Ew.
WHY WOULD YOU WANT ONE???? In-mast furlers are the epitome of gadgetry. I know you are going to hear from a lot of guys who swear by them. I wonder if they will then swear AT them, when: -- it jams coming out when they are showing the boat off to new friends; -- it jams going in during a pretty bad blow. With a light boat like a Mac the LAST thing you want is to be caught with too much sail area up. -- the sail shape goes all to h*ll and they watch guys with normal mainsails blowing them away from mark to mark; -- they lose battery power at some crucial moment, like during that blow; -- they lose the winch handle designed for it and have to make do with something less; -- the seams and cloth of the mainsail start getting fatigued because of constantly being kept tightly kinked-up in a little roll whilst coated in salt slime and mildew; -- they try sleeping aboard with the howling of the wind in the mast's sail slot which sounds like 2000 banshees screaming in the Irish woods at night; -- their marina neighbours start throwing things at them on sight because of that noise the boat makes whilst they are trying to relax; -- they get the MasterCard bill and say, 'It cost HOW MUCH? The BOAT isn't even worth that!' My very firm advice as a member of am active boatbuilding/designing/sailing family is this: Learn to slab-reef and furl the mainsail when you have to. Stand up on the cabin top and just do it. With practice you can get it done in 60 seconds. Reef as soon as you start wondering if it's time to, and wear your harness. The in-mast furler is a lazy guy's answer, especially on a small boat. Why complicate your life with something so intricate and fragile? --and try to imagine what kind of conditions in which you are likely to have problems. Murphy's Law states if it can go wrong, it will, and at the worst possible time. The simpler your boat is and the more you are willing and able to do, the safer and easier (and cheaper) your life will be. Sailing is the pasttime of responsible, active, and thinking people. What the fools don't understand about that is what makes them fools. JC 2
