Roller Furler - Prep

Timm R Oday25 · Mar 10, 2022

Congratulations on the new boat. Would you clarify what you mean by the phrase "load up "? You can either leave the jib furled when stepping the mast or have it off . Using a crane would take care of the added weight of the jib being wrapped around the foil . If it were my boat and the sail were not already furled ,I'd leave it off until I had pinned the forestay .

garymalmgren · Mar 10, 2022

Hi Mark.
RE: My question: do I need to load the furling jib pre-launch/crane up?

The answer is, No.

Your foresail will a lufftape ( boltrope) (6 - 6.5 mm) sewn on the luff.
Refit the mast with the foresail halyard fixed to the furler top swivel and the swivel (temporarily ) fixed to the drum at the bow.
When all is rigged you simply connect the top swivel to the head of the sail, feed the lufftape into the track groove and hoist.
Then (I) use lashing to bring the sail down to the position where it rotates freely.
Tighten the halyard last and away you go.

Gary

Tally Ho · Mar 10, 2022

Plymouth Sailor said:
Fellow Sailors:

I wonder if you could help me?

Just bought a boat with a roller furler and I’ve never used one other than on other boats (I know, they’ve been around for decades). I’ve been a hank-on sailor. My question: do I need to load the furling jib pre-launch/crane up?

Thanks,
Mark

IF you mean do you need to bend on the sail before stepping the mast, I would say NO. But I have a larger boat and the mast stays up all the time. Usually you can raise and lower a sail on a furler. So if you step the mast first, I think you should be able to put the sail on, and then furl it.

Once on the furler, I think you can unstep the mast with the sail furled (carefully…you don’t want to tear it).

Greg

dlochner · Mar 10, 2022

There is no need in most cases to put the sail on before stepping the mast. In fact, the extra weight will make it harder to rig the boat. Leave the sail off and put it on after tuning the rig.

fred1diver · Mar 10, 2022

I might be wrong, it has happened on a few occasion, but I think the original poster means to load the drum by coiling rope on it before

dlochner · Mar 10, 2022

fred1diver said:
I might be wrong, it has happened on a few occasion, but I think the original poster means to load the drum by coiling rope on it before

If that is the case, then it should be loaded after the mast is up. And there is not need to take it off again until it is old and worn.

Kingjim91 · Mar 10, 2022

I always drop my sails for winter storage, even though I usually store the boat mast up. In Wisconsin, it would be tough on the sail to leave it exposed to our winter weather. Some years I need to step the mast to service it in some way. If the sail were on for that, it would add all kinds of complications that I wouldn’t want to deal with.

higgs · Mar 11, 2022

I would never leave a furled jib on any boat when stored on the hard outside. I have seen furled jibs unravel in storms. If this happened on the hard a lucky owner would have the jib shredded. The unlucky owner would have the boat pulled off the cradle. As far as stepping the mast with a furled jib, I would say no. It is not hard to put up a jib with mast up, but anything that complicates stepping the mast, like worrying about a jib on the forestay, should be avoided.

Barnacle Bill · Mar 24, 2022