luff pre-feeder

[BobM]

I made a comment on another post "I found some feeder rings on board I used to raise the genoa solo...worked awesome" Even at 42 I found that the need to do most things myself requires some creativity. I had found these on the boat as part of my inheritance from the previous owner (photo). It was obvious to me what they were, some sort of prefeeder ring for the hood furler. Faced with rigging the sails solo last year, I resolved to figure out how to do so easily and decided to give them a try. I had a beautiful day for it, with little wind to complicate things.

Lacking instructions, I took a piece of small line and rigged the two rings on it about six inches apart tying them so they would be below the foil. This, I figured, should feed the luff tape right into the foil beautifully. Then, because I wanted to be forward to help out, just in case I removed the halyard, which is routed to the cockpit, from its clutch and turning block so it was just passing through its block at the mast step. I pulled on the halyard and the genoa zipped right up the mast perfectly. I couldn't believe how easy and well it worked. The sail wasn't even well flaked.

There are many of these simple devices out there. Tuff Luff is another brand. I must say...if you don't have some...I suggest you put them on your Christmas list for sure. Perhaps someone can provide better instructions than mine too. To be frank, I'd have to go to the boat or find some of my photos to provide a better description of what I did. Or figure it out this spring and post some photos LOL.

 

[Warren Milberg]

I know the problem well of trying to figure out how to do things solo. While I have a Shaeffer pre-feeder similar to what you pictured, my Furlex 200 came with a built-in pre-feeder that works pretty. I've found that if I flake the sail properly on the deck and the wind is on bow, the sail will go up quickly while I raise it from the cockpit using the cabin top winch. If I am raising the sail alone on windy day, I will sometimes take the boat out to quiet anchorage, put the hook down, and let the boat come up into the wind before trying to raise the genoa. Whatever works, works.

 

[bffatcat]

raising a genoa alone

Ive found the right way for me to singlehandedly raise a genoa is to flake it down on deck first so it dosent bind up in the track. I stopped using a pre feeder because there were always
bind ups on the tape where it passed thru the pre feeder on my old boat with a pro furl what I did was take the halyard foreward , sit down on deck at the bow and hoist. If the tape snagged in the track I was right there to work it free. On my current boat I do the same thing on a CDI. The secret is in the flaking. It dosent take that much effort. If it did I couldnt do it myself. I`m 72 and Ive got a bad back

 

[BobM]

Re: raising a genoa alone

I agree that flaking certainly helps a lot, but it is certainly more challenging the bigger the sail is. My 135 is something like 40 x 40 x 13 and flaking it on the deck ain't easy. Anyone have tips on that? I usually take sails home and flake them in the living room (dont' tell me Wife). The room is two stories tall and there is an eye in a beam I am tempted to hook a snatch block on. Do you think she will notice if I put a cleat on the LR wall?

 

[Bob S]

I'm curious how often do you change out your headsail? I am still pretty new at sailing just completing my second season. I have a 110% and a 135% genoa. Both came with the boat. I've only used the 110% which we rig at the beginning of the season. I do it with the wife. I can't fathom how you would feed the luff into that track and hoist it at the same time. Boy I learn so much from this site! I have never single handed my boat . Yet! I just don't have the confidence although I got good at picking up my mooring by myself. Once I get past my fear I'll have to learn all these little tricks.

 

[Jumpstart]

As an offshore racer we make plenty of sail changes. On average 3-4 changes in a 4 hour shift is the norm, most of the time shorthanded. There are a couple of tricks. One, you absolutely need a properly designed sail bag that can be secure to the deck. The bag should be a sausage bag around 3/4ths the length of the foot of the sail. Bag has 2 zippers so that it can be unzipped from either end. Sail is flaked into bag so that luff, head and tack are all at the forward end and the clew is at the aft end. Setting, we unzip aft end and attach sheets then zip back up until ready to hoist. When you hoist out of the bag it goes up very smoothly through the prefeeder secured to the tuff luff. When switching sails you douse the old sail on deck and secure with bungee cords. Then you and hopefully another crew member flake the old sail into the bag and secure to toerail.

 

[Alan]

Good gets better

There's an even better and easier to use prefeeder out there. This Wichard prefeeder can be used to feed to the luff of the headsail without having to remove it from the head-foil during douses and re-hoisting. This saves time for the bowman and gets him off the bow faster.
Nice stocking stuffer!!