Jib very hard to roll in, no upper body strength! -- 2 threads merged

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by PedPox

Adding a question to the thread: I furl (Sabre 402) from a line lead aft down the port stanchions and have a pretty typical (I think) set of small swivel blocks dangling from the stanchions. As per this thread, it can be a bear furling in heavy winds. If I try to get a bite mid-furl to catch my breadth, it is awkward and I often loose ground. Has anyone had luck adding a block with cam for the final block? If so, does anything work particularly well or not?

I have recently sailed on a Westsail 43 and a Hylas 46 with rather large genoas on the furler, in moderately strong (high teen true wind speeds). On the West Sail we needed to use a winch to furl the genoa. On the Hylas it was easy to do by hand.

So there are different experiences on different boats based on the friction in the furler and the friction in the blocks for the furling line.

As described in a few posts above you may need to put the furling line on a winch. Whatever solution you find, furling should not be exhausting; that is not safe.

I would not even entertain the notion of going downwind to furl unless there was a pretty serious need to do so. Normally tacking while going upwind, if furling is required, should be doable without turning down wind. Consider the need to tack off a lee shore, if you have to go downwind to perform each tack you might as well wear ship, a maneuver which has caused the demise of many ships in previous times.

As for us, we're very old fashioned; we have no roller furling. We set sails and drop them as needed. As our vessel sails very well with a small jib and main, in breezes from 11 knots to the 30's with various reefing points set, that is our normal working sail set-up. Our tacks are easy and crisp and the small sail is no problem to drop, though it does require going forward.

We don't have a Milawakee 28v but we have a couple of Barient 32 3-speeds which can be used on any line on the boat, and they are very effective, even when manned by an elderly crew.

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by slug

Be sure all your furling line fairleads are clean and low friction

Changed ours two years ago, made a huge difference. Whilst individually they turned and looked okay but when replaced with new ones it was obvious that a problem was developing.

Pete

[fred4936]

On our Tartan 27, which is a much smaller boat, the headsail furler became difficult to furl. I replaced the bottom bearing, and it became a low effort operation.

[Eleuthera 2014]

Hi LauraLee,

Over the years, salt, carp and corruption has infected your furler and the mast head swivel. WASH VERY LIBERALLY with running water, apply WD40 and exercise the system. Then do it again... should take you less than 1 hour to make your life easy for many years.

GL

[PedPox]

I've often had a tough time furling my 130 genoa on our Sabre 402 in breezes over 20 knots especially when I'm sailing alone. I've been moderately successful in luffing up, or heading way off, but its still been a back-breaker to bring in the furling line while managing both sheets to avoid them slapping, slashing and trashing the rest of the boat. And no, I try to avoid using the winches as I tend the sheets on both of them.

So earlier this week (its been really windy in Maine for 2 weeks), I changed out the last (aft-most) block on my furling system to a block with an integrated cam. This is an absolute game changer. I can take a full pull, cam it off, rest, reset and pull again. Or I can take a full pull, and adjust the sheets and pull again. Its helpful for both furling and for setting, especially when setting a partial genoa. After tweaking, I fully cleat off the furling line as opposed to trusting the cam.

Maybe everyone is already doing this, but if you solo sail in stiff breezes and have not done this, your back, body and boat will be delighted with additional control, comfort and safety of this simple solution.

[mvmojo]

Okay, so everybody I've told this to has thought I was nuts but once they try it they're blown away. Rather than luffing up to roll in the genoa, simply fall off to a very broad reach. Everything is now calm and it is very easy to roll in the furler. No flapping of the main, no flapping of the headsail, just an easy pull on the furling rope and it winds right up. Give it a try, you'll be amazed!

[chrisr]

Originally Posted by PedPox

I've often had a tough time furling my 130 genoa on our Sabre 402 in breezes over 20 knots especially when I'm sailing alone. I've been moderately successful in luffing up, or heading way off, but its still been a back-breaker to bring in the furling line while managing both sheets to avoid them slapping, slashing and trashing the rest of the boat. And no, I try to avoid using the winches as I tend the sheets on both of them.

So earlier this week (its been really windy in Maine for 2 weeks), I changed out the last (aft-most) block on my furling system to a block with an integrated cam. This is an absolute game changer. I can take a full pull, cam it off, rest, reset and pull again. Or I can take a full pull, and adjust the sheets and pull again. Its helpful for both furling and for setting, especially when setting a partial genoa. After tweaking, I fully cleat off the furling line as opposed to trusting the cam.

Maybe everyone is already doing this, but if you solo sail in stiff breezes and have not done this, your back, body and boat will be delighted with additional control, comfort and safety of this simple solution.

furling lines should always be led through a rope clutch...which you have just discovered...

cheers,

[JPA Cate]

Yes, and proper halyard tension helps.

A.

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by PedPox

I've often had a tough time furling my 130 genoa on our Sabre 402 in breezes over 20 knots especially when I'm sailing alone. I've been moderately successful in luffing up, or heading way off, but its still been a back-breaker to bring in the furling line while managing both sheets to avoid them slapping, slashing and trashing the rest of the boat. And no, I try to avoid using the winches as I tend the sheets on both of them.

So earlier this week (its been really windy in Maine for 2 weeks), I changed out the last (aft-most) block on my furling system to a block with an integrated cam. This is an absolute game changer. I can take a full pull, cam it off, rest, reset and pull again. Or I can take a full pull, and adjust the sheets and pull again. Its helpful for both furling and for setting, especially when setting a partial genoa. After tweaking, I fully cleat off the furling line as opposed to trusting the cam.

Maybe everyone is already doing this, but if you solo sail in stiff breezes and have not done this, your back, body and boat will be delighted with additional control, comfort and safety of this simple solution.

Smart improvement to make.

But, with a great boat like a Sabre 402, if the winds are expected or likely to be over 20knots (or even over 15 knots), you should put a working jib, say 85%, on that furler. You will find that not only is it easier to manage but your boat will be faster, more responsive, and more fun to sail.

For a single hander, a swift boat in a breeze with small sails is an absolute joy, and when you crank those sails in and turn upwind it will be a rocket ship, you'll beat every boat on the bay.

[Rockinar]

Go downwind and let the mainsheet out to block the wind with the mainsail. Easy as pie. Or...get hank on. Less to deal with and less to go wrong.