in -mast furling system

[nick]

I am looking at purchasing hunter 290 , a 2000 with in mast furling and a 2001 with battened mainsail , which is better , I have heard the in mast furling is great and easy to handle and also great for reefing , I have also heard it makes the boat lose sailing power and slower, not that I need great speed I am not into racing, I am new to sailing have only sailed hobie cat 18.

 

[Steve]

Your own answer...

I think you answered your own question. The furling main will loose a little bit in light air, but if your not racing, it shouldn't matter. What you will gain is the ability to easily "hoist" your main, as well as being able to "reef" easily. Hunters do need to reef earlier than some other boats do to the large main.I might caution you: I bought my boat thinking I would get into racing as much as I have. I guess if you are part of a club it makes a difference too. Enjoy the boat, what ever one you choose.Steve

 

[Mark]

I'd get the furling

Given the difficulty we've had getting our main up, we're pretty jealous of the Beneteau owners we see with the furling mains. While we struggle with ours, they unfurl their main and are under way quickly.

 

[Paul Hitchcox]

Hard to beat in-mast

I have a 2001 290 with in-mast furling and couldn't be happier; on a moment's notice, I can bring in the mainsail or let it out and it makes every trip that much more enjoyable (particularly for my crew). I was told the mast is actually a bit taller, which makes up for some of the lost sail area (no roach). If you're out a lot with friends and family, the in-mast furling is hard to beat.

 

[Roland]

More moving parts

As a charter boat captain having skippered many boats with in-mast furling, I can attest to the ease with which it makes hoisting, reefing, and furling the main. Makes my job so much easier. However, I have run into the occasional rig that has gotten hung up and refused to be rolled - usually at the worst possible time. More moving parts, more things to go wrong. Make sure you have a system in place to drop that main in an emergency. Have you considered in- the-boom furling? RolandS/V Fraulein II

 

[Dave Young]

Why furl on a 29?

I have a 460 with an in-mast furler and single-hand or often have few or inexperienced crew. I like the furling main because I can handle the large main on the 460 by myself. My experience with older large boats without any sail handling equipment (w/o furling, lazy jacks, etc.) is that you need good crew. The boat goes plenty fast (for a sailboat) even with a furling main.The 290 is a much smaller boat and has a much smaller main - you may be able to manage smaller sail area dependent on your abilities and the abilities of your potential / regular crew. If you want the extra power, and you have confidence in you or your crew's ability to manage the main on the boat you are looking at, go for the battened sail - it's not that much work. If you decide that ease of use is more important, the furling setup is definately the way to go.Regarding safety of the two alternatives, as far as I am concerned, as long as you maintain and operate furling gear (and aevery other system) correctly, you should not have any problems with the furling setup.