How do you roll/unroll a headsail?

[Chris Patterson]

Yeah, that sounds pretty simple, huh? No, no real instructions are needed on the actual procedure of the furling process, but at which point of sail do YOU execute this? I've read countless articles on proper sail trim, but little on this 5 second maneuver. I usually point the boat more or less into the wind and drag 'er out, but the flogging for those brief moments always unsettle me. Do you have a more "delicate" way of accomplishing this? ..

(I am talking roller furling headsails of course).

 

[kappykaplan]

I generally unfurl on whatever point of sail I happen to have the boat on after hoisting the main. I let the wind do most of the work on the unfurl, controlling the speed of the evolution by easing the furler line hand-over-hand. If there's a lot of wind, I'll put the boat on a broad reach to furl.

 

[iSailor]

If there's a lot of wind, I'll put the boat on a broad reach to furl.

interesting. Do you feel it is easier to furl on a broad reach compared to heading slightly into the wind and luffing the sail when there is decent wind conditions?

 

[AXEL]

I unfurl on any point of sail but prefer to have the wind behind or on the quarter. As mentioned above, let the wind do the work just don't let the furling line get away from you. When furling in I always sail down wind, especially if it's really blowing. Don't let the sail flog and struggle, sail downwind it is way easier and healthier for your sail.
Never use a winch! If you can’t pull it in something is wrong!

 

[RichH]

I unfurl on any point of sail but prefer to have the wind behind or on the quarter. As mentioned above, let the wind do the work just don't let the furling line get away from you. When furling in I always sail down wind, especially if it's really blowing. Don't let the sail flog and struggle, sail downwind it is way easier and healthier for your sail.
Never use a winch! If you can’t pull it in something is wrong!

Ditto with Axel's technique .... plus my furling control line is run through a Harken hexaratchet that is attached to the stern rail for precise (friction) control of the control line. I usually never let the furling control line 'run free' but always snubbed by the hexaratchet so that I can more easily control or avoid the flogging ... in or out. My "genoa' is approx. 650 sq. ft. sail area; you dont want a sail that big to be flogging. When furling or reefing, the hexaratchet allows me to keep the leech of the sail tight, the crew usually keeps pressure on the jibsheets -- the result is a very tight 'roll' on the foil

 

[kappykaplan]

I do . . .

interesting. Do you feel it is easier to furl on a broad reach compared to heading slightly into the wind and luffing the sail when there is decent wind conditions?

iSailor, I do find it easier to furl on a broad reach in heavy winds. I find that the sail rolls up more evenly. Also, it avoids all the violent flapping, etc.

 

[Stan Breaux]

Re: I do . . .

I think what has not been said here, so far, is that if you can get the genoa in the wind shadow of the mainsail (on a broad reach) then it becomes much easier to furl.

 

[shemandr]

Yeah, downwind for the windup. If it's windy I try to get it behind the main to unload it. That's pretty much my technique for a hanked on jib too. Release the halyard, a good yank on the sheet and the sail would practically fold itself inside the lifeline.

 

[LuzSD]

ditto Axel but usually furl on a broad reach. No flogging, keep everything tight and controlled.

 

[weinie]

I let the wind do the work on any point of sail but I definitely make sure I keep adequate tension on the furling line to prevent it from fouling.

The real question is how to reef it when the wind picks up!!!

I find it especially challenging to reef underway if I need to use the winch and I am on a starboard tack as the winch is being used by the sheet! I don't want to release the sheet completely as a violently flogging 150 genoa can be much harder to furl.

I single hand most of the time so its much easier to do under way then to try to keep the boat pointed into the wind with no one at the wheel. The autopilot is useless when the boat is not moving.

 

[Kermit]

Dang, what an interesting question. I *aways* let the wind unfurl the jib. Never do I try to unfurl while pointing into the wind. (I always hoist and drop the main heading as dead into the wind as possible.) I never realized there was a better point of sail for furling other than into the wind. I have never been able to furl the sail when on a close or beam reach. Always WAY too much pressure on the sail. I'm assuming the broad reach must allow the wind to spill while furling. I'll have to try it.

Dang what an interesting question. Thanks for asking it!

 

[rardiH36]

As RichH described, I also lead my furling line through a hexaratchet block block. For me it's at the toe rail right next to my helm. The lead angle is just perfect for pulling in or letting out. When letting out the sail, and also if I need to furler reef in when sailing, the hexaratchet prevents possible uncontrolled run-out of the furling line.

Contrary to advice never to use a winch :naughty: -- I do :dance::dance:.

But only to maintain control of the rolling up process as a solo sailor. I do not allow any real strain/tension on the furling line. Not any more than one person hauling in on it while another other slackens the jib-sheet. The prevailing wind direction (usually strong) when I am returning to berth allows my furling line side primary self-tailing winch to be free. I wrap the furling line around it. The jib is still sheeted around the winch on the other side. I disengage the sheet from the self-tailer jaws and hold the sheet in my hand. As I winch in on the furling line, I slack off the other side jib sheet as needed as the furling line is pulled in. As the exposed jib sail area reduces after a few wraps, I can throw off the jib sheet from the winch and finished easing out by hand tension only. Again, even though I am using a winch on the furling line, I don't allow any real tension on it. The jib is allowed to bellow-out on the jib sheet side. Not per traditional protocol, but I find the winch adds control and safety from flogging in high winds during the furling-in process.

 

[caguy]

I have mine on the cabin top forward of the sheet line. When pulling it in I hold the sheet line and the furler line in the same hand. As I pull on the furler line it releases tension on the sheet. In our harbor channel its almost always down wind. In heavy wind I will either pinch it or fall off.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Kermit

Dang, what an interesting question. I *aways* let the wind unfurl the jib. Never do I try to unfurl while pointing into the wind. (I always hoist and drop the main heading as dead into the wind as possible.) I never realized there was a better point of sail for furling other than into the wind. I have never been able to furl the sail when on a close or beam reach. Always WAY too much pressure on the sail. I'm assuming the broad reach must allow the wind to spill while furling. I'll have to try it.

Dang what an interesting question. Thanks for asking it!

The question was headsail ONLY. Don't try to raise or drop your mainsail when on a broad reach.

 

[cephius (Dave)]

Like RickH, I ease the sheet out while furling so that the jib doesn't luff. This also seems to make for tighter wraps of the sail on the furler.

As with others, I never consider the wind direction with handling the jib. I recall all of those docking under sail drills where we used the jib to control the speed and just let it fly when the power was no longer needed.

 

[Kermit]

The question was headsail ONLY. Don't try to raise or drop your mainsail when on a broad reach.

I tried that once. Even in light air it's a *terrible* idea.

 

[Steve L22188]

Hexarachet info?

Several of you have mentioned the hexarachet block to help control the furling control line.

Can someone enlighten me on how these work? Do they supply the constant pressure on the line when unfurling the sail (rather than having to get my gloves on to keep from burning the palm of my hand?).

Some more info on one of these gadgets would help me a lot. Thanks in advance.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Steve, a more detailed answer c an be found on Harken's (or other block manufacturer's) website. Maybe even West Marine Advisors. They explain it very well.

 

[rardiH36]

Re: Hexarachet info?

Think of a hexaratchet a bit like a winch. You can pull the line in, but the winch doesn't turn in the other direction. To let the line out, you ease the tension on the tail end. Without the friction of the line on the drum, the line plays out. With a hexarachet, instead of a round sheave of a normal block, the sheave has six straight sides and the groove in the sheave is cut so the line tends to wedge into it. As you pull the line in, the sheave goes in only one direction and sounds "click-click-click". The line resist slipping back as long as you keep tension on the tail end. Release the tension and the line slips back through. Hexaratchets have a "switch" which removes the one way feature so the block can operate in both directions.

 

[Joe]

Several of you have mentioned the hexarachet block to help control the furling control line.

Can someone enlighten me on how these work? Do they supply the constant pressure on the line when unfurling the sail (rather than having to get my gloves on to keep from burning the palm of my hand?).

Some more info on one of these gadgets would help me a lot. Thanks in advance.

They work like the "drag" on a fishing reel.... They are quite common on mainsheet tackle systems... ratchets allow sailors to hand-hold loaded lines and offer balance between holding power and controlled easing

It's highly likely that you have a ratcheting block in the mainsheet system in your own boat. If it has a little lever or knob on the side to let it run free or brake. Here's a single ratcheting block:

You can purchase a single hexaratchet with a cam cleat to approximate what RichH described. I have a pair like these for jibsheet control on my Nacra beach cat.