2004 Hunter 33 with Selden furling main. New main required. Currently un battened. Looked at battened furling main but wary of many negatives comments / posts primarily relating to furling and batten / slot / jamming issue. Doesn't fill one with much confidence. Considering changing to traditional main with tide tracks insert. Anyone done similar? Should I be certified? All thoughts appreciated.
To furl or not to furl
- Thread starter lbd
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Furling
I love my furling main since new and will never will go back to non furling main,I have never had a jaming problem.
If you are not racing than don't go for the vertical battens in the furling main and i don't have verticals and have raced my boat and did pretty good in my class.
If you just read some of the reports here in this forum in search for furling mains you see the do's and don't's when furling and don't know what is the big deal on how to furling thhe main,it's simple when furling back into the mast keep some tension on the sail an leave 1 or 2 raps of the outhaual around the winch as you hand furling in the main and or use the wind to put tension on the sail by pointing to port or starboard off the wind and don't point directly into the wind,just keep the sail tight as you furling in the main and it's not really hard to do this and and when pulling out the sail keep some tension on the furling line on the port and don't let the sail fly out and slam the furling inside the mast.
If you are new to inmast than wait and use the old sail until you use it a while so you can see how easy it is and reefing is also easy too.
Nick
I love my furling main since new and will never will go back to non furling main,I have never had a jaming problem.
If you are not racing than don't go for the vertical battens in the furling main and i don't have verticals and have raced my boat and did pretty good in my class.
If you just read some of the reports here in this forum in search for furling mains you see the do's and don't's when furling and don't know what is the big deal on how to furling thhe main,it's simple when furling back into the mast keep some tension on the sail an leave 1 or 2 raps of the outhaual around the winch as you hand furling in the main and or use the wind to put tension on the sail by pointing to port or starboard off the wind and don't point directly into the wind,just keep the sail tight as you furling in the main and it's not really hard to do this and and when pulling out the sail keep some tension on the furling line on the port and don't let the sail fly out and slam the furling inside the mast.
If you are new to inmast than wait and use the old sail until you use it a while so you can see how easy it is and reefing is also easy too.
Nick
lbd, I had a 2009 H33 with battens and I had absolutely no problems with them the entire time I owned it. It is a matter of having the rig adjusted properly and proper operation as stated above. (That Discussion has been had here many times). I currently have a 2006 H41 without battens and I sorely wish that I had them many times. When I am ready to change out my main the next one will have battens.
IMHO you will be happy if you get them!
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