Hank On or Furling Head Sails

[SKG56]

Originally Posted by Don C L

Not sure if you saw Jim's post there, but anytime someone describes a furling system as "bullet proof," I am listening! I'd check this system:
Reef-Rite Headsail Furlers and Accessories
I think perhaps you could take off your hanks and replace them with "Kiwi slides."

I did, Everything I've seen and read about Reef-Rite has been excellent, looks like I'm headed in the Reef-Rite direction

[Jolly Roger]

When I was 38 I had a 40 foot ketch with all hank on sails, including a big mizzen staysail. Even then I wished we had roller furling, particularly when the wind got up in the middle of a dark rainy night and I had to go forward and change the headsail or reef. That was nearly half a lifetime ago.
Now I have five roller furling sails on my brigantine schooner, including the roller furling square sail and a large 'tweenmast staysail. All lines come back to the center cockpit, where we work them with electric winches and rope clutches
We certainly wouldn’t be able to handle these sails nowadays if they were hanked on, and spare sails would have to be stowed somewhere as well.
Maybe we don’t point so high nowadays, but that’s what the big donker is for.

[Red Horse]

The original poster is 73.