We have a Zspar rig on our 44 Oceanus (Moorings 445). When we had the mast down, we found this to be the same extrusion used for the in-mast furler. My question is can it be retrofitted? Has anyone done this and does anyone know where the parts can be gotten and how much would it cost? Please advise.
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My Two Cents
First I'd like to say that if anybody is reading these posts please feel free to chime in with a comment. Anyone can write a response and the more the merrier; it makes for interesting reading. And don't worry about being a perfectionist. Now for my "two cents worth". With regard to the furling main, it will most likely require some mods to the mast head casting (drilling of holes, etc.) or possibly a different casting to accommodate the furler attach point. The electric motor on the furlers I've seen are mounted halfway up the mast from the gooseneck and require large conductors. For a 44 footer, if my recollection serves me well, this would probably require #2 conductors, and preferably marine grade, tinned. One of the top names in the industry, a Sweedish furler, provides non-marine grade conductors. But if you think about it, these wires are in the salt air environment and in a hard to reach area, and if something goes wrong (and it does at the worst possible time), they will be hard to repair without pulling the mast. One of the reasons I haven't responded to this post is that I'm a "little" opioniated, that is to say, I'm not a fan of furling mains. Okay, I've said it. There are numerous posts where people with large boats are positively jubilant and happy with their furling main systems so I'd like to throw in a few comments. My boat is a 35 footer and as nearly everybody knows the speed of a boat is roughly proportional to the square root of the waterline length, everything else being equal (or in proportion). In the local club races there are three boats with furling mains: a new Catalina 40, a 56 footer and a fairly new Hinkley 58 or 59 footer, all of which are skippered by fairly knowledgable and proficient skippers. I have no problem beating every one of them on a boat for boat basis. My observation is that they can't carry a roach because the sail won't support battens. Another observation is that after a few years the sails brake down in the leach and start fluttering - definitely not good. Eventually the sail will tear. Replacing these large sails can get very expensive but I guess the Hinkley owner can afford it. I just bought new sails but the last ones lasted me almost 13 years and would have lasted longer had I known how not to abuse them. Slab reefing is not necessarily easy but there are things one can do to make it easier, like marking the main halyard at the reef point locations, installing jiffy reefing, having a small line in the reef point to tie it to the ramshead, etc. Maybe considering a in-the-boom furling system if it would support battens. Sailing out of Newport one is subjected to summer squalls which come up suddenly so a furling main on a large boat, especially when sailing shorthanded, is an important safety factor when one has to shorten sail and do it quickly. It's a tough decision but I'd try everything else first. Good luck! Everybody else: Let's have some feedback!
First I'd like to say that if anybody is reading these posts please feel free to chime in with a comment. Anyone can write a response and the more the merrier; it makes for interesting reading. And don't worry about being a perfectionist. Now for my "two cents worth". With regard to the furling main, it will most likely require some mods to the mast head casting (drilling of holes, etc.) or possibly a different casting to accommodate the furler attach point. The electric motor on the furlers I've seen are mounted halfway up the mast from the gooseneck and require large conductors. For a 44 footer, if my recollection serves me well, this would probably require #2 conductors, and preferably marine grade, tinned. One of the top names in the industry, a Sweedish furler, provides non-marine grade conductors. But if you think about it, these wires are in the salt air environment and in a hard to reach area, and if something goes wrong (and it does at the worst possible time), they will be hard to repair without pulling the mast. One of the reasons I haven't responded to this post is that I'm a "little" opioniated, that is to say, I'm not a fan of furling mains. Okay, I've said it. There are numerous posts where people with large boats are positively jubilant and happy with their furling main systems so I'd like to throw in a few comments. My boat is a 35 footer and as nearly everybody knows the speed of a boat is roughly proportional to the square root of the waterline length, everything else being equal (or in proportion). In the local club races there are three boats with furling mains: a new Catalina 40, a 56 footer and a fairly new Hinkley 58 or 59 footer, all of which are skippered by fairly knowledgable and proficient skippers. I have no problem beating every one of them on a boat for boat basis. My observation is that they can't carry a roach because the sail won't support battens. Another observation is that after a few years the sails brake down in the leach and start fluttering - definitely not good. Eventually the sail will tear. Replacing these large sails can get very expensive but I guess the Hinkley owner can afford it. I just bought new sails but the last ones lasted me almost 13 years and would have lasted longer had I known how not to abuse them. Slab reefing is not necessarily easy but there are things one can do to make it easier, like marking the main halyard at the reef point locations, installing jiffy reefing, having a small line in the reef point to tie it to the ramshead, etc. Maybe considering a in-the-boom furling system if it would support battens. Sailing out of Newport one is subjected to summer squalls which come up suddenly so a furling main on a large boat, especially when sailing shorthanded, is an important safety factor when one has to shorten sail and do it quickly. It's a tough decision but I'd try everything else first. Good luck! Everybody else: Let's have some feedback!
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