Sail inventory

[eckcn17]

Hi again!
Just purchased our first cruising boat, Pearson 31-2. We have not been out on it yet & it came with quite nice Doyle main ( stack pack)and furling genoa. What else would you recommend for lake Michigan cruising? I know that I want to find a used spinnaker(symmetrical) but not sure of weight? Also, how do I know if I can reef the harken furler?
Thanks in advance !
Chris

[kwaltersmi]

We just carry a 5oz. Doyle main, 5oz. 130 Doyle genoa and a 3/4oz. tri-radial symmetrical spinnaker. We use to also carry a back-up main and genny, but recently sold them because they took up a lot of space on our 28 footer.

Ideally I'd also like a gennaker or other cruising chute like the North Code Zero on furling gear. A storm jib that fits over the furled genoa (such as the ATN Gale Sail) would also be nice, though I doubt it would get much use. More times than not you'll be dealing with light winds on Lake Michigan during the peak cruising months of June-August. Typically thunderstorms and associated winds move through fairly quickly and you're again left with light air. So realistically I'd rather have the money in the cruising kitty than an expanded sail inventory for cruising on Lake Michigan.

Theoretically you should be able to reef any headsail furler. Simply unfurl the desired sail are and cleat off to prevent the rest from coming out. However, this can produce some poor sail shapes and be hard on the sail. Some furling headsails have reefing points marked as colored vertical lines or similar. Sometimes furling lines can also take undue stress while sailing with a reefed headsail in really high winds. It's probably better to stay in port or motor to shelter rather than risk blowing out your headsail or damaging furling gear during those really high winds. Remember, ports are often no more than 30nm away on Lake Michigan.

[eckcn17]

Thanks! So the best bet with the furler is all or nothing if you want to preserve the sail and hardware? The sail is only two years old and was serviced by doyle last nov. so I think I will stick with that advice! Does the 3oz spinnaker seem to work out well for you?
Thanks again

[kwaltersmi]

Originally Posted by eckcn17

So the best bet with the furler is all or nothing if you want to preserve the sail and hardware?

Yes, if your furling headsail wasn't designed to be reefed by the sail maker, not reefing will preserve/extend life. Having said that, we reef our headsail with the furler all the time, just not in really high wind. We'll use just a sliver of the genny if it's blowing 20+ knots and we have to sail. Our main has a high aspect ratio and therefore the boat doesn't sail well under main alone, though many boats do.

Yes, we love the 3oz symmetrical, though it's a bit difficult to set, trim and douse with just a crew of two. The more we practice, the better we've gotten and the more confidence we've gained. I won't even think about using it if the wind is 10 knots or higher. I think I'd prefer an asymmetrical chute if money wasn't a factor, but alas, she came with the symmetrical in really great condition so that's what we use. It's great for long downwind runs and really adds speed when compared to the alternative of going wing and wing.

[GeorgeB]

Kwaltersmi, check your numbers. I think what you have is a three quarter ounce (3/4) spinnaker. Spinnakers top out at 1 1/2 oz for nylon. A 3 oz kite would be heavy like a jib. As long as you are not sailing in heavy seas, 20 kts+ (TWS) or strong and highly oscillating winds, an under 30' boat could get away with a half ounce kite. I'd love to get a half ouncer for my 34 footer for those under 10 kt days.

[sailingdog]

Not true. Not all furlers are properly designed to handle the loads caused by reefing the sail. Often, even though the sail area is reduced, the loads on a reefed sail can be higher than the loads on the full sail. If the furler wasn't designed to handle these loads, you can destroy it pretty easily.

Originally Posted by kwaltersmi

Theoretically you should be able to reef any headsail furler. Simply unfurl the desired sail are and cleat off to prevent the rest from coming out. However, this can produce some poor sail shapes and be hard on the sail. Some furling headsails have reefing points marked as colored vertical lines or similar. Sometimes furling lines can also take undue stress while sailing with a reefed headsail in really high winds. It's probably better to stay in port or motor to shelter rather than risk blowing out your headsail or damaging furling gear during those really high winds. Remember, ports are often no more than 30nm away on Lake Michigan.

[kwaltersmi]

GeorgeB - You're right, it's a 3/4oz spinnaker. Thanks for the correction.

Originally Posted by sailingdog

Not true. Not all furlers are properly designed to handle the loads caused by reefing the sail. Often, even though the sail area is reduced, the loads on a reefed sail can be higher than the loads on the full sail. If the furler wasn't designed to handle these loads, you can destroy it pretty easily.

SD - Right. I didn't say all furlers were properly designed for reefing but rather that "theoretically you should be able to reef any headsail furler". I also cautioned that it could be hard on the gear and was not my choice in really high winds. Point is, yes, you can reef a furled headsail, but beware that you may be adding stress to your gear.

[sailingdog]

Originally Posted by kwaltersmi

SD - Right. I didn't say all furlers were properly designed for reefing but rather that "theoretically you should be able to reef any headsail furler". I also cautioned that it could be hard on the gear and was not my choice in really high winds. Point is, yes, you can reef a furled headsail, but beware that you may be adding stress to your gear.

Some furlers, particularly the ones that use a continuous line, can't handle the loads, since the friction of the line around the drum is the only thing really holding the sail when it is reefed. That means the drum might slip and let the sail out in heavier winds, just when you really DON'T WANT IT TO... this is a serious danger and one reason using a furler that isn't designed for reefing to reef a roller furling headsail.

[DrB]

I own a Pearson 10M and I carry 5 sails on my boat.

1. Main Sail
2. 135% RF Genoa
3. 95% Jib
4. Spinnaker
5. Storm Jib

The work horse sails are the 135 and the Main. In normal conditions, I fly the 135/Main in winds 15kts or less, if we expect stronger winds or stronger winds with gust up to 22kts, I remove the 135 and throw on the 95% jib. I may through a reef in the main if we are consistently over 20kts.

If winds are in the 25+ kt range. I don't even bother with the main and just throw up the 95% Jib. A few weeks ago, I was doing 6 kts with it only on a close reach in 26+ kt winds.

DrB