Adding grommets to furling sails

[zachduckworth]

Hi,

I have a roller furler, my sails have no. 6 luff tape. I’m re-rigging and I want to play around with hanked on sails for awhile before I put the furler back up. I was going to buy some used hanked on sails, but that aside, if I add spur grommets to my roller-furling sails will that damage them if I want to use them on a furler or on a foil later? I am a cruiser so I am not concerned about a small performance change with grommets. Thanks!

[JPA Cate]

Yes it will make the furled sail a bit lumpy. This is because you need to reinforce the sail cloth with more sail cloth to take the point loading that you will have with hanks. Unless your luff rope is spectra or dyneema, it's used to having the loads spread evenly along the luff groove in the furler, and may not be strong enough for the hanks. I'd be tempted to sell the sail with the furler. I'm pretty sure you can get 2nd hand hank-on sails from Bacon for your 30 footer. If the furler works well, selling it should be easy. And then, if it turns out you miss the furler, you could get a new one, that could well be an improvement. Or, if it works really very well, maybe you just store somewhere and re-install it after your experiment with hank on sails.

Ann

[zachduckworth]

Hi Ann,

Thanks for the information. I have three headsails at the moment. One is a 35 year old 135 genoa that is made of fairly light dacron. It is not in the best shape but it is good for light to medium wind. I am thinking about putting hanks on this one. It just had reinforcing stitches added after I bought the boat. I also have a brand new (a year old) 115 working jib that was made for my boat when I bought her. I do not intend to add hanks to that one as it is cut specifically for my boat, it was somewhat expensive, and there are cheaper ways to get a 115. And I just bought an un-used second hand storm jib with a wire bolt rope. That sail is great in the foil, and I would like to add hanks to that one in particular. It is not a furler sail though.

There is a well known used yacht supply place near where I live that has dozens if not hundreds of used sails for sale. I'm going to go there soon and stock up (or in about two weeks when I get re-rigged). But if I could convert the 135 to hanks that would save me a few hundred dollars on a sale in that size category. It sounds like I should consider adding a bolt rope.

[JPA Cate]

You know, our fastest 24 hour run ever, on Jim's Yankee 30 was done under storm jib alone, off the wind, with a tropical storm chasing us to Hawaii. If only all storm jibs could be hank on, eh?!

It sounds as if you have a reasonable plan. I also think if it is a light dacron sail and 35 yrs. old, it is on its last legs [but you can still try the pencil test]; and with a multiple order like you contemplate from a local supplier, there may be a similar sail, newer and in better condition available as part of the major purchase. Time for negotiation skills!

Good luck with it.

Ann