Joe wrote:
What kind of limits do roller furlers have Doug?


Perhaps "limits" is the wrong word. Certainly there are
limits to the amount that a roll-up sail can be effectively
reefed, and (all else being equal) a sail on a roller furler
is not as effective as one on a luff foil or hanks.

Roller furlers are a maintenance item, and they prevent
access to the pins, toggles, & turnbuckles on the forestay.
It's possible to mis-install one so that it binds the
forestay or unlays the wire, and breaks the rig.

Roller furled sails need to be properly secured. I
personally like a sleeve, that protects the sail from UV so
that it doesn't need those strips of heavy canvas along
leach & foot. Many people secure with a sail tie at the
clew, which is not as good as a sleeve but better than
nothing (which seems to be what most people do).

A good roller furler is expensive... frankly I think that's
why a lot of "crusty old salt" type sailors dislike them,
that plus their opinion of roller-furling was formed in 1965
and they haven't learned a thing since.

Roller furlers aren't perfect, but if installed & maintained
properly, they are very reliable. That's why so many
round-the-world sailors use them.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King