Hanks vs Furling

[smackdaddy]

I have hanks and a tiller. And I gotta say that I'm digging the idea of a furler and a wheel more and more.

BTW - this is one sic pic...zowie!

[imagine2frolic]

smack,

I personally love the feel of a tiller. It is a direct connection to what the boat feels, and less to go wrong. Remind you now. I now sail with a wheel, and hydraulic system. Sometimes you just got to work with what you got. .......i2f

[cormeum]

We have a "best of both worlds" configuration.
Outer forestay-furler with (usually) a 120 with foam.
Inner forestay- hanks for little stays'l.

Main 3 reefs and sep trysail track.

Mizzen: 1 reef that makes it flat as a piece of sheet metal and cuts the area by about 1/3.

At 40 to 50 kts, rolling up most of the genny and dropping the main worked just fine. didn't even need to reef the mizzen (man I love yawls )

If the $&!* really hit the fan, I'd roll up the genny and set the stays'l. My inherent lazyness promotes sailing jib and jigger rather than putting in reefs.

[lapworth]

Please don't apologize I2f I am asking because I don't know.

[fjon]

Originally Posted by imagine2frolic

Well I have done gale force winds for a couple of days. Fortunately the wind was on the quarter. I have also done gale force winds on the nose for 17 hours with my staysail, and a dbl reef in the main on my cat.

I'll take a GOOD furler anytime over hanks. I did hanks for 4,000 on my 30ft. mono from S.F. Ca. to Cabo Mexico, and back single-handed. Remember I am a cruiser, and my wife is 4'10", and a 100lbs. with nearly no experience. So once again I am nearly single-handing a 46ft. cat, and I love my headsails on furlers.

I rounded Point Conception with 50+ mph winds, ands 20+ seas, on my mono. I was out there changing headsails with my legs under the jacklines to keep me on the deck. One hand on the stay, and the other hanking on the jib. A damned waterfall coming off the bill of my cap, so I have been out in the snot with hanks, and with furlers. I'll take the safety of the cockpit anytime.



The book is dated, and in 83 what he says is true. Technology has improved furlers. Just like in the last 25 years most everything has been improved.

ste,

You need to point out where I am off topic. We all get through life differently. BEST WISHES in getting some thicker skin. It's the internet for goodness sakes.

lapworth,
I apologize if you feel I derailed your question.... .....i2f

Well, that is the rub, ain't it. Going forward and handling a big genny in a rising gale with the bow pitching and trying to throw you, or the admiral or crew into the briny deep. I agree that a smaller jib will have a better shape and there are several options to have your cake and eat it 2.

A double headstay or a removable inner stay would allow one to roll up the nylon diesel and deploy a heavy weather foresail with less strain and in time.

Still, looking at this pic of a Mason 53 going to weather in a race off So. Australia, it does seems to show alot of stress on the headstay under partial roll-up. But, in a gale, I'm not sure how important shape is. Perhaps balance of the rig trumps. In fact, I've heard a number of ketch sailors who say that mizzen and jib will handle most anything. I love this pic, from a poster on another site who took it during the race.

[mitiempo]

fjon
Awesome picture!
As far as furlers go, I think they have proven themselves by now. Modern furlers have been around a long time. Phillippe Jeantot had furling foresails on his boat in the first BOC round the world singlehanded race in 1982. He won the race (as well as the second race 4 yrs later). Early furlers were around decades before. But reefing is another story. If you take a furling genoa it has a certain amount of draft. If you reef it 50% the same draft the full sail had is now in one half the size (foam luffs help but only so far). This works for downwind sailing but upwind not so well, to make distance to windward you need a good setting sail. And because upwind sailing is not very comfortable you would probably only do this if you had to, as in a lee shore. And if this is the case a baggy sail won't cut it. For people whe don't go offshore they're very convenient. I think a boat with a furler on the forestay and a staysail hanked on to an inner stay is a very good solution. But not all boats have this option. A solent stay is one solution. This is a stay about 12-15" inside the forestay, parallel to the forestay and removeable. Because of its attachment points running backs are not needed. This would let you have a furler for everyday convenience and a smaller jib than you can effectively furl down to for worse conditions. I may do this, but I do not have a furler and don't plan on getting one. But it would let me have a second sail bagged and ready for offshore use. I currently have 3 foresails, including a 120 with reef points.
Every sailor has a different philosophy about sailing. To some it is daysailing in good weather and there's nothing wrong with that. To others it's sailing to the Caribbean or Mexico, as I'm planning for. To others it's serious adventure where everything has to work the first time. I've included a portion of an email from a sailor from my marina who is doing just that. It's self explanatory I think.

[imagine2frolic]

fjon,

I was taking down a 80% sail, and hanking on a less than 50%. It was all the cloth I had up. It was definately all I needed. Once I made the turn ole Frolic was sailing up to 8 1/2 knots going down the waves & 6 knots going up their backs.. ...........i2f

[smackdaddy]

Holy crap fjon, that yacht is FLYIN'! SWEET!

[blt2ski]

One thing for all to remember about furlers, while "most" if not "all" new eqipment and gear gets tested on racing boats, furlers started with cruiser, smaller boats and went bigger! For current models, the kinks that were talked about in the Jobson article are more than likely worked out. Sailmakers have done a better job of designing sails to work when reefed. A dock mate had a 155 from UK designed with 2 reef points, a 135 and 110 equal. Where is in the older days, sails were rolled up, and you hoped it would set correct.

I'll still at this moment in time stick with my 4 head sails, but being as mostly the boat is raced, not a big deal for the crew to change out the sail. When it is wife and I daysailing or equal, I start with the 140 or the 110 or iron genny depending upon the wind forecast and finner tell tale. I do prefer the foil over the hanks.

Marty