furling on a budget?

[farotherside]

Hey folks,

Brand new user here, nice to find the forums!

I've just purchased (well, made the down payment on at least) a Brown Searunner 37 as my first "real" sailboat. I plan to move aboard in the next two months. I've been reading with great interest the "Trimaran Owners (esp. Searunner)" thread.

I'm quite curious as to your collected opinions on furling jibs and the like - the Searunner is cutter rigged, and in the interest of making her easier to singlehand, I'd like to eventually install furlers for the jib and staysail. I'm not a rich man though, so I'm really interested to hear about cheaper options - thoughts?

Just my opinion, but I stand by it. Reefurl makes the most economical, and simplest systems. I have them on my main, and my jib, and swear by them. They are out of Australia, and also have the best warranty I have seen. Check the photo gallery for pics I have posted of the ones on my boat.

[Woods Designs]

I like Plastimo gear. I know it is cheap and cheerful, but it has never failed me and you can fit it with the mast still up

I see you are in Vancouver. I suggest you join the BC Multihull Society, but maybe you already have. One of the stalwarts of the BCMS has a 40ft Searunner.

Try Ron at Masseys Marine, Ladner, as he tends to give good deals to fellow multihull sailors.

See you next summer, if you ever come to Saturna.

Richard Woods of Woods Designs

currently on his Romany in the Abacos, but back in BC next April

Woods Designs Sailing Catamarans

[Randy]

Congrats on the Searunner. It is a great design, it can take you anywhere you want to go - well, maybe not the Arctic .

For furling - no advice - I've always used hanks.

Good Luck!

[rtbates]

Have you considered keeping the hank on sails and adding downhaul lines led back to the cockpit? Bring the halyards back and you can raise and lower both sails from the cockpit.

I would think the last thing you want is a furler that fails. A cheapo just might not be all that adviseable...Furlers only fail when trying to reduce sail in a heavy blow!

That is why I use Reefurl. There is only one possible fail point. That is the halyard that is built into the system as an integral part, and, as any halyard, if it is maintained, it won't fail. I installed both of my furlers with the mast up.
I did allot of research on furling units before I bought one. I have used most of the popular brands, on other people's boats, and had many jam up. I have also helped replace a head piece when it siezed on another system. What a PITA! Somehow a system with no moving parts appeals to me. As for hank on, I like it, but my wife really dislikes watching me disappear under waves while changing sails, so, for her peice of mind, I am fine with slightly less performance of a roller reefing system.

[Brent Swain]

I built my own for $80 and have been using it for the last 28 years, no problems. Many others have used the same system , no problems.Only one moving part, simpler than a set of hanks, by far.
Brent Swain
brentswain38@yahoo.ca

[Fard12]

Originally Posted by Kai Nui

Just my opinion, but I stand by it. Reefurl makes the most economical, and simplest systems. I have them on my main, and my jib, and swear by them. They are out of Australia, and also have the best warranty I have seen. Check the photo gallery for pics I have posted of the ones on my boat.

I worked for a mast builder for many years and we would not purchase them or rig them to a forestay. Nor would we warrant the new forestay should the customer fix one to it latter.
The system does not lock into the rigging screw upper pin.
The system works on the shroud where it enters the swage terminal and I have seen a few failures of stays due to this.
Would not recommend this product at all.

If it is installed correctly, it sits on fiber thrust washers that sit on a clamp. This clamp can be fixed onto the swageless fitting. There is a bearing that comes into contact with the shroud, and yes, I suppose it is possible it could cause a failure, but I know of no documented failures in this area. Not saying you are wrong. Just that, while I see the potential for a fail pont, I also see a way to install the system that addresses this.

[Maren]

Originally Posted by Brent Swain

I built my own for $80 and have been using it for the last 28 years, no problems. Many others have used the same system , no problems.Only one moving part, simpler than a set of hanks, by far.

Brent,

Just out of curiosity, how did you do that?

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by rtbates

Have you considered keeping the hank on sails and adding downhaul lines led back to the cockpit? Bring the halyards back and you can raise and lower both sails from the cockpit.

I would think the last thing you want is a furler that fails. A cheapo just might not be all that adviseable...Furlers only fail when trying to reduce sail in a heavy blow!

My previous cat had hank-on sails and I added down-hauls and deck bags. I single handed most of the time, or rather my crew was 6 years old - and lots of fun! I dare anyone to get a jib down faster than I could, and I double dare them to go from 150% genny to a real storm jib any faster. I have a furler now, it works perfectly, and I won't bash them... but for $5 I would trade the furler for my old rig. I really liked it, and it never hung up in a breeze. Cats have so much deck space - if I had a leaner, a monohull, I don't know if my opinion would change.

Spend the money on a nice autopilot, a chute and bowsprit, a sea anchor... something usefull.