Tangling Furler/Halyard

[Benobo]

"Tangling" is one of those words that never looks quite right...

I was recently given a new (old) genoa, and while it sails wonderfully, the luff/height is about 2 ft. short of where it should be for my boat, so the halyard ends up coming down from the masthead to make up that difference.

Because I have a furler, this means that the halyard wraps whenever I furl/unfurl the new sail, at times jamming it up altogether (it isn't the furler mechanism...I checked). A temporary fix involving a block strapped to the mast about 1 1/2' down from the masthead -- with the halyard run through it, then out to the furler -- eliminates the problem (ie. gives proper tension on the halyard) but the straps get in the way of the main when it's hoisted, so I need an alternative.

I've heard about people putting a kind of plastic tube / add-on to the furler in order to make up the difference between the top furler and the masthead -- does anyone know anything about these? Any recommendations for other fixes? I'd like to avoid fixing a block onto the mast if at all possible, and, of course, avoid spending oodles of money.

Any help you folks can offer would be greatly appreciated...

Ben

[Faster]

A halyard restrainer works well. It's a padeye or a roller attached to the front of the mast essentially performing the same task as your temporary block.

You could also simply add a pennant between the head of the sail and the swivel on the furler to allow the swivel to go back up to the top of the foil in its normal position. Alternatively you could put the same pennant on the tack to improve visibility under the sail forward.

"Halyard wrap" is the term for what you've called "tangling"

[QuickMick]

i had the exact same problem... what i ended up doing was making a pigtail, or pendant, which can be fashioned of wire or line (i used line) to extend the halyard past the cap thing on the top. you will get a lot of suggestions as to placement on top or bottom as you can do either. i put mine at the bottom and it solved the problem.

[Yorksailor]

Be careful it is possible, when the halyard is wrapped around the forestay, to get enough torque on the forestay to unwind the wire from the staylock fitting...Sounds impossible but I actually managed to do it!

Just put a pennant on the bottom of the genoa.

[sailingdog]

The pendant on a roller furling jib HAS TO GO BETWEEN THE HEAD OF THE SAIL AND THE SWIVEL or THE CLEW OF THE SAIL AND THE DRUM. Do not use the pendant between the the halyard and the swivel. The purpose of the pendant is to get the swivel high enough so that it doesn't risk having the halyard wrap around the forestay.

[svHyLyte]

An effective pendant that will ensure a “short luff” head sail will properly furl is to enclose and sew the pendant—for example a length of Spectra with loops on each end—within a fold of luff-tape. The pendant is attached to the head of the sail by passing the loop on the pendant through the halyard cringle at the head of the sail and pulling the other end of the tape through the loop after which the tape is run up the foil above the sail when it’s hoisted. This will ensure that the halyard swivel is in the proper position at the top of the foil with this sail; and, that the sail/pendant will furl properly when the time comes.

FWIW…

[Benobo]

Thanks for your advice, everyone! While Faster's suggestion of a padeye is appealing (I like the way my block is functioning now, minus the interruption of the mainsail foil) I think I'm going to try the less-permanent pendant route first.

I'll start by trying it at the foot, in between the tack and the drum. My one concern is that raising the sail 1'6" off the deck will negatively affect how she sails, but maybe that won't be an issue?

Does anyone have any suggestions for how to make the pendant? svHyLyte mentioned sewing Spectra into a piece of luff tape, but could I get away with just fastening a piece of line between tack and drum?

Thanks again for all your help -- hugely appreciated!

[knothead]

Originally Posted by Benobo

Thanks for your advice, everyone! While Faster's suggestion of a padeye is appealing (I like the way my block is functioning now, minus the interruption of the mainsail foil) I think I'm going to try the less-permanent pendant route first.

I'll start by trying it at the foot, in between the tack and the drum. My one concern is that raising the sail 1'6" off the deck will negatively affect how she sails, but maybe that won't be an issue?

Does anyone have any suggestions for how to make the pendant? svHyLyte mentioned sewing Spectra into a piece of luff tape, but could I get away with just fastening a piece of line between tack and drum?

Thanks again for all your help -- hugely appreciated!

A pennant is always a good idea. It doesn't matter whether it's atttached to the clew or the head. The idea is to get the swivel as close as is practicable to the top of the extrusion.

Still, there is a good reason that just about every single furling system installation manual suggests the installation of a halyard restrainer when it's called for to get about fifteen degrees between the halyard and the stay.

And to the point of unscrewing mechanical fittings when a halyard wraps. Hell, I've seen probably a dozen headstays completely twisted in two and dozens more ruined by over-twisting or bird caging. Some of the ones that broke completely were saved by the halyard but some of them lost the rig.
That's why there have always been warnings about not forcing things. If it's not working, figure out why. Don't just put it on a winch and crank.

[Benobo]

Is it "pennant" or "pendant"? People seem to be using them interchangeably...

Knothead: Do I take you to mean that putting it on the foot likely won't negatively impact how it sails? If so, I'm going to go that route for the time being. I'll be sure not to force anything

[knothead]

Originally Posted by Benobo

Is it "pennant" or "pendant"? People seem to be using them interchangeably...

Knothead: Do I take you to mean that putting it on the foot likely won't negatively impact how it sails? If so, I'm going to go that route for the time being. I'll be sure not to force anything

It may very well effect how it sails. I have no way of knowing whether it will be negative or positive but installing the pennant or pendant (hell, I don't know) will help prevent halyard wrap. That's the main thing.
If you really want to do it right, then measure the luff length, and have a sailmaker make the right sail for the furler and for the boat. Or better yet, two or three sails.