[Markwesti]

In my case it would be a Yankee sleeve . I was looking in the Sailnet store and came across The ATN Genoa Sleeve . There were a couple of vids on it , I think I'll get one . So question is do any of you own one ? Like it ? Thanks .

 

[Multihullgirl]

I have one. It's okay, but it does whip some in high winds. It's easy to use. The video pretty much shows it.

If the winds blew harder here, and the sacrificial edge weren't so much an issue in these light winds, I'd probably have just had a sacrificial edge sewn on.

 

[sailingfool]

I've used genoa sleeves on a set of sailing club Harbor 20s. The use of a sleeve adds about 15 minutes to the getting underway/closing up time and I considered this practice a real pain. These weren't my boats... If you are using one on a sail that is not regularly deployed, fine, but otherwise I think it a bad idea except for the hardcore racer who wants the perfect sail despite the inconvenience.

 

[barefootnavigator]

Perhaps I'm missing something here but I can hank a sail on in about 5 minutes and bag it in the same. So we go to roller furling to make life easy but the weight of the all purpose sail hinders our boats sailing ability, heavy sheets, heavy cloth, luff tape and foam not to mention expense. Now finally some brilliant people are figuring this all out. Why not just use a hank on sail that is the appropriate size with proper sized sheets and sail cloth for half the cost. Drop it on deck and stuff it in a deck bag. You might be surprised at how fast and wonderful your boat sails with hank-on sails.
I have not used this system but I can tell you I'm way to lazy to use it, the end result would be more UV damage to my sailing because I would be tempted to leave them un covered till the end of my trip. What about offshore when you couldn't or wouldn't want to use this system, your sail would be at the mercy 24 hours a day for weeks on end. I'm very interested in this thread and people re results, great topic.

 

[Markwesti]

Alan thanks for the post . I'm not really sure I understand it . For many yrs. I had a hank on Yankee and I still have a hank on staysail with a club boom . The Yankee while not a big sail, it is big enough that bagging it was a bit of a chore and also having to do it out on the sprit didn't make it any easier . My Yankee has a cover sewn on that is very light and not expected to last like Sunbrella . I'm going to have it removed , and I don't really want Sunbrella .

 

[Faster]

One other issue with these sleeves, esp in a typically windy area, is the flapping of the sleeve can chafe on and wear out the exposed side of the stitching of the sail. I've seen some sew elastic into the sleeve every several feet to slow down the flapping, but that also increases the pressure locally on the stitching.

If it's unusual for your marina or mooring to be regularly windy this is not such a concern.

 

[barefootnavigator]

I guess my question is don't you still have to go out on the sprite to raise the sock? Isn't raising the sock more work than generally stuffing a sail into a bag? It seems like more work and yet another added expense to roller furling. What about in a super rolly anchorage like Descanso or at sea? Taking the sumbrella off the sail will reduce quite a bit of weight but you still are flying in general a one size fits all sail which will rarely fit the bill. I'm not pushing pro or con on roller furling just asking if this isn't yet another job to perform before and after every trip.

 

[Multihullgirl]

The ATN sock has a drawstring to tighten it close to the sail. And no, it's easier to raise this sock than drop, flake and bag the jib, at least on my boat

 

[Markwesti]

All good thoughts thank you . I think I'm starting to lean toward just getting the light weight cloth sewn back on . It lasted 13yrs. The ATN sleeve looks pretty good and is really engineered well . Watch the vids . But yes you are right Alan it would be extra work , down the line I might regret it . Descanso ? Joking right ?

 

[knuterikt]

I have a similar sleeve since we have roller furling and more than one sail without built in sun cover it made sense. It will protect the sail better than a sun screen against polluted air.
The compression strings stops the cover from flapping and moving.

We have a small bag we can tie on to the pulpit while hoisting or taking down easier to stow than a long length of canvass.
This video show how easy it is, note that there was some wind..

 

[sailingfool]

.... So we go to roller furling to make life easy but the weight of the all purpose sail hinders our boats sailing ability, heavy sheets, heavy cloth, luff tape and foam not to mention expense. ....

I doubt that the dacron UV shield that Doyle glued to our new 135% adds even a pound to the weight of the sail and it certainly has no effect on the general use of the sail. I'm not sure what the comment about heavy sheets or cloth has to do with furling. But I would think the cost of luff tape and foam (if you want it) is a toss up versus hanks.

That said, I still think that the furling genoa is the bestest invention for a sailor who has to leave the boat most nights. Combining with a UV shield, the system allows you to spend most of your sailing time...sailing.

 

[JonEisberg]

I doubt that the dacron UV shield that Doyle glued to our new 135% adds even a pound to the weight of the sail and it certainly has no effect on the general use of the sail. I'm not sure what the comment about heavy sheets or cloth has to do with furling. But I would think the cost of luff tape and foam (if you want it) is a toss up versus hanks.

That said, I still think that the furling genoa is the bestest invention for a sailor who has to leave the boat most nights. Combining with a UV shield, the system allows you to spend most of your sailing time...sailing.

Agree completely... Sunbrella is really a piss-poor choice for a UV cover for a furling jib, the lighter adn more abrasion-resistant dacron stuff is far superior, it's a mystery to me why so many sailmakers continue to use it...

Why not just use a hank on sail that is the appropriate size with proper sized sheets and sail cloth for half the cost. Drop it on deck and stuff it in a deck bag. You might be surprised at how fast and wonderful your boat sails with hank-on sails.

Well, you might be surprised at the eminent practicality of RF for shorthanded cruising, and how wonderfully many larger boats sail with furling headsails...

I doubt a guy like Brad van Liew would have made it around much quicker, using hanked-on sails...

 

[capta]

Perhaps I'm missing something here but I can hank a sail on in about 5 minutes and bag it in the same. So we go to roller furling to make life easy but the weight of the all purpose sail hinders our boats sailing ability, heavy sheets, heavy cloth, luff tape and foam not to mention expense. Now finally some brilliant people are figuring this all out. Why not just use a hank on sail that is the appropriate size with proper sized sheets and sail cloth for half the cost. Drop it on deck and stuff it in a deck bag. You might be surprised at how fast and wonderful your boat sails with hank-on sails.
I have not used this system but I can tell you I'm way to lazy to use it, the end result would be more UV damage to my sailing because I would be tempted to leave them un covered till the end of my trip. What about offshore when you couldn't or wouldn't want to use this system, your sail would be at the mercy 24 hours a day for weeks on end. I'm very interested in this thread and people re results, great topic.

Your boat is what, 23'? On bigger boats, it's not quite that easy, or safe to "Drop it on deck and stuff it in a deck bag", especially in heavy weather conditions. My genoa weighs something over 200 pounds and is made of cloth that can rip your fingernails out, flogging around while I'm trying to keep it in control as I drop it.
Thank you very, very much for your suggestion, but I think I'll stick with my roller furling, which works wonderfully, by the way, and is controlled from the cockpit.

 

[Markwesti]

I thought I would let you know how it turned out . I'm having the work done at Doyle , And they are doing it just as Sailingfool described . They explained it to me how the cloth becomes part of the sail , And not just goin' for a ride like canvas . Also work being done is a laundry job and some new tack and head webbing and check over for loose threads. Grand total $450.less tax. I still think the ATN sleeve is a good thing but not for me .

 

[Multihullgirl]

That's a good price for a fair bit of labor, Markwesti

 

[bobmcgov]

BTW, we made a snug-fitting cover similar to the ATN sleeve out of a microfiber polyester shower curtain and 28' continuous plastic zipper. Clip the spi halyard to the grommet at the top, start the zipper, and pull halyard with one hand while holding zipper with the other. I'd stop every 5' or so to snap a ball bungy around the assembly just above the sheets. Totally eliminated billowing or chafe. Performed this task on a mooring in 35kt winds, many times. Added maybe 4-5 minutes to putting the boat to bed. The cover lasted two seasons in some of the most brutal UV and winds you can imagine, with no harm to the sail; then the material got fragile & started to tear a bit. We'll cut up another $12 K-Mart shower curtain and re-use the zipper. I'm afraid the two grommets are a write-off.



Sunbrella has excellent lifespan, good UV blocking, and lots of colors if you like that look. But it is too heavy for smaller sails or light conditions. UV dacron is still a sacrificial material, and it will need to be overlaid or replaced every few years. That's a fair whack of time and/or money. The advantage of a sleeve is that it does not change the sail at all and can be replaced when needed w/out involving a canvas shop or sail loft. They do add a bit of work, tho, and on windy days it is easier for two people to rig it. (Unrigging it is stupid easy, right down the fore hatch it goes.) Another benefit of the sleeve is that it helps contain the rolled genoa and prevent it from opening on a mooring or in a slip during a storm. Yes, positively cleating the furler line and maybe putting a couple bungies around the genoa will accomplish much the same, but it is another line of defense. May add a bit more windage; not much.