What about in-boom furlers?

Magic_Moments · #1 (**permalink**) 10-27-2003

I know this question was raised in the other thread, but I was hoping to move it to its own thread.

I am interested in a furling main someday because of how great it was to get a furling headsail. I am primarily interested in the in boom furling if I were to get it at all. Right now I use the fingers and knees flaking system to get my sail to stay on the boom until I can tie it down. My boom vang would have to be replaced with a solid one and if I were to do it, it would be when I replaced the main sail in a few years.

Does a boom furling sail give up as much performance as an in mast? I know you can have full battens in it, but are they as prone to jam? Do they have the creep issue like an in mast system?

I see a lot of newer boats in my area with in mast furling and a number of older ones now sporting behind the mast furling. Neither of those types have appealed to me, but the idea of rolling up the sail by pulling in one line does appeal to me.

75% of my sailing is up wind in light 5-10 knots conditions, the rest is on the beam and if it is ever behind the beam, I check my pulse to see if I accidently died and didn''t notice.

Ken

jbanta · #2 (**permalink**) 10-27-2003

There are some bad ones and some good ones. the good ones will premit refing upwind or down. These system promote sail and luff tape life. They are very simple to use the only problem with a good boom furler is they are alot of $$$$$$

tsenator · #3 (**permalink**) 10-27-2003

jbanta... What are the good systems and what are the bad systems out there?

I''d like to hear what they are, What is the design/engineering difference that makes one better than another.... just wondering for my own knowledge.

WHOOSH · #4 (**permalink**) 10-27-2003

Ken, I know little about the various in-boom (and in-mast, also behind-mast) mainsail furling systems...but I watched with interest the amazing number of boats entering St. Georges Harbor in Bermuda this past Spring (May-June timeframe) and noticed all types of mainsail furling systems had representatives which had failed at sea and were busily being repaired at the waterfront loft. It was a tough Spring and early Summer, with more numerous and deeper lows penetrating further South than is typical, and as I recall there were 6 ocean races and rallies coming & going while we were there...so there were lots of data points!

This is surely not a statistically valid observation and, in any event, I was left pondering a different question: what would my wife & I do if we had one of those systems, it started to really pick up offshore, and we couldn''t get the damn thing rolled up? Gives me the willies...

Jack

Magic_Moments · #5 (**permalink**) 10-28-2003

The possibility of a jam is the drawback to them, but I had the impression that with a boom furler, that you could still lower or reef normally in the case of the furler failing. I am just starting to learn about them.

Right now I am at the dock in 38 knots with higher gusts and there are two boats shedding the tattered remains of their headsails. The boat across from me sounds like the sail is about to come out of the mast, but I have no clue how I would lowerit in this wind and the power just went out. I am happy to have an inverter. The Coast Guard just announced all ships in the anchorage are required to have engines on standby with a second anchor ready to drop, what fun!

I know the cruising community took awhile to get to accept roller headsails, but eventually they got to be pretty reliable and almost everyone has one or more, but I am guessing that none of the roller mains are there yet.

Ken

Sailmc · #6 (**permalink**) 10-29-2003

I''ve had two seasons with an inmast furler now and it has performed flawlessly in all conditions. They are much improved over system from 5 or 10 years ago. I would never go back unless I intended to race this boat which I don''t. I have not found any serious disadvantage in speed. I have a Jeanneau 43DS. On many occasions I have sailed next to a Jeanneau SO 43 which has the identical hull but a larger conventional main. I have not seen his stern yet. He''s always looking at mine. He is a competant sailor who I have raced against for years on other boats so I don''t think skill is at the heart of it. I have reefed and furled this sail in up tp 40 knot winds with no problems whatsoever. It is a one man operation with an autopilot. The first furlers out had many problems. Some of them caused by improperly cut sails. If you base your opinion on these older systems you need to get some experience and I mean experience with the newer models.

Sailmc · #7 (**permalink**) 10-29-2003

I''ve had two seasons with an inmast furler now and it has performed flawlessly in all conditions. They are much improved over system from 5 or 10 years ago. I would never go back unless I intended to race this boat which I don''t. I have not found any serious disadvantage in speed. I have a Jeanneau 43DS. On many occasions I have sailed next to a Jeanneau SO 43 which has the identical hull but a larger conventional main. I have not seen his stern yet. He''s always looking at mine. He is a competant sailor who I have raced against for years on other boats so I don''t think skill is at the heart of it. I have reefed and furled this sail in up tp 40 knot winds with no problems whatsoever. It is a one man operation with an autopilot. The first furlers out had many problems. Some of them caused by improperly cut sails. If you base your opinion on these older systems you need to get some experience and I mean experience with the newer models.

mcain · #8 (**permalink**) 10-29-2003

It seems there are always at least 2 opinions, from smart reasoned people, with equivalent experience, on every topic. This is probably one of them. I have a mast furler--came on the boat when I bought it. I considered it a detriment when purchased, but have become a convert. Mains can fail, reefing can fail, fittings can fail. You have to maintain the equipment, treat it within its design limits and not be oblivious to your situation. That said, I like our system. If I didn''t have one, and sailed the Chesapeake, I would put one on in a heartbeat. If going offshore, I probably would not add one, but will not take mine off either.

tsenator · #9 (**permalink**) 10-29-2003

Sailmc,

You have the Jeanneau 43DS ? Damn ! I want one, but those buggers are going up in price, I think they see me coming at the boat shows with drool on my face ;-).

Its funny you talk about the Jenneau 43 DS and the performance, because (you are probably aware) but Yachting World did a sailing comparison of all the Jeanneau 43''s and the deck salon sailed just as well as the regular 43. I even discussed this in the other post that spurred this post. See "anxiety in buying a boat" near the end.

http://members.sailnet.com/messageboard/readmessage.cfm?Forum=3&Topic=8332

FYI The review in Yachting World May 2002 p104-110 Jeanneau 43-footers by Tim Thomas

(Link is not working now but you used to be able to read the comparison review on-line)http://www.jeanneauamerica.com/43s_ontest/43s_ontest_intro.htm )

Though, in deference to what Jeff H says, who knows how long the mainsail in a furling system can keeps it shape until it starts to get what Jeff H calls "leech creep". I don''t know what it is, but I''m sure it is something. Wheather it will affect you and when, due to a superior design or mainsail fabric is still in question.

Though I can see a potential for wearing out mainsails sooner before they need to be recut, fixed or, replaced. But maybe thats a something one has to live with for the conveniece of a roller furl main.

tsenator · #10 (**permalink**) 10-29-2003

magic and woosh,

I also had the impression that even if the mainsail in-boom roller furler jammed you could still get the main down.

Looking at the scheafer BoomFurl, its apparent that you could easily drop the main if it jammed.

http://www.boomfurl.com/boom_furlers.html