jib furling chanel

[Kommy000]

Not sure of the correct term but I noticed now if you un furl the jib all the way it looks like the very last about 2 feet at the bottom are not in the "channel" of the furler like the rest of the sail going all the way up. It seems like it starts going into the channel after a small bracket that wraps around the furler channel about 2 feet up from the actual furler can.
I'm just wondering if its normal or is my sail slowly popping up from the channel and eventually it will disconnect from the channel? I don't see any rips and I'm not sure what holds the sail in that channel since this is the first boat with a furler that I own.

 

[kappykaplan]

It's normal on my boat. Luff tape is what holds the sail in the furler channel.

 

[John T1594]

Sounds like a normal furler design. The bolt rope inside the front of the sail slides up the small channel on the back of the furler extrusions (furler rod) that is around the forestay and that is usually a foot or two off the deck. The sail is hoisted in that channel by pulling on the jib halyard line. Before hoisting the jib, make sure that the tack (bottom front) of the sail is attached to the furling drum (can). To lower the sail at the end of the season, unfurl or roll out the entire sail then just loosen the jib halyard and the sail should just slide down the channel or you may have to help it down by hand. Try to do that on a calm day as a sail flogging around can smack you pretty hard.

 

[Kommy000]

Wow I didn't even know that you can lower it. I thought that you can only roll it. I have to figure out now the extra raising or lowering line that I have that is not connected to anything. Don't know if it's something left over from a regular non furling jib set up. Or it is maybe for lifting a person to work on a mast, I did find some kind of harness that came with a boat. I don't think it's for a third sail since I can not imagine how you would put it up.

 

[rardiH36]

A word of caution about the halyard for the jib on the furler. I don't know the make of your furler, but for my brand (Profurl) and others, the halyard must be tensioned whenever furling or unfurling. If it isn't, the halyard near the mast head can wrap tightly around the forestay -- causing real problems. If under sail and one forcefully furls/unfurls the sail or the sail in the wind unfurls quickly, the forestay wire windings can unravel = forestay failure.

I knew about this. But actually made the mistake about a year ago. Wanting to take down the jib, and not really paying attention to my normal sequence, I released the halyard rope clutch before I unfurled the jib. Hence the halyard was loose. After the jib unfurled about 1/3 of the way, I noticed that it wouldn't go any further. Looking up, the halyard had wrapped around the forestay and the upper furler swivel. Furling the jib back in removed the "wraps" around the forestay. But the loose halyard had gotten caught around some of the other masthead hardware. Took me and a dock mate about 45 minutes before we cleared it all by snapping/whipping the loose halyard around. I was almost resigned to climbing the mast.

 

[Joe]

Kommy..... determine the make and model of your furling unit and google for its operation and installation manual. All the furling unit manufacturers will provide them. It will help you to understand how they work and what options you may have.