selden in-mast furling help wanted H-356

[sailmaster39]

I was looking for feedback from experienced owners of Selden in-mast furling.Any tips and tricks for furling the main sail in and out.I recently bought a H356 with in-mast furling.This is my first boat with this feature.I just installed a new partial batten main sail.After several trys,I finally furled the main in the mast.I`ve read the selden maual however,user experience trumps that.
Richard

 

[Butch23065]

It will take some experimentation on your part. The sail must wind up smooth and even in order to fit inside the mast. Do the partial battens overlap? If they do, the overlap takes up space inside the mast. Is there any bend in the mast? If there is, the mandrel is close to the aft end of the mast and creates drag as you furl the sail.

On my 41, I pull the vang down till it is just snug and keep tension on the out haul as I furl the main. The halyard needs to be snug for the sail to roll up smooth but not so tight you can't furl the sail by hand. It is OK to use a winch but if you can't roll it up by hand something is probably not correct. Try tightening or loosening one of the adjustments I mentioned.

Good luck. I love mine.

 

[SV Escapade]

On my 41, I pull the vang down till it is just snug and keep tension on the out haul as I furl the main. The halyard needs to be snug for the sail to roll up smooth but not so tight you can't furl the sail by hand. It is OK to use a winch but if you can't roll it up by hand something is probably not correct. Try tightening or loosening one of the adjustments I mentioned.

Good luck. I love mine.

When you find the mast / boom angle that lets the sail furl smoothly (vertical seams or battens will be parallel to the mast as they enter it), mark or note the angle. Each time you are ready to furl, adjust your running rigging to give you that same angle. On my 41DS, it takes about 92 degrees. (boom slightly lower than perpendicular to mast)
At first glance, it seemed Butch was advocating using an electric winch to furl the mainsail. Be very careful if you do this. The powerful electric winches are strong enough to power through jammed sections of sails and can pack the inside of the mast in such a way that the sail will not come back out. There is no "feedback" to let you know something is amiss (such as the sail becoming very difficult to roll).

 

[Ivan]

Lots of history in archives

Suggest you go into the archives. The furling/unfurling /jamming topic for in-mast furlers has been thoroughly addressed in the past a number of times, and lots of good do's and dont's offered.

 

[Pat Hooyman]

A lot depends on if you have a roach with vertical battens in the main. These sails are much more sensitive to the angle of the boom and more prone to jamming at the leech when unfurling if the sail is not brought in perfectly. The battens can "barber pole" and cause a very difficult jam. This has been discussed at length in the forum. I tried everything suggested but in heavy winds it is difficult to furl perfectly. I finally recut my sail to eliminate the roach and vertical battens and never had a jam again.