Sail is close to furler Max Luff

May 20, 2025
1
Tartan 37 MKII St. Pete
Is there a problem with halyard wrap if sail luff is 1" under max luff on MKIV Unit 2 Furler? Max Luff is 44' 1" and the sail is 44'.
 
Apr 25, 2024
408
Fuji 32 Bellingham
I think I understand what you are asking:

You have a furler that specifies its maximum luff length as 44' 1". Your sail has a luff length of 44'. You are wondering if this narrow gap could contribute to the likelihood of halyard wrap. Do I have it right?

The answer is maybe/probably, but with a few unknown factors to qualify that response. The issue is much less about how close you are to the furler's max length, and more about the angle between your forestay and the halyard. I have read recommendations of anywhere from 10 - 20 degrees, that you want, but I have never found anything that clearly describes how that measurement is taken or any evidence that there is a magic angle. Suffice to say, you want some angle there.

If you already have a halyard restrainer, then you probably don't need to worry about it. My guess is that you do not, or you wouldn't have asked the question.

The other question is whether the furler has a halyard deflector (a little disk designed for this purpose). Again, you probably wouldn't have asked the question if it did. I will say that, if I were concerned about halyard wrap, in this instance, I would just add a halyard deflector.
 

colemj

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Jul 13, 2004
517
Dolphin Catamaran Dolphin 460 Mystic, CT
The closer the sail is to the furler's maximum hoist, the closer the top swivel is to the halyard exit, and the less chance of a halyard wrap - both because the angle of the halyard increases, and its length gets shorter.

Halyard wrap potential is a different topic than sail luff length, other than the above. Regardless of luff length, the furler should be setup to prevent a wrap as described in its installation manual.

Your only concern with your long luff length is that it doesn't stretch anymore than another 1" when you have it tensioned properly. If that's OK, you are good to go.

Mark