Mainsail furling

[BigEasy]

I have to say for me the worst part of this sailing thing is dropping the main. It goes up & comes down easy enough but trying to wrestle it in on the boom so you can tie it off, at my age will become a deal breaker for me. Guess the trick for in mast furling is like a head sail. Gotta keep tension on it as you furl.

The real trick to using in mast furling is that you have to know how to use it properly, maintain it properly, and make sure the rigging is tuned properly. Yes, after 10 years or so, the main will develop some stretch and will complicate furling; at that point in time its time to recut to eliminate the sag or buy a new sail. Other maintenance items are no cost or minimal cost. I would not go back to using a conventional main; my inmast rig makes sailing much easier, especially for single handed sailing. Perhaps if I were crossing oceans, I would have a different mindset; however, for coastal cruising it is just easier for me.

 

[Tally Ho]

I always liked the idea of the SailTrack system and thought that coupling it with a stack pack would be sweet setup. When I've checked prices I think I could do both for around $2k.

For now I spray the sail lugs with McLube SailKote a couple of times a season as I raise the sail. Only need the winch for the last foot or so.

I added a Mack Pack a few years ago when I bought my O’Day 322. Last season I ripped the (what I believe was the ) original 30—year old mainsail. I “splurged” on a full-batten North Sails main sail and a Tides Marine Strong Track. I installed the Strong track myself...not too hard but did require a little cutting out the mast gate on my mast.

I really like the hardware for the Strong track...heavy duty SS slides.

I think that the Strong track was about $1,000 and the Mack Pack was probably Around the same...your estimate is very close.

For me, the Mack Pack and lazy jacks make lowering the sail a lot easier. I single hand a lot. The new main, with full battens keeps a great shape, and the Strong track keeps the friction easier to manage.

Since I am lazy, I also use a Milwaukee right-angle battery operated drill with a winch bit to raise the main....super slick and I can raise the main single handed in a minute, with one hand and the other holding the jacks open if the AP isn’t keeping us exactly pointed into the wind!

Greg

 

[jon hansen]

The real trick to using in mast furling is that you have to know how to use it properly, maintain it properly, and make sure the rigging is tuned properly. Yes, after 10 years or so, the main will develop some stretch and will complicate furling; at that point in time its time to recut to eliminate the sag or buy a new sail. Other maintenance items are no cost or minimal cost. I would not go back to using a conventional main; my inmast rig makes sailing much easier, especially for single handed sailing. Perhaps if I were crossing oceans, I would have a different mindset; however, for coastal cruising it is just easier for me.

BigEasy just hit the nail on the head.

proper set up, proper knowledge, proper maintenance. which is called "Seamanship 101"

all these different systems, even the basic ones work well, work easily.
cleaned, lubed, repaired, refreshed.

 

[jon hansen]

i have an original 66' track system on aeolus. i keep the track clean by washing it. i keep the track lubed, mclube spray can. no issues ever.
tying the sail down to the boom is a non-issue on aeolus as the boom is low and accessible.

sailed a number of vessels with both in mast or in boom reefing. all worked as designed. all were well maintained. never on issue.

 

[Bob J.]

Despite what happened on the Hunter 38, I think in mast furling is an awesome idea.
Sure takes the pain out of dropping a sail.

@ dlochner, I'm dropping the mast this storage season so I'll consider the Lazy Jack's. Twice this season I headed in to the harbor to catch my mooring with a 12-15 knot breeze. When the winds out of the SE, Belfast gets lumpy due to the fetch. Add to that dropping a main single handed & things begin to suck pretty quickly. Thanks for that suggestion.

@shemander, I like being on the water & due to back issues the motion of a sailboat allows me to keep doing this. From where I came from, this is the dark side

 

[DrJudyB]

I like my Tides Track system with retractable lazy jacks.

 

[jon hansen]

it don't get easier than that. nice job Doc

 

[dlochner]

Despite what happened on the Hunter 38, I think in mast furling is an awesome idea.
Sure takes the pain out of dropping a sail.

@ dlochner, I'm dropping the mast this storage season so I'll consider the Lazy Jack's. Twice this season I headed in to the harbor to catch my mooring with a 12-15 knot breeze. When the winds out of the SE, Belfast gets lumpy due to the fetch. Add to that dropping a main single handed & things begin to suck pretty quickly. Thanks for that suggestion.

@shemander, I like being on the water & due to back issues the motion of a sailboat allows me to keep doing this. From where I came from, this is the dark side

There are a number of different ways to rig lazy jacks, ours are retractable we only deploy them when we drop the sail. If you check over on the Sabre group archives there have been several threads there on the various methods. If you want the ultimate ease of use, consider lazy jacks with a stack pack. The sail drops in the pack and you just zip it up, no sail ties. I may add one to my boat.

 

[Tim Mills]

Tides track plus covert or replace the cabin top winch with an electric winch.

 

[sail sfbay]

............... She wonders about the feasibility of converting our current set up to a furler unit................

You will be happier with a new sailboat with a fit-for-service in-mast furling mainsail.

 

[Bob J.]

I like my Tides Track system with retractable lazy jacks.

Nice! That's pretty cool.

 

[Bob J.]

There are a number of different ways to rig lazy jacks, ours are retractable we only deploy them when we drop the sail. If you check over on the Sabre group archives there have been several threads there on the various methods. If you want the ultimate ease of use, consider lazy jacks with a stack pack. The sail drops in the pack and you just zip it up, no sail ties. I may add one to my boat.

Thanks David. I'll look through the archives next week.

 

[jnorten]

Look into a Dutchman Flaking System. My new to me boat came with one. Combined with a maintained masthead sheave, and annually dry-lubed mainsail track, the sail is more than manageable. You can drop it from the cockpit and it mostly flakes itself. Clean it up and put on the cover at the slip.....

 

[Calif. Ted]

In 2006 a friend who was a deckhand for Columbus downsized and simplified by buying a new C270, practically sleeping in the factory while it was being built. He didn't like having to go on deck for halyard and cover with Dutchman so had a stackpac installed and bought a "wincher". Still too much time on deck to close the pac etc. So finally ended with a behind the mast furler with a carbon fiber main which has great shape and is indistinguishable from conventional until you are close enough to see it has no horizontal battens. He's still sailing 4-5 days a week year round and never leaves the cockpit. Not sure what kind it is but the rigger he used is partial to Harken if they make one.

 

[sailor832]

much less expensive is a electric winch to raise. the sails and to pretension after reading

 

[Barnacle Bill]

Tides Marine products are great, indeed. But, if you want a roller furling mainsail system, I do recommend Selden' Spars in mast furling main mast. I have installed them from scratch and I have sailed on many boats that have had them and they work great. I have used other systems with varying degrees of success, but Selden's were not problematic. It would be interesting to know how many people who have offered negative comments actually have used an in mast furling mainsail system. Are they statements of observations or inference? If you are a racer, probably not the thing you want. If you are a cruiser and want convenience, then it is the thing you want. If you have a sail made for the system, you'd be surprised how well it can be trimmed and how efficient it is. I've had problems with other systems, older sails, etc. but my experience with Selden has been very good. That's my 2 cents.

 

[Tim Mills]

I've had all. A conventional main with partial battens and slugs. A stack pack with a full batten main and lazy jacks with a Tides track, a roller furling main and a full batten main with lazy jacks and an electric winch and Shafer cars. A full batten main can't be beat.
I wouldn't go through the expense of converting a boat to RF. Just sell it and buy what you want.
I really didn't like the RF main at all. Very convenient yes. Had an awful shape, and I don't race....... For goodness sake, I've only owned Hunters.
My preference would be a Leisure Furl boom furler with an electric winch. Hard to find on a boat. You see them on many Tartans. Costs to convert well over $20k. Yikes.