furling main sail winch at mast

[metallon]

Dear Yachting Fans,

last year we chartered a Bavaria 46 and had a furling main sail.
What I found odd is that the furling had to be done by a crew member
going mast and winch the sail in and out.

To me, especially in slighty windy conditions it always seemed
a unnecessarily risky design-choice.

What are your experiences?

[Paul L]

Might just be a charter thing. It seems to defeat a lot of the 'benefits' to a furling main if you can't reef it from the cockpit.

[billknny]

Everything on a boat is a compromise. A furling main compromises sail shape and performance for ease of use, i.e., you can furl the sail from the cockpit.

In my thinking, needing to go to the mast to roll the sail removes all the many benefits of a furling sail and leaves you with all the many negatives.

I would put this into t he category of "What WERE they thinking???"

[Lost Horizons]

That set up has a loop of line over the winch at the mast going to the cockpit winch. Either that line was missing, or you did nor identify it. The winch on the mast is meant to be a back-up.

You can see the line going to the furling winch in attached picture.

[-bliss-]

Like stated by Lost Horizons, the Seldén furling masts used on Bavaria Yachts have an endless line running from the winch located between the boom and the kick, via two blocks at the mast step, going back to jammers and a winch in cockpit.

On the boat you chartered, either the line was broken, or never mounted. Since the line runs through not only the furling winch at the mast, but also two breaking blocks and two jammers, it needs to be spliced after assembling the deck gear.
The sail can be furled/ unfurled from the mast as a back up- solution, so chances are the chartering company didn´t mount the line in the first place, or replace it after breaking.

Just like Billknny, I sometimes say to myself “What were they thinking” when checking out boat related stuff. However, that has never crossed my mind when it comes to products manufactured by Seldén. For cruising boats, it seems like the perfect rig. Those masts are great designs and exceptionally well built.

Best regards,
-kjetil-

[metallon]

got it. thanks

[SofiaB]

On my Bavaria Vision 46 all lines run back. When delivered the topping lift did not but now it does. What 46 did you charter? The cruiser 46 or the vision 46?