Rosalie B. wrote:
"Dennis Pogson" wrote:


Mic wrote:

Furling or HankOn sails?
Which do you prefer and why?

"Todays headsail-reefing/furling systems are extremely reliable.
Failure is rare and is usually the result of improper installation or
incorrect use. "

http://www.cncphotoalbum.com/doityou...llerreefer.htm

Somewhat basic but some good tips and info, worth a look.

Excellent drawing diagrams.

Enjoy Mic.

Even the best genoa-furling systems cannot compare, when the sail is
partially-furled, to a hank-on genoa of the correct size and shape. They are
a useful compromise when short-handed, but that is all.

Dennis.


What do you mean "that is all"? Most sailing other than racing is
done short-handed.

grandma Rosalie

A furler-reefed genoa is less than half as good as a proper sized,
proper shaped, proper trimmed decent sail, especially going to
weather, when a small raise in the wind may make a difference, the
more so as your genny size increases.

It is a considerable compromise. Short handed means not enough
sailors aboard who can manage the changing of a sail for good purpose.

The improvement over a spongebag flopper is worth the effort,
especially if sizing down far enough means you can get your
automatic jib gear working with a sail small enough to automatically
tack foreward of the shrouds. Release the jib halyard from the
cockpit, pull a line to pull down the too biggie, easing the boat
motion. Go foreward, hank on a smaller sail, change sheet shackle,
leaving the large sail on, siezed up snug if it's gonna be a short
squall or draggged below if at sea, clamber back to the cockpit and
raise the smaller sail.

Suddenly, heeling decreases, the airbrakes are off, drag is reduced,
speed and apparrant wind increases, footing increases, progress to
weather increases, effort and anxiety reduces. Flatten the main,
sheet in, and go even better to weather. All this without reefing
the main yet.

Some boats may do better reefing the main first, but that depends on
the individual boat and gear.

With my self tending rig at least, when you have done that much,
with the club boom previously readied, You no longer need to trim
jib sheets every tack. So, being short handed makes the effort
invested worth more than just face value.

A self tending jib could be rigged under a furling drum system, with
a sail set free of the headstay (no hanks!) You would need a spare
jib halyard, and your club boom would be a little shorter, and the
automatic jib a little smaller.

I hang the club boom "gooseneck carabiner" from the chain pennant on
the tack of the jib. It was done that way for ease of adjustment and
tuning.

As a fringe benefit, having a club boom, whisker pole or spinnaker
pole about the same length as your main boom means you can easily
rig a bipod to raise or lower your mast.

Ain't synergy great?

Terry K