In Mast Furling procedure

[john meyer]

This is a subject that has undoubtedly been covered before, but I actually found little in a search of the archives. I hope this doesn't start another debate about "in-mast furlers, good or bad" - it's not the issue this time. I am one of those who fails to read manuals and in fact can't even find the manual for my Seldon In Mast Furler. I'm in my 3rd year of In Mast Furling and in spite of all the soothsayers (and my own trepidations), have been very happy with it's functioning.
Whether right or wrong, I have always furled into the wind with tension on the outhaul. For fun this past weekend, I put my boat downwind and brought the boom in close hauled to furl. Wind conditions were about 10 kts. And I was probably about 5° off dead down wind with it blowing from over the starboard stern. I still kept tension on the outhaul. I found the furling actually smoother than my more conventional "into the wind". Furling required less effort on my part and the sail did not "flog" like it has a tendency to do going into the wind. Back at the docks I said to myself, "ok, that was cool but I bet the sail was furled too loose and I'll suffer when pulling it out" - tried it, no problem. Have others done this? Did I just find the "right way" to do it after 3 years? Was it a fluke and am I looking for trouble if I do it again?

 

[Maine Sail]

In Mast Furling Mains ..

Should be furled with wind in the sail. Letting it flog will cause more "bunching" and will result in a looser furl than when the sail is carrying wind even with pressure on the out haul. The outhaul does not put even pressure along the luff of the sail and only makes it tighter at the bottom and sometimes the top and looser in the middle. Only a sail full of wind will furl tightly and fit in the mast as it is intended to do.

If it rolls up into the mast counter clock wise you want to be on a starboard tack with the boom near to close hauled. If it rolls up clock wise you want to be on a port tack with the boom in the same location. To far out on the boom beyond a close hauled setting, or close to it, and the sail can bind and create undue friction on the mast edges. It can also damage the sail threads. Point your boat into the wind then fall off just enough to fill the main then furl it..

Although I currently have a boat without in mast furling I'd go back to it in a heart beat as I'm not racing my own boat. I had zero issues with my in mast furling and it always performed flawlessly even in 35+ Nor' Westerlies. It is very convenient and we sailed more because of it.

 

[Serenity]

Maine Sail is right on

Maine Sail is %100 correct in his advice. I do own an IMF boat and I wouldn't go back.

>>ron<<
S/V Serenity

 

[Deadline]

A fat tip

If indeed the thing does get "fat" in the mast and stuck, the easy way out is to tug on the universal line to free it. Really quite simple, just try either way and out it comes.

As to infurling, it's also better with the boomvang tight to keep a tight wrap.

In sum, don't fear a bad wrap or getting fat. Easily remedied.

 

[ITMaster]

I too have an IMF

and do mine exactly as Maine Sail has told you. It works like a charm and I love it since I do an awful lot of single handing on my boat. Like he, I am not into racing and am a cruiser and want life as pleasant and as nice as possible. I would hate to think about trying to either hoist the main, or much worse drop it when I find that I need to really fast. I'v gotten so I can get the main sail put away in less than a minute to a minute and a half. Or at least that's what it seems like, it's quick, that I know for sure.

And while we are on the subject of furling systems, I do the same with the head sail. I keep it full of wind and put it away tightly wrapped with tension on the sheet. I hate flogging a sail so much that I hate to come about and do a tack due to all the slapping and flogging of the sail. Most the time I'll not even let someone else handle the sheets when we tack, just so I can get it done as quick and as smartly as possible. I have had 3 luff cords installed on/in it, so I put it away tight, in case when I put the head out I'm in heavier air and I don't want to put all 155% of it out. This way with it being tight, I get far less turbulence with the air flow coming over what I have left furled away, which was the intent of the luff cords.

 

[john meyer]

down wind

Thanks for your reply (sorry, I've been gone a few days). Maine Sail, I agree with your response and that's pretty much been my MO since the beginning. I guess I over stated the "flogging" - it only happens if I get to far into the wind. My real question, based on the positive experience awhile ago, is bringing the boat down wind and bringing the sail in close hauled for reefing. As mentioned before, it worked great once and seems to totally negate the chance for "flogging". I'm wondering what the negatives would be - I'd rather learn through this forum than try it again, have an "oh crap" experience and realize I should have thought of something I didn't. Again, thanks for your answers.