the furling line on the winch and again going back to easing off the sheet while winching in the furling line. By falling off the wind, I find that I keep the sail more filled to minimize the flogging of it. It is a challenge for boats our size; I have a 155 genoa that fills quite full and puts a lot of force. The best thing is to constantly be thinking ahead and watching the wind conditions and reducing sail before you think you need to.

 

[thinwater]

Downwind. It is all about planning. Keep just enough sheet tension to control flogging. I furled in 30 knots just a few days ago. Upwind would have been noisy and rough on equipment.

Yes, you can winch up wind, but it is easy to do major damage if something is jammed and you don't realize it.

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You should be able to furl with an easy one-hand pull at the dock, in light winds. If not, there is a bearing or lead problem. Though not in my avitar, I sail with a 150% genoa.

 

[Albanach]

Had a similar problem due to 2 damaged fingers on each hand (squashed by mooring rope). Since installing a Ronstan ratchet block and furling more on a broad reach – just before flogging- (both thanks to advice from Forum members), I find it a lot easier to furl in heavier winds. If over 25kts I may have to use winch for first turn – haven’t tried it yet. The ratchet stops the furling line from sliding back thru your hand, whilst letting out the sheet with the other. It even gives you a chance to use both hands to haul in. I’m using a 135 Genoa.