In Larry W4CSC writes:

wrote in
oups.com:

Its 2005, why do we still have to do this silly pointing into the wind
to get the main up or down or to reef it. Surely someone could come up
with a way to reef or get the main up or down on any point of sail. I
know most sailors are conservative but I am not so if ya got any ideas
let me know.



Look at the pictures I just posted to alt.binaries.pictures.sports.ocean
newsgroup of the Amel Sharki 41 ketch. There's a gearbox at the bottom
of a long stainless rod with the slot cut in it to hold the sail. Plug
a winch into the gearbox drive in the front of the mast opposite the
slot. Wrap the outhaul around a handy winch on the mast and a 12 year
old boy can haul the main in and out in any point of sail, even
backwards!

See how the edges of the slot are nicely rounded into the round interior of
the mast so's not to catch the fabric of the sail draging across
it....Unlike that damned stupid rubber slot in a Beneteau that guarantees
any little fold in the sail will surely SEIZE in the tiny slot.

The only problem we've encountered with the Amel's furling is outhauling
too hard bends the 2" diameter long furling rod into the slot. Once you
get the hang of GENTLY pulling on the outhaul while furling it into the
mast, it's really easy. The roughest part is being thrown about trying to
get TO the mast in heavy seas...(c; Even if the sail is hard against the
shrouds, it furls right up easily every time....nice and neat.

A stormy weather with winds up to 35 - 50 knots, where it is advisary to
reef and the GENTLY pull of anything tied to the mainsail are not a very
common combination. Unless you have an unstayed mast it is difficult to
ignore the friction of the sail against the spreaders and stays whatever
slides and other gimmicks you have.

I do not think that one has to point directly to the wind as in my
experience it is enought to get high enough to ease the pressure of the
sail to the spreaders and stays, to get the main reefed. Then if you do
not use gimmicks like one line reefs, but have separate lines to clew
and tack, you have less friction and you can get your sail to sit
properly even when reefed.

- Lauri Tarkkonen