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We have a Dutchman system on our full-battened Stevens 50, and can't
imagine what it would be like not to have it. When we drop the main, the sail simply folds back and forth (maybe with a little help from the crew, if we really need it to look especially good). If we need to drop the sail in a hurry, we just let the halyard go and poof, the main is down, nothing on the deck or in the water. We've done this on a reach in a blow, with the boom hanging out over the side, no problems! When we're sailing, there's no aerodynamic effect, as the lines are monofilament. So the system is always ready and can be used in an emergency with no preparation. We'e heard people say that the monofilament chafes the sail, but after over 20,000 miles offshore, we haven't seen any evidence of this! One caveat: With a Dutchman system, you have to have a strong solid vang or tighten the toppinglift before you take in a reef, so that the boom won't be hanging on the monofilament lines. Also, of course, you have to put grommets in the sail for the monofilament lines to pass through. |
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