Roller Furling Question

[DHaranSailor]

Hello Again!

I just did one last practice rig before putting into the water for the summer. I had one question on the roller furling system and rigging. If you look at the attached pictures when I tie off the halyard on the genoa and have it up, there is about 2 feet of free rope hanging after my bowline is tied.

Where I am making my knot it I am able to haul it all the way to the black block on the top of the roller furling system and the sail clears the life lines and stanchions. If I tie it any lower the sail doesn't fly free.

Question is should I shorten the top of the line some so there isn't so much slack flying around, or should I do something else with it and keep it?

Thank you,
Michael

 

[Jackdaw]

Tie the top END of the CDI halyard to the head of the sail. After the the halyard comes down to the drum, tie it there and cut the extra off.

Ideally, the tack (bottom front) of your jib should be directly attached to the drum on clip 180 degrees rotated from where the halyard ties off. Most of the time, you jib should be trimmed INSIDE your lifelines and pulpit. During the times it is not (reaching and running), sail shape is less important.

You can raise your jib up with a pendant (like you did) but it is not ideal.

 

[DHaranSailor]

Tie the top END of the CDI halyard to the head of the sail. After the the halyard comes down to the drum, tie it there and cut the extra off.

Ideally, the tack (bottom front) of your jib should be directly attached to the drum on clip 180 degrees rotated from where the halyard ties off. Most of the time, you jib should be trimmed INSIDE your lifelines and pulpit. During the times it is not (reaching and running), sail shape is less important.

You can raise your jib up with a pendant (like you did) but it is not ideal.

That sounds how I rigged it the first time and it felt strange that the sail was pressing against the life lines so much.

So to confirm I was the ring at the foot of my sail to be through the screw shackle that is opposite the other shackle for securing the halyard used to raise it? This puts the ferrule pretty close to the drum at the bottom.

This leaves approximately two to three feet of bare grey plastic (luff?) between the top of the sail and the block at the top.

 

[Jackdaw]

That sounds how I rigged it the first time and it felt strange that the sail was pressing against the life lines so much.

So to confirm I was the ring at the foot of my sail to be through the screw shackle that is opposite the other shackle for securing the halyard used to raise it? This puts the ferrule pretty close to the drum at the bottom.

This leaves approximately two to three feet of bare grey plastic (luff?) between the top of the sail and the block at the top.

Thanks pretty much it. But some thoughts.

Most roller furling sails have fabric loops and not steel rings at the corners. If you have rings, you can use a small loop of line at the tack to help it lay flat.

The sail pressing on the lifeline or pulpit will be fine. When sailing close to the wind it will want (and need) to be inside the lines.

All else being equal, its better if a jib like yours (meaning not full length) is set to the bottom of the furler, and the extra room on the extrusion is at the top. That being said, its not do-or-die rule, and if you want to move it up, go ahead.

 

[DHaranSailor]

Thank you for the help Jackdaw.

I will defiantly start with your recommendation and sail that way this year. I can always adjust and tweak as I go.

 

[shemandr]

I'm stuck on why you can't tie the halyard at the normal, say 8 inches from the end and end up with a tail of 2". Or splice a shackle to the end of the halyard. Wouldn't the difference be taken up as the halyard tail wherever you hoist from.
The pennant raising of the jib tack is OK but I agree with Jackdaw in that I sailed on many many boats which the jib folds over the bow rail or life lines off the wind. Sometimes you see some boats where the top life line is dropped to prevent this.
Fortunately at 250 lbs. I don't get a lot of foredeck work. But I would feel a little unloved up there with the upper life line dropped to gain an insignificant advantage. But I am a team player. Just let me have the spinnaker pole positioned on the mast ring and the down, to give me something to hang onto - if I'm ever up there.
Oh what am I saying? That was before the asymmetric revolution. I'm feeling dated.

 

[31seahorse]

In your third picture on the port side I see an unfamiliar piece of sailing equipment. Please identify it: (A) the emergency rudder; (B) the emergency paddle; (C) a wind indicator; (D) an implement used to maintain crew discipline.

RE: your first and second picture. I don't understand why there is a 2 foot length of line hanging loose beyond the knot. Tieing nearer to the end of the line should eliminate the extra and still allow you to pull the sail up to whatever height you want. Unless....Is this sail too tall for the fractional rig placement on your boat????

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Jackdaw;

Over the years I have seen smaller jibs for the CDI furler for what ever reason. I use to tie the head and raise it up and sometimes the foot would be above the bow rail. I used a longer tie down haul to the drum and it still worked fine. I found the higher the sail in that case caught more wind and yes it made me a believer of that comment and the less interference from the rail. As for the downhaul being a little longer I found that not a problem at all. I installed over 1,000 of those and quit counting for what it is worth..

 

[Chris Patterson]

I keep a pennant on the bottom of mine about 18". This is a direct result of a very popular sailmaker in Annapolis that can not read a tape measure, (twice). I guess it put more power on the top, but the caveat is, I can see up under the thing.

Plus a 1000 dollar experience of who NOT to buy sails from..

 

[DHaranSailor]

In your third picture on the port side I see an unfamiliar piece of sailing equipment. Please identify it: (A) the emergency rudder; (B) the emergency paddle; (C) a wind indicator; (D) an implement used to maintain crew discipline.

RE: your first and second picture. I don't understand why there is a 2 foot length of line hanging loose beyond the knot. Tieing nearer to the end of the line should eliminate the extra and still allow you to pull the sail up to whatever height you want. Unless....Is this sail too tall for the fractional rig placement on your boat????

Primary use is (D), but it was out that day to assist in the removal of the old registration sticker and number. Got tired of burning my fingers with the heat gun.

- The first time I rigged up the sail I did what Jackdaw is suggesting and tied the halyard at the end to the ring at the head of the sail and hoisted. I raised the sail until the ferrule come all the way to the drum and I could not raise the sail any further. That is why I lowered the sail, retied and raised the sail again.

After I did that the head of the sail went to the top of the roller furling system and the ferrule was just short of the drum. That is what left me with the two extra feet of halyard at the top of the system.

 

[Jackdaw]

Jackdaw;

Over the years I have seen smaller jibs for the CDI furler for what ever reason. I use to tie the head and raise it up and sometimes the foot would be above the bow rail. I used a longer tie down haul to the drum and it still worked fine. I found the higher the sail in that case caught more wind and yes it made me a believer of that comment and the less interference from the rail. As for the downhaul being a little longer I found that not a problem at all. I installed over 1,000 of those and quit counting for what it is worth..

Hey Dave. I agreed, not a problem, but without a doubt less efficient.

For any given sail area, raising it up the forestay raises the Center of Effort of the sailplan and makes it less efficient, as it creates a longer 'arm' that the keel must overcome.

And a higher clew can make windward sheeting less efficient.

It also removes any 'plate effect' that the foot of the jib can create with the deck.

 

[Benny17441]

Use a bowline knot on a snap shackle and give it a couple of sewing stiches securing the bitter end to the halyard and cutoff any leftover. The snap shackle will attach to the ring but allow easy removal of the sail when desired.