Clueless

[wumhenry]

Most of my sailing experience is with catboats 'thout roller reefing, headsails, shrouds, and such-like things. Last summer I bought a Bristol 29.9 with a Hood headsail roll-reefer/furler. There's a wire-cable pennant 2-3 feet long that, last season, was shackeled either between the furler's top-swivel and the head of the genoa or between the tack and the furler drum -- I forget which. Where would it make the most sense to put it: top or bottom? (For starters, I put it on top, and the tack clears the pulpit.)

[camaraderie]

I'd think it makes more sense at the tack...you get a full hoist on the genny to cover the airflow over the entire main AND you can see better underneath the genny in traffic.

[sailingdog]

I would put it on the bottom... since that will give you more room to see with the sail completely unfurled. It would also put the sail higher up and make it easier to clear the pulpit and such. Also, the wind is generally stronger higher up... so it'll make the sail minimally more effective.

[wumhenry]

OK, thanks, I'll change it.

[Valiente]

I have a furler for the first time this season, and it goes at the bottom. No pennant would be present generally only on a racing sail that hugged the deck on the foot. A cruising Yankee jib would want all the area as high as it could generally, along with the increased visibility a "gap" forward brings to the cruiser who doesn't generally have a bowman to look for boats forward.

[RichH]

that no matter where you put it either at the top or bottom just be sure that the top swivel on the foil is nearly *all the way to the very top of the foil*. This will prevent the top swivel from 'binding' and having the halyrad override and possibly wrap the top swivel. Look at your furler manual for top-swivel-to-halyard *lead angle*'.

For best sail efficiency put the pendant at the top as a jib thats closer to or just touching on the deck is VASTLY more aerodynamically efficient. If you want visability then put it on the bottom.
If you want to see AND have the jib as a 'deck sweeper' ... have a sailmaker install a clear vinyl window in the genoa.