Seeking Advice: Mail Sail Systems

[joetraveller]

Howdy All:

I'm new to the forum as well being a relatively new owner of a used Catalina 30' Tall Rig. I am in my first season of ownership and I am beginning to budget for modifications over the winter months.

My question is around mainsail handling systems. My current rig consists of a standard mainsail system with lazy jacks and two point reefing system. I have been researching replacing the lazy jacks with a dutchman system or, potentially, going for a furling system for the mainsail - I've read about mast furling, in mast furling and boom furling systems. I thought I would reach out to the group and solictit opinions re: pros and cons of any and all.

My boat is a 1987.

Thanks in advance for your assistance.

Joe

 

[Don Guillette]

Joe: What's wrong with your present lazy jack system? They have been around for years and work well.

I don't know the age of your C30 but let's assume it's in the 80's. If you have a curved track traveler, a straight track would be a good mod. Since you have a masthead rig, the jib is the engine and maybe you have pin type fairleads. An adjustable fairlead system is a good mod. Another great mod is an rigid boom vang.

On older Catalina boats, the mainsail controls are full of friction. They should be replaced.

Check out the Garhauer Marine catalog and you'll see some great additions to your boat. They sell a quality product which they sell at a reasonable price.

It's just my opinion but those are a few items I'd consider before I went to the expense of a mainsail mod, which add nothing to the efficiency of sailing your boat.

 

[digggs]

I can agree with this post there is alot of friction in the main sail controls.

 

[joetraveller]

Don:

Thanks for the feedback. I guess I should have mentioned the reason for my desire to consider alternatives to the lazy jacks currently in place: they do not do a very good job of helping me flake my mainsail when hauling it down. I planned to so a fair bit of single handed sailing and am looking for soultions to make that as easy and as safe as possible.

 

[Don Guillette]

Joe: Where does your present system fail your expectations?

Think of it this way -- your present system does a better job than if you did not have the system. Without your present system you'd have sail all over the place when you dropped the main. Addditionally, in 9 situations out of 10, you can pick the time and place to drop your main. Your present system is as easy and as safe as you can get.

It's just my personal opinion, but I'd put my money into other mods that would enable me to obtain more efficiency from my boat but a mate has to do what he thinks is best and spend his money accordingly.

Maybe some other mates will chime in with a different idea.

 

[Calif. Ted]

I prefer Dutchman but mostly just 'cause I'm used to it, I would not change from lazy jacks however. Both systems have pros and cons but if set up properly are about equally effective. Dutchman parts are expensive and the required installation from a sailmaker add to the cost. Both systems can be finicky to get adjusted right.
I've met people who look at Dutchman and say "Those are no good, you should get lazy jacks" and others who say the reverse.
I've a mate who bought a new boat that had Dutchman, someone convinced him that a stack pac with lazy jacks was better so he tried that, didn't like it and changed back. Now he's had behind the mast furling installed, ($8000 to 10,000) I sure hope he likes it. I think he just wanted it easier to raise and lower and probably may have been well served with a batt car system with the original Dutchman.

 

[jrowan]

I think I would sell my boat & buy a newer boat that already had an in mast furler designed for mainsail furling beore I modified an older C 30 with a furling main. The huge amount of money spent will never be regained when its time to sell. But I agree with the earlier posts that your money is better spent on improvements to sail handling & efficiency. Besides, in mast furlers can only employ vertical battens that are not as efficient in maintaining correct sail shape. Save your money & spend it on something more practical. My 2 cents.