for a 28 ft folkboat, sailed mostly singlehand (63 y.o bloke with pretty good mobility and fitness) does anyone have advice on self furlers? getting a bit twitchy with my dad running round the boat wrestling sails- is a self furler for the foresail a safe and relatively inexpensive way to go- to control more from the back of the boat? i have heard they can be unsafe-if the tension is wrong when they are furling theres a chance of jamming? someone mentioned a second forestay, with a storm sail ready to go... any thoughts? thanks.
self furlers?
- Thread starter Jilly
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too small
The jib on a folkboat is only 75 square feet. Not much to wrestle there. In my opinion, your dad won't get much benefit out of a roller furler on any sail under 200 square feet.
The jib on a folkboat is only 75 square feet. Not much to wrestle there. In my opinion, your dad won't get much benefit out of a roller furler on any sail under 200 square feet.
No jib's too small for a furler if you're a single
hander. I suggest you look at the smaller Harken. Excellent product, IMHO.
hander. I suggest you look at the smaller Harken. Excellent product, IMHO.
Go for it...
I installed a furler in my previous boat, a Cat 27, and it just changed my life, no more wrestling with sails and no more folding headsails after sailing. I chose a CDI which was the most inexpensieve and easier to install. I installed with a couple of friends and it took us about three hours. It work for me for about 6 years and the new owner is still using it. I don't remember ever getting jammed. Good luck.
I installed a furler in my previous boat, a Cat 27, and it just changed my life, no more wrestling with sails and no more folding headsails after sailing. I chose a CDI which was the most inexpensieve and easier to install. I installed with a couple of friends and it took us about three hours. It work for me for about 6 years and the new owner is still using it. I don't remember ever getting jammed. Good luck.
think, people
Size of #1 genoa on a Catalina 27 = 200 square feet Size of jib on a Folkboat = 75 square feet Additionally, you do not need to leave the cockpit of a Folkboat to raise or lower the jib, at least not if it's rigged properly.
Size of #1 genoa on a Catalina 27 = 200 square feet Size of jib on a Folkboat = 75 square feet Additionally, you do not need to leave the cockpit of a Folkboat to raise or lower the jib, at least not if it's rigged properly.
Downhaul?
A boat I owned for almost two decades had a rig similar in size and orientation to a folkboat. I ran a small diameter line from the halyard shackle down to a turning block and back to the cockpit. Coupled with a halyard led back to the cockpit, it was a pretty effective way to dump the genoa. If you sheeted in hard before you dropped it, it would stay on deck until you had an opportune time to tidy up. Rick D.
A boat I owned for almost two decades had a rig similar in size and orientation to a folkboat. I ran a small diameter line from the halyard shackle down to a turning block and back to the cockpit. Coupled with a halyard led back to the cockpit, it was a pretty effective way to dump the genoa. If you sheeted in hard before you dropped it, it would stay on deck until you had an opportune time to tidy up. Rick D.
furrler
I added a Hood 707 furrler to my Oday 30 two years ago. Up to that point I was sailing with hanked on sails. Get a reefing furrler, it adds much to the ability of any sailor to effectively use their boat. Those who fear overruns on the control lines or missrolling their sails are arguably not looking at the whole picture of having to drop sail or having halyards jam(doesn't happen often but does happen) or other malfunctions. The ease with which sails can be controlled means things will be done sooner, rather than later(read as too late)adding to the total margin for safety. Also it adds to the total usability of the boat, making it more fun for all involved in it's use.
I added a Hood 707 furrler to my Oday 30 two years ago. Up to that point I was sailing with hanked on sails. Get a reefing furrler, it adds much to the ability of any sailor to effectively use their boat. Those who fear overruns on the control lines or missrolling their sails are arguably not looking at the whole picture of having to drop sail or having halyards jam(doesn't happen often but does happen) or other malfunctions. The ease with which sails can be controlled means things will be done sooner, rather than later(read as too late)adding to the total margin for safety. Also it adds to the total usability of the boat, making it more fun for all involved in it's use.
Furler jib or downhaul
While I didn't go for the furler on my first sloop (17') I eventually rigged a downhaul for the jib sometimes worked well, sometimes not. I still had to climb up on the foredeck to hank it on if I left the dock with it stowed, and it left an awful amount of small dia. line to tidy up when the jib was down. The next boat was a bit bigger and had plastic clips for the jib instead of the snap-on metal hanks. The plastic clips would come out of line when using the down haul and leave the jib only halfway down with no option left but to go forward. If I was dropping the jib because conditions were getting a bit rough, this was not the time to turn over the tiller to the first mate. Except for more weight to deal with on stepping and unstepping the mast and more to do after it's stepped, the furler (CDI), which cost nearly as much as the boat did, was the best investment on the boat. Too windy for scaredy-kats on the boat? reef the main and pull a few turns on the furler and you can still sail balanced with de-powered main AND jib.
While I didn't go for the furler on my first sloop (17') I eventually rigged a downhaul for the jib sometimes worked well, sometimes not. I still had to climb up on the foredeck to hank it on if I left the dock with it stowed, and it left an awful amount of small dia. line to tidy up when the jib was down. The next boat was a bit bigger and had plastic clips for the jib instead of the snap-on metal hanks. The plastic clips would come out of line when using the down haul and leave the jib only halfway down with no option left but to go forward. If I was dropping the jib because conditions were getting a bit rough, this was not the time to turn over the tiller to the first mate. Except for more weight to deal with on stepping and unstepping the mast and more to do after it's stepped, the furler (CDI), which cost nearly as much as the boat did, was the best investment on the boat. Too windy for scaredy-kats on the boat? reef the main and pull a few turns on the furler and you can still sail balanced with de-powered main AND jib.
I agree with Higgs
CDI is more than adequate you boat. I had a CDI furler and they are very dependable. Anytime you dont have to go forward is a plus. Also, when I had a hank-on jib, it only took about 10 mins to put it in the bag, but for some reason, I really hated that bag stuffing operation. There are always those that dont believe in furlers, but I feel that once you have one, you will be going out much more often. You might also consider a set of home made lazy jacks. When I had lazy jacks and furler, I single handed on some of the windiest days that ordinarily, I would not have even taken the boat out. I also used a downhaul on my Catalina 25 which did not have a furler. It worked fairly well, however, if i was coming on into a dock in fairly windy conditions, the sail was still on the deck which meant stepping all over it with a tripping hazard in addition to helping destroy the sail. Keep in mind, that the easier the boat is to use, the more you will use it. IMNSHO Tony B
CDI is more than adequate you boat. I had a CDI furler and they are very dependable. Anytime you dont have to go forward is a plus. Also, when I had a hank-on jib, it only took about 10 mins to put it in the bag, but for some reason, I really hated that bag stuffing operation. There are always those that dont believe in furlers, but I feel that once you have one, you will be going out much more often. You might also consider a set of home made lazy jacks. When I had lazy jacks and furler, I single handed on some of the windiest days that ordinarily, I would not have even taken the boat out. I also used a downhaul on my Catalina 25 which did not have a furler. It worked fairly well, however, if i was coming on into a dock in fairly windy conditions, the sail was still on the deck which meant stepping all over it with a tripping hazard in addition to helping destroy the sail. Keep in mind, that the easier the boat is to use, the more you will use it. IMNSHO Tony B
Get a furler....
For many years, I had boats that didn't have a furler. I really liked hank-on sails and always had a large inventory of them on all the boats I've owned. And, I used most of them during the season. Yet as I got older (ain't we all...), I found that crabbing out onto a wet and bouncing foredeck, usually while single handing the boat in a blow, to drag down and change a flogging headsail was becoming less and less fun. Then I got my first boat with a furler. What a difference. I could do just about everything from the cockpit. It really made life afloat at lot more fun and certainly much safer. Sure, furlers can have a number of problems, just like any system on a boat. But a properly installed and maintained furler is really one of the best investments you can make in your boat -- and yourself. I really like foam luffs on big furling headsails as they reef nicely and give you good enough performance when drastically reduced.
For many years, I had boats that didn't have a furler. I really liked hank-on sails and always had a large inventory of them on all the boats I've owned. And, I used most of them during the season. Yet as I got older (ain't we all...), I found that crabbing out onto a wet and bouncing foredeck, usually while single handing the boat in a blow, to drag down and change a flogging headsail was becoming less and less fun. Then I got my first boat with a furler. What a difference. I could do just about everything from the cockpit. It really made life afloat at lot more fun and certainly much safer. Sure, furlers can have a number of problems, just like any system on a boat. But a properly installed and maintained furler is really one of the best investments you can make in your boat -- and yourself. I really like foam luffs on big furling headsails as they reef nicely and give you good enough performance when drastically reduced.
Schaefer furler
Does anyone have anything to say about the Schaefer furlers? I do not hear people mention them very often. I have their blocks on our boat and think they are the greatest. I do not know anything about their furlers. Dale
Does anyone have anything to say about the Schaefer furlers? I do not hear people mention them very often. I have their blocks on our boat and think they are the greatest. I do not know anything about their furlers. Dale
Schaefer furler
Does anyone have anything to say about the Schaefer furlers? I do not hear people mention them very often. I have their blocks on our boat and think they are the greatest. I do not know anything about their furlers. Dale
Does anyone have anything to say about the Schaefer furlers? I do not hear people mention them very often. I have their blocks on our boat and think they are the greatest. I do not know anything about their furlers. Dale
Schaefer furler
Does anyone have anything to say about the Schaefer furlers? I do not hear people mention them very often. I have their blocks on our boat and think they are the greatest. I do not know anything about their furlers. Dale
Does anyone have anything to say about the Schaefer furlers? I do not hear people mention them very often. I have their blocks on our boat and think they are the greatest. I do not know anything about their furlers. Dale
Schaefer furler
Does anyone have anything to say about the Schaefer furlers? I do not hear people mention them very often. I have their blocks on our boat and think they are the greatest. I do not know anything about their furlers. Dale
Does anyone have anything to say about the Schaefer furlers? I do not hear people mention them very often. I have their blocks on our boat and think they are the greatest. I do not know anything about their furlers. Dale
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