Question regarding homemade furlers

[cwkemp]

I have studied a couple of clever designs for homemade furlers for hanked on headsails using PVC pipe & fitting. The designs I have seen fix the spacing between hanks. Does this attribute limit the sail-shaping effects of varying tension on jib halyard or cunningham by limiting the ability to stretch the luff?

 

[Ray Bowles]

The answer is YES, the question is why?

I have practically sailed the bottom off a Catalina 22 and would never even think about such a modification. The weight added up high and would probably stress the forestay and backstay and their mounting points.
I would recommend simply learning how to sail your 22 to its limits with all size sails you have before even thinking about a roller furling.
I found that furling sails on most boats under 26 feet limit the ability of many sailors when facing big winds and rough seas. Hank on sails allow a wide choice of equipment to meet any condition.
I know this comment will raise many hackles but like I said, "I've practically sailed the bottom off a C22"...... in very big winds and conditions. Just fact.
Ray

 

[Hermit Scott]

I have studied a couple of clever designs for homemade furlers for hanked on headsails using PVC pipe & fitting. The designs I have seen fix the spacing between hanks. Does this attribute limit the sail-shaping effects of varying tension on jib halyard or cunningham by limiting the ability to stretch the luff?

Does the design you looked at have notches cut out of a piece of pvc where the hanks attach to the stay? You could always cut the notches a little bigger than needed to allow for the movement.
The weight of a piece of 1/2" pvc compared to "big wind and conditions" seems insignificant to me.
If you have a link to the furler you saw that would help. Is it on youtube?

 

[cwkemp]

I appreciate the replies.
Ray, I understand the points you emphasize. I am considering this partly out of curiosity and as a possible tool to make my single-handing experience (98% of my time on the water) safer and more efficient. I am conservative in my choice of headsail and quick to reef, but going forward to change sails even while hove to with plenty of leeway makes me a little tense. I estimate the materials for the homemade furlers I've seen online to be about 4lbs. worth of PVC and hardware. I don't know how to calculate the difference this would make in physics terms regarding rigging load or overall stability but it seems like it would make no more impact than manufactured systems I see in use commonly. I don't like the idea of complicating my rigging with more machinery and possibilities for untimely mechanical failure or limiting my ability to control sail shape. These facts and cost have kept me hanking on my jibs/genoa thus far.

 

[cwkemp]

Hermit Scott
Two references that seem to typify the homemeade variety of furler come readily to mind, the first is on these forums under owner mods and one I found linked to a Wikipedia article. I'll have to investigate how to add links to posts. Yes, they utilize holes in the tubes to accommodate the hanks, and yes it would seem that slotting the pipe would provide for stretch of the luff unless we're missing some detail of the sail construction. Perhaps there is a way to estimate how long each slotted hole would need to be to accomadate control of sail shape. Again, thanks for the reply.
Clint

 

[MrBee]

Have you considered something like the Small boat Furling kits from Harken ?
The furler on my boat is similar to those. The Genoa has a wire luff and what I like best is that it is independent of the Forestay. Nothing touches the Stay. If I have a problem (never have yet) I can let the whole sail down.

With the various problems I hear about with the Furlers that slide over/around the head stay I wonder why more folks don't go with another type of system.
But then again i don't know much about anything other than what I have.

Bee

 

[kenn]

Have you considered something like the Small boat Furling kits from Harken ?
The furler on my boat is similar to those. The Genoa has a wire luff and what I like best is that it is independent of the Forestay. Nothing touches the Stay. If I have a problem (never have yet) I can let the whole sail down.

With the various problems I hear about with the Furlers that slide over/around the head stay I wonder why more folks don't go with another type of system.
But then again i don't know much about anything other than what I have.

We have the same system (wire luff with furling) and at least in our case they work fine as furling (100% out, or completely furled) but not as reefing.

It seems that whenever we try to reef by rolling up some of the genoa, the shortened foresail is poorly shaped and noisy. Nothing we try - amount of sail, halyard tension, position and tightness of jibsheet... the reefed genoa is never happy.

I suspect that only the better furling systems with a rigid tube are capable of being reefed by rolling up.

 

[MrBee]

Ken, i haven't noticed that problem with ours.
I guess there is a difference between the a wire luff type and one with a foil, but what would the difference be ? i suspect the cut of a sail could make a difference.

I'll have to pay closer attention to that this season and see if I notice much difference. Maybe I just don't know any better.

Bee

 

[cwkemp]

It does seem that there are significant differences between systems that work for reefing and those that do not. I suspect that the homebrew varieties are simply furlers. A furl-only system would not suit me well as I find I change sails frequently enough to warrant reefing capability. I raise and dowse easily from the cockpit as is, so furling by itself would not gain me much.The Harken small systems do seem reasonably priced considering the hardware included.

 

[Hermit Scott]

I am the self proclaimed king of do-it-your-self-home-made-remedies, but furlers for your size boat are very inexpensive. The profurl I just installed has an prefeeder attachment that velcros to the lowest extrusion that allows me to easily hoist a sail by myself or quickly change a sail with someone messing with the sail and someone handling the halyard. Of course there is the cost of changing sail from hank to luff tape.
I think if I really wanted a furler and I had an arsenal of hank on head sails in good shape. I would buy a sailrite sewing machine and sew the luff tape on myself. A sewing machine has to be the biggest money saver for a sailboat.