In mast roller furling

[Robert Beecham]

Will I regret an in mast furling main sail on a 1996 36' I am considering? Is the convenience worth the loss of sail power considering we are a coastal cruising family? The boat otherwise is just right.

 

[Pete]

We love it.

We've only had ours for a very short time, but we love it! Its a lot less work than the conventional style. Our salesman also showed us some ways to adjust sale shape that may help us with speed, but that's not our big concern.

 

[LaDonna Bubak - Catalina Owners]

Just be careful in heavy weather

Doesn't sound like you would intentionally seek out bad weather but be cautious just the same. Furling sails always make me nervous cuz of the possibility to get stuck at the worst possible moment. If you do buy it, you might play around with it to get an idea of how to get it down (or in) in case of an emergency. Can't hurt to be prepared!!LaDonna

 

[Kenneth Pfaff]

We also love in mast furling

We also have only had in mast furling for a short time but we love it. I went out sailing yesterday with just my 2 kids (ages 18 & 15) and as the winds kept kick up and up and up, we just kept reefing the sails. Nothing could be easier (and safer). Even with 25 knots of wind we could adjust the sails until we had enough sail out to be flying and not have too much up. Then when the thunder storms rolled in, we pulled in the remaining sails and heading in.

 

[Larry Watkins]

In-mast roller furling

Robert; I have the in-mast furling on my Bene 40. It's a good system, but it takes some tweaking and a little experience to avoid some common pitfalls. You need a larger headsail, say at least a 135, to compensate for the roller furling main's loss of power. When setting and rolling it up, put the wind a little to starboard, and easing the vang will make it roll up easier. Control both lines in/out to avoid a wrinkle in the sail that will jam in the slot. Enjoy!

 

[Greg Jones]

In-mast Furling

Robert,I am very happy with my in-mast furler. Same reasons as stated by others - ease of shortening or lengthening sails. Have used it for past three yeasr and have not had it jam or hang up yet - unlike my jib furler. Yes your lose some power put if that's not your main concern I think it is very well worth it.Greg Jones