roller furlilng?

[quilombo]

hi, I have a 78 catalina 25 without a roller furler, I dont know much about them ,but they seem to be popular, couple of questions,do I have to buy a new genoa, if I buy one,can I use the existing sheet, and is it worth it? Ive seen prices from 600 to infinity,

 

[John24107]

Probably, Yes and That depends

You will probably have to replace your jib/genoa to put it on a roler furler. It might be able to be re-cut with luff tape added, etc., but the cost of that would probably justify the new sail if the sails you have are nearing the end of their life anyway.Yes, the sheets you currently have, if servicable, can be used on a furled sail without any modifications. The only new line you'll need to buy is the line for the furler itself. For our boats, 60 - 70 feet of 3/16 or 1/4 inch line will probably suffice. Relatively inexpensive."Is it worth it?" On a '78 vinatage boat, a roller furler is probably not the first thing I'd rush out to buy. But, if you're looking at buying new sails soon, I'd probably make the leap to a furler also. This is particularly true if you singlehand a lot. If you like the sails you have, and don't need to replace them, stick with the hank-ons for now. Get to know your boat and how you sail her. Then decide about modifications. Have you visited the Catalina 25 website?

 

[Joe Cool]

Roller furling

My 30 footer is the only boat I have ever sailed. I sail solo (on the ocean) almost exclusively. I have never had to put up with going forward to reduce sail and I wouldn't want to. My Harken furler has performed flawlessly over the 6 years I have used it. Only you can decided if it is worth it, but to me it is the most important equipment on the boat. It makes it possible for me to go alone when not going solo means not going at all. Being able to reduce sail without leaving the cockpit is a big safety plus. I believe a small headsail, say a 130 or smaller can be modified to furl without a foam luff whereas a 150 would need a foam luff. This would increase the cost of any conversion from hanks to furling. My sailmaker says the conversion of my like new 130 hank-on would be under $200. They remove the hanks, add a luff tape, and trim the bottom of the sail. No foam luff.As another poster pointed out a lot depends on having a good condition sail to modify.Good luck with your boat.

 

[RussT1950]

calibration of depth sounder

I have installed a ST60 depth sounder on my Cat 30. My boat has the fin keel [5' 3"] and not sure what would be the best calibration. The transducer is a foot or two from the waterline. Does anyone know how many feet I should I calibrate? Thanks, Russ