I'm in love

[Moonpie]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Get yourself some good sailing gloves.. the ones with no finger tips and a good set of comfortable sports knee pads...
you'll find yourself hauling sheets quite a lot.. while the back takes the strain the knee's and hands take the abuse...
look after them or you'll be hobbling and unable to pick your nose before your 60.
If its real hard to haul that sheet in... reef... you won't go that much slower.. and you'll be that bit straighter

I always have the most trouble trying to pull in my genoa on the roller furler. It's SO hard when it's windy. I'm a strong dude, so I imagine its my technique. Sailing school in March

[justflie]

Congrats and I'm a little jealous, haven't taken the dive yet. Where are you going to sailing school? I'll be down on Captiva island in late march for my classes with offshore sailing.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Moonpie

I always have the most trouble trying to pull in my genoa on the roller furler. It's SO hard when it's windy. I'm a strong dude, so I imagine its my technique. Sailing school in March

lol.... there is only one technique if your alone... slack of the sheet and pull the furler line in till happy... then tie off and tighten the Genoa sheet till happy... don't wait for so much wind next time... its easier to feed a bit out if its to far than repeat the whole process if you've not pulled in enough...
Repitition... pretty soon you'll know how much at a glance...
Reef early... Stay safe...

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by Moonpie

I always have the most trouble trying to pull in my genoa on the roller furler. It's SO hard when it's windy. I'm a strong dude, so I imagine its my technique. Sailing school in March

Try giving the furler a little TLC.... Take your line off the drum, and check for binding, alignment tabs and the like.... Lube the places that can can be lubed.... You might see a world of difference....

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Moonpie

Winds were a little too strong for me @15-20 kts

Yeah, learn to reef early. If you are thinking about whether you should reef or not, usually you should! Get it down, and it's easy. Some people mark their main halyard so for the first reef, they just let the halyard down to the mark.
An auto pilot is very handy for singlehanding and reefing etc....
A small winch is invauable for the furling line also. You can get a simple small winch for a boat your size pretty cheap.

[Moonpie]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Yeah, learn to reef early. If you are thinking about whether you should reef or not, usually you should! Get it down, and it's easy. Some people mark their main halyard so for the first reef, they just let the halyard down to the mark.
An auto pilot is very handy for singlehanding and reefing etc....
A small winch is invauable for the furling line also. You can get a simple small winch for a boat your size pretty cheap.

Yeah. Winches - why didn't I think of that!!!

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by Moonpie

I always have the most trouble trying to pull in my genoa on the roller furler. It's SO hard when it's windy. I'm a strong dude, so I imagine its my technique. Sailing school in March

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Yeah, learn to reef early. If you are thinking about whether you should reef or not, usually you should! Get it down, and it's easy. Some people mark their main halyard so for the first reef, they just let the halyard down to the mark.
An auto pilot is very handy for singlehanding and reefing etc....
A small winch is invauable for the furling line also. You can get a simple small winch for a boat your size pretty cheap.

Originally Posted by Moonpie

Yeah. Winches - why didn't I think of that!!!

I would strongly caution against the use of a winch on your genoa roller furler.

I don't know what sort of headsail roller your are using but most (all?) are designed to be rolled in without needing a winch. There will be a reason that it seems so difficult - either technique or a mechanical problem. Using a winch can cause big damage.

Be aware that some systems are not designed for reefing, rather they are designed only for furling. However assuming that yours is suitable for reefing under load, then unless the manufacturer specifies the use of a winch, don't use one.

As Boatman61 suggests, ease the sheet until the pressure is off the sail (or change heading) and reef in a little at a time. Try to find that small spot between when the genoa is luffing but not flogging. This is assuming the wind is forward of the aft quarter. If downwind, try to blanket the headsail with the main but beware of gybing - uncontrolled gybing not good

Small winches on the mainsail reefing lines are perfectly OK.

[Cheechako]

"I would strongly caution against the use of a winch on your genoa roller furler..."
I suppose you are right for a 30 ft boat. I always had them on my 38-47 footers. The key is not that you have to use a winch handle, or apply a lot of pressure... but a winch allows you to CONTROL what you are doing. One wrap is often fine... If you are trying to furl some of the headsail with the wind blowing hard with brute strength, it's not only hard on the hands but hard on the sail because it's not controlled... single handing you can have one wrap on the primary sheet and one on the furler, ease the sheet some and pull a couple feet in on the furler. JMHO

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

"I would strongly caution against the use of a winch on your genoa roller furler..."
I suppose you are right for a 30 ft boat. I always had them on my 38-47 footers. The key is not that you have to use a winch handle, or apply a lot of pressure... but a winch allows you to CONTROL what you are doing. One wrap is often fine... If you are trying to furl some of the headsail with the wind blowing hard with brute strength, it's not only hard on the hands but hard on the sail because it's not controlled... single handing you can have one wrap on the primary sheet and one on the furler, ease the sheet some and pull a couple feet in on the furler. JMHO

Fair point and good idea ; one I hadn't considered - never having a need to I guess . I do at times put 3/4 a turn around a horn cleat for similar effect but on a 40+' I can see how a small winch drum could be used to good effect; another new thing learned today!

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Wotname

Fair point and good idea ; one I hadn't considered - never having a need to I guess . I do at times put 3/4 a turn around a horn cleat for similar effect but on a 40+' I can see how a small winch drum could be used to good effect; another new thing learned today!

Had turns round a small winch on the Roberts 53 for the roller furling Yankee... and used the winch handle sometimes... it was a bludi big sail...
But less than 35ft if he's struggling something is wrong...

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Had turns round a small winch on the Roberts 53 for the roller furling Yankee... and used the winch handle sometimes... it was a bludi big sail...
But less than 35ft if he's struggling something is wrong...

More damage done by the Del. Skip.

[fjwiley1]

Hang tuff Moonpie...I'd say you are a " Shellback "...you can take the punishment with a big Smile>>>remember fun after the pain goes away......

[Moonpie]

Ok. No winch on the roller furling. Finding and then keeping the course between flogging and luffing was hard. Even put the autohelm on, but in strong winds and a couple feet of chop it was not effective. I think that I went down to one turn on both the port and starboard winches for slack, but that might not have been enough. Last time I totally let loose the lines they got whipped up into a tangled mess on the bow. Think I need some cleats behind my winches to allow slack but to still cleat them off.

Thanks for all your tips.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Moonpie

Ok. No winch on the roller furling. Finding and then keeping the course between flogging and luffing was hard. Even put the autohelm on, but in strong winds and a couple feet of chop it was not effective. I think that I went down to one turn on both the port and starboard winches for slack, but that might not have been enough. Last time I totally let loose the lines they got whipped up into a tangled mess on the bow. Think I need some cleats behind my winches to allow slack but to still cleat them off.

Thanks for all your tips.

Save all the walking and untangling... tie a figure 8 knot on the end of each sheet so's it can't go past the block...

[Moonpie]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Save all the walking and untangling... tie a figure 8 knot on the end of each sheet so's it can't go past the block...

What an idea!!