"Doug Dotson" wrote in message ...
SO, here is USELESS IDEA #3725

After this many useless ideas, what was USEFUL IDEA #1?

Doug
s/v Callista

"Parallax" wrote in message
om...
Installing my CDI genoa furler got me thinking about mainsail furling.
All the websites about this talk about having to leave the cockpit to
reef with a conventional system but on my S2, all furling lines lead
back to the cockpit (all lines come to the cockpit) so this isnt a
real reason for such a system. I can only think of two valid reasons
for a furling main:

Ease of bringing it down and storage

Ability to reef to any size instead of just two or three


Well, Lazy jacks take care of the first reason and the second reason
isnt really a big one unless you really like gadgets but ppl buy such
things. SO, here is USELESS IDEA #3725


Fergit the complicated rolling furling thing for a main. Just let it
flake on the boom like normal and use lazy jacks. Instead, use a
conventional main but have 3' wide strips of leather (or other tough
material ) sewn all along the luff and leech. The leech would also
have a largish bolt rope sewn in. At the luff and leech, there would
be a clamp with large surface area designed to grab the leather strip
and not slip, sorta like a large area vise grips. To raise the main
normally, the clamps are wide open. To raise it partially, the clamps
are partially closed to allow sail to slide betwen the jaws. When it
is at correct height, they are completely closed by a single line.
The one on the leech can be pulled out by the outhaul to tension the
foot. I have not figgered out how to deal with reefing lines along
the sail but I have a couple ideas that might work if needed (I
suspect these reefing ties are not really needed).


I think USELESS IDEA #1 (for boating) was when I was 18 and somewhere
in a swamp along the Ochlocknee River 10 miles below one landing and
15 miles above another with a 3' long gash in our canvas canoe from a
snag wonderin what to do when I remembered we had a jumbo bag of
bubble gum......... it worked and held for two more days. Later, on
the Aucilla River in a rented canoe, the canoe wrapped around a rock
like a bent beer can. Used a fence post to bash it back into shape
and pine sap to patch it.