Furling Info Please!

rippy · #1 (**permalink**) 06-27-2011

I don't think this is a Cal21 specific question, but not sure where to turn for answer. Pulled out the sails for my Cal21 the other day hoping to get in my maiden voyage soon. There are two jibs almost the same size. One has a luff wire and protective cloth over the leading edge of the sail. It also has hanks. I also found a small Harken roller in a bag full of un-assorted parts. There is also a roller kind of device attached to the jib halyard.
I have never had a boat with roller furling before so little or no understanding of them in general and certainly no knowledge regarding my Cal21. Prior owner not a real sailor and I don't think he ever used the lower roller. But he may have used the furling jib attached to the forestay. Next to impossible to get info so far. Perhaps the hanks were added because of some quirk in the Cal21 that made the furling jib non-functional? Or maybe just lack of knowledge on part of prior owner(s)?

Would appreciate info from folks seeing this thread. Thanks, rip

Faster · #2 (**permalink**) 06-27-2011

Can you take some pictures of the setup and the spare parts and post them? It would be much easier to sort things out then....

rippy · #3 (**permalink**) 06-27-2011

OK, thanks Faster! First try at pics so here's hoping....
First pic is tack of jib showing a hank that is around the wire and through a grommet. The hank looks kinda temp to me - it is bent on, not sewn.
Pic # 2 is closer up of the hank.
Pic # 3 are the parts including the roller on the jib halyard as well as the bottom roller that I suspect would be installed as I show it, except at the tack of the jib.
I also measured the jibs and one seems to be a nearly unused Genoa that is about 2 feet more on the foot than the other one.
Thanks in advance, rip

Faster · #4 (**permalink**) 06-27-2011

I'm assuming there's a swivel connection at the top of your forestay... btw the hanks are fine.. that's just the way some of them are installed.

This is a rudimentary furling system often used on dinghies and smaller boats, and the intent is to rotate the forestay itself to furl. It's sorta OK for furling, but really totally unfit for 'reefing' as a good bit of rotation happens at the foot and tack before the mid section starts to follow suit. (the wire can spin inside the hanks delaying the middle rolling up)

Good furlers use an extrusion foil that rotates the entire luff at once.

Oh - get rid of that chain link connection at the base of your furler drum and put a proper shackle on that.

The genoa with the longer foot is just that.. a larger genoa for lighter breezes.. use the one that best suited to the day's conditions.

Bilgewater · #5 (**permalink**) 06-27-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by Faster

I'm assuming there's a swivel connection at the top of your forestay

From the photo, it looks to me that the black unit to the right with the snap shackle is the swivel for the mast head. So the snap shackle (to the right in the photo) goes to the head of the sail, the other snap shackle it's snapped to (the one at the top of the drum) snaps to the tack.

In other words, the head and foot of the sail goes between the two snap shackles and it should work just fine.

Bilgewater · #6 (**permalink**) 06-27-2011

Although, in this setup the hanks are obviously not going to be used at all because it will furl around it's own wire luff.

I think maybe the previous owner didn't like this type of furler, so he added the hanks, hooked up the furler assembly to the boat exactly as you show the photo. Then he hanked the sail onto the wire halyard. This would bring the sail a bit higher off the deck but shouldn't be a problem as long as there is room at the head. You would need a second halyard to do this.

With this setup, you could go back and forth from hank on to furl depending on what your preference is.

[edit] I might be wrong, but this looks like a pretty small furler for a Cal 21.

rippy · #7 (**permalink**) 06-27-2011

Thanks for quick responses guys. Let me see if I can address your points in order.

"I'm assuming there's a swivel connection at the top of your forestay.."
YES. AS POINTED OUT BY SEAYALATER.

"intent is to rotate the forestay itself to furl"
YOU MUST MEAN THE INTERNAL FORESTAY WHICH WOULD BE ATTACHED TO THE ROLLER AT THE END OF THE HALYARD. IS IT STILL CALLED A FORESTAY?

"get rid of that chain link connection at the base of your furler drum and put a proper shackle on that."
DEFINITELY!

"black unit to the right with the snap shackle is the swivel for the mast head."
YEP!

"the head and foot of the sail goes between the two snap shackles and it should work just fine."

THAT'S THE WAY IT LOOKS TO ME. AND THEN YOU WOULD LEAVE THE FORESTAY OFF THE BOAT USING THE INTERNAL WIRE OF THE ROLLER JIB AS FORWARD SUPPORT OF THE MAST?

"in this setup the hanks are obviously not going to be used at all because it will furl around it's own wire luff."

RIGHT, AND THAT MAKES ME THINK THE HANKS ARE REDUNDANT AND NOT VERY SEAMANLIKE.
"Then he hanked the sail onto the wire halyard"
THAT'S MY GUESS TOO, BUT DO YOU MEAN FORESTAY
"this looks like a pretty small furler for a Cal 21."
GOOD TO KNOW!

FURTHER COMMENTS CERTAINLY WELCOME. I THINK I WILL HANK ON THE JIB FOR MY FIRST COUPLE OF SAILS. THEN IF I WANT A FURLER I JUST MAY HAVE TO BUY ONE THAT FITS.
AT PRESENT THE BACKSTAY IS OFFSET TO STARBOARD, AND I HAVE SEEN WHERE SOME 21 OWNERS HAVE MODIFIED THE BACKSTAY SO IT IS ADJUSTABLE AND BALANCED PORT AND STARBOARD.
Thanks again to Faster and seayalater, rippy

Bilgewater · #8 (**permalink**) 06-27-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by rippy

"Then he hanked the sail onto the wire halyard"
THAT'S MY GUESS TOO, BUT DO YOU MEAN FORESTAY

No...I do mean wire halyard.
In your photo, the ss wire secured to the top of the swivel is actually the wire halyard and would be used to raise the furled headsail. What I was saying is, the previous owner may have been hanking on to this if rigged like your photo. But after thinking about it a bit, I doubt that is what he was doing. I suspect he was using this as an alternative but he was also hanking the sail onto the proper forestay.

Don't replace your forestay with this!!. I don't know the Cal 21 but there must be another hole just aft of your forestay turnbuckle and it should be secured to this.

[Edit] you want to be able to lower the whole thing down easily and stow it below, particularly if the sail doesn't have a UV strip.

[Edit] leave your forestay as is...it's an integral part of your standing rigging.