Managing jib sheets in high winds.

[Tmacmi]

What suggestions do you have to help manage jib sheets in high wind while rolling in the head sail?

We got ourselves in a particular problem this weekend.

In high winds it takes both of us to manage the process to prevent the sheets from tangling as the head sail flogs as we roll it in.

Unfortunately our autohelm does not manage well in higher winds and short steep waves.

Because of the force of the wind on the sail I had to actually put the furling line on the winch to get it in (yes, I know that is not recommended, but there was no option I knew of). My wife had the helm in challenging seas and I could not manage both free lines and winch.

The result was a mess.

Suggestions/tips?

[Calif.Ted]

Most furlers are very sensitive to halyard tension in relation to ease of operation. Adjusted so that the sail will unfurl without aid once started in a light breeze (5-8 kts.) is the goal. I've found that a ratcheting block on the furling line aids in both furling and unfurling.
https://www.harken.com/en/support/fa...het-blocks-qa/

[Knotical]

Are you heading up into the wind to furl the jib? Stop doing that if you are.

Go downwind (broad reach should be ok) and shield the jib with the main, make sure the main is not sheeted tightly or the boat will round up. Hit auto on AP. Assuming your jibsheet is on a self-tailer start releasing 1-2' of line at a time and lock it on the ST, furl some jib with hand, once you cannot furl it anymore release another 1-2' of line, furl the jib - continue this process until a very small area of jib is open, then take the line off the ST and furl the jib rest of the way. I usually have 1 turn on the winch to keep it slightly taut while furling.

In high winds when you release the jibsheet the luff will start luffing while still keeping the leech taut allowing you to furl the sail in a controlled manner.

[HeinSdL]

If you have sea room to do so, bear away onto a run. Apparent wind much reduced and if the main is still up, even better for the genny which is then easy to furl. I don't like furling in the conditions you describe.

[Cheechako]

Hard to do with the autopilot on. Hand steering I head up just to the point where the jib starts to luff slightly, kinda like tacking through the heastays gap on a staysail / cutter.
Then release tension on the loaded sheet just enough as you roll in. The slack sheet has one loose wrap around the winch to allow a bit of tension if you are short handed.
This doesn't have to be done all in one shot! Once you get some sail wrapped, things are easier to control and roll etc.
You can turn downwind but the sail can flap and make a big mess that way also.

[donradcliffe]

Best to grind the furling line in with a winch. If you release too much line at a time the sheets will destroy the dodger windows. If you head off downwind too far you will not get a tight furl on the jib, which you will regret later..

[SV Confianza]

I’m not sure why it’s frowned upon to furl with the winch. As long as you’re paying attention to make sure it doesn’t bind up, winch away and keep the sheets orderly with the other hand.

[Paramotorgreg]

Furling the 135% genoa on my 50ft boat is a challenge if there is significant breeze and I don’t turn downwind to do it. Normally I would try to get the apparent wind to 140, in which case the apparent wind is greatly reduced and the genoa is almost completely in the shadow of the Main. I can then ease the sheet such that the sail starts to luff and the furling line can be pulled quite easily by hand. I leave one turn of the lazy sheet round the winch and this is enough to keep a little bit of tension on it as the sail is being furled.

[catsketcher]

One of the good things about racing is that you learn good ways to get big flapping front sails down nicely. Going upwind increases the apparent wind and means you can use the wind shadow of the main to furl the genoa.

Like some others on the thread have said, getting down to about 140 degrees apparent reduces the apparent wind and also gives an chance to shadow the genoa slightly with the main - you don't want the genoa to be totally blanketed but you can reduce pressure by bearing away. Then when the sheet load is eased to the point you like, wind the furler in. On my 38ft cat I have never winched the furler in in 23 years.

If I am heading upwind and want to furl then genoa I will drop some mainsheet, bear away, furl the genoa by hand and then head back up again, in less time than it takes friends to winch it in. Also my nice sails don't get flogged or flapped or wrapped supertight on the furler. My hand furled genoa has never even looked like being a problem in gales, so you can get a firm but not overly tight wrap by hand.

I personally don't like winching because it loads up the furler. Furler sections can get twisted and I don't like the stress and loads it puts on the sail as well. Bearing away makes everything low load and easy. Give it a try and it may work for you. Even if you decide to winch the genoa in, having one more trick in the bag is always a good thing for when something goes wrong. (Plus learning about using apparent angle for benefit is essential for dropping Code Zeroes and spinnakers so it will serve you well when the big sails go up)

[Chotu]

A cruiser and not a racer, what I do is just drop tension on the sheet until it’s almost luffing. Then with the sheet in one hand and the control line in the other hand, I feed one to the other.

There’s almost no size sail that I can’t furl with this method. Haven’t seen one yet on 50 foot boats.

[wholybee]

Originally Posted by Chotu

A cruiser and not a racer, what I do is just drop tension on the sheet until it’s almost luffing. Then with the sheet in one hand and the control line in the other hand, I feed one to the other.

There’s almost no size sail that I can’t furl with this method. Haven’t seen one yet on 50 foot boats.

This is how i do it as well. Works both upwind and downwind. In heavier wind, both the sheet and the furling line take a wrap around a winch to give me holding power.

[Paramotorgreg]

Originally Posted by wholybee

This is how i do it as well. Works both upwind and downwind. In heavier wind, both the sheet and the furling line take a wrap around a winch to give me holding power.

It might be ok on smaller boats but I have found that it is not possible for me to furl my genoa by hand when going upwind in more than about 10 knots true and I’m quite a big chap Even if the sail is luffing there’s still far too much pressure on it. In addition, because it is luffing the sail is flogging (which obviously isn’t doing anything good for its longevity) and the lazy sheet almost always gets twisted round the working sheet.

In my opinion turning downwind is definitely the best strategy.

[Auklet]

Try increasing purchase on the furling line by reeving it through a couple of turning blocks aft, which is how I’ve done mine on my Bavaria 38. Could do it better, but it’s working well enough. The idea is to have enough purchase (and position) so you can make “big pulls” to roll the headsail up quickly which gets the flapping under control. (I can more or less stand in the cockpit and pull from the second turning block positioned just forward and outboard of me.) Doing this is much faster than trying to winch it in. With the extra purchase you may not have to position the boat to lighten the tension so you can pull. Most of the time, I furl from the point of sail on which I happen to be. Helm person can assist by maintaining slight sheet tension (one loose turn on a winch) as you roll it in. Keep some “tension” on the lazy sheet as well so it stays clear of the other. Still requires a bit of effort to get in a genoa, but at least it’s fast. If I run out of steam, the winch is right there to finish it off; but the flagging is mostly ceased by that point.

(Run the furling line aft to a turning block aft of your winches, then fwd through a second one lanyarded to a stanchion post if nothing else, permitting a fair lead to you in the cockpit at approx 45 to 50-deg angle relative to the line running aft. Grab the line and pull!)

[catsketcher]

Originally Posted by Auklet

Try increasing purchase on the furling line by reeving it through a couple of turning blocks aft,

Good idea about getting a good lead, it won't increase the purchase, but ergonomics is important.

I hope the OP sees that there is a variety of strategies and each of them may be valuable in certain conditions or on different boats. I prefer turning downwind when possible but have used other strategies when hamstrung by channels or other boats. It is best to have a quiver of ideas and to have practiced different techniques so that you always have options.

If you watch the best boat handlers - racers - especially shorthanded racers - they will have different ways of say, dropping the kite, depending on a whole range or factors. So getting a few different ideas in the skill set is much safer than only having one.

[sailon46]

Something fyi when is time in to furl in in high winds the jib tighten the leeward Sheet then furl the windward a couple of yards then release both sheets a little then furl in keeping both sheeted tight till you have the jib in all the way nice and neat. It works for me out in the Carib we’re the east wind in the pm pipes up to 25 with gusts to 35 or more. It should work for you