[capta]

Having some curiosity about boom furling systems, I have talked to quite a few crews on the mega sailboats on which they are common. They are not well liked by those I've spoken to, with one of the main complaints being someone must be at the gooseneck to feed the cars up the track (and down) to insure none get hung up. This would pretty much preclude singlehanded operation, if all systems can have this problem.
These are top of the line boats with budgets which allow them to have the very best of everything aboard, and professional crews who one would think could operate the equipment properly, so I'll pretty much given in boom furling a pass, thanks.

 

[capta]

From a sailing standpoint it's certainly better than in mast furling. You can always reach it when it fails and offers a much lower center of gravity. Besides these, I hear only trouble stories. The boom should be at right angles with the mast, if not the sail jams.

As we sail between 2 & 3k miles a year with in mast furling, I can only say we love it! Inmast has been an amazing system for us without any of the horrific experiences so many who don't sail with them, are so positive we have. The fact that we do not need to be anywhere near head to wind to reef or dowse sail makes the system a winner in my book.
Of the three systems on the monohulls we see actually cruising, it may be about; 45% inmast, 50% slab, and 5% inboom.