ALTERNATIVE
Jay: We just sold our 31' Hunter and purchased a 40' Catalina w/ roller furling main. Boat is still being built, so have no personal experience with the roller main, but I can tell you that even if it was possible to put a roller main on your 26' it would be very expensive, probably on the order of $3-4000, maybe more. Probably not cost effective when you look at what the boat is worth. I'm assuming you have the standard "slab" reefing on your boat, which I agree is a pain in the a$%, especially when forced to reef in a blow. One thing you could try before sinking so much money into a new mast, furling system and sails is a lazyjack system or even the "Dutchman" flaking product. They make handling the sail a lot easier and neater although they are not much help when reefing in a blow. A good friend has a Catalina 470 and instead of the roller main, got a Dutchman system for controlling the sail. They love it, especially since there is no loss in performance (like a roller main). Having said all that, I know there are several companies marketing roller furling main systems out there. The one being installed on our boat comes from "Charleston Spars" of Charlotte, N.C. I don't have their number right here, but you can get it easily enough. They will at least be able to give you a better idea of the costs, difficulty of installation, etc. Keep us informed what you decide! Smooth sailing! Tim Leighton
