Asymetric furling systems.

[greeny]

For those with knowledge of furling systems for cruising chute. Do I need to look at top down furlers or will a normal furler system suffice? p.s. I can raise and drop using normal methods and also by using snufffer so no need to give me instructions on those methods. I'm just looking at options for an easier life to encourage me to use the chute more, especially on shorter trips when it can be up then down over short time frames. I'm always single handed nowadays and all the help I can get is always welcome.

 

[Ian_Edwards]

I've tried a standard furling system, a sock, and a top down furler.
From experience a top down furler is the way to go.
With the standard furler, I got a balloon forming about 2/3r the way up the luff, which was very difficult to sort out.
I didn't like working on the foredeck struggling with the lines to raise and lower the sock.
With the top down furler I can do it all from the cockpit.
But my down wind sail are probably a bit bigger than the average, the reaching sail is about 1,500 square feet and the down wind sail sail 2,000 square feet.
And I sail largely single handed.
With smaller sail and more crew I think that all 3 can be made to work.
But top down is the by far the easiest in my experience (12 seasons now). You can raise the sail before you leave if you want to, and leave it furled until safely anchored, or along side.

 

[greeny]

Thanks for that reply Ian. You're re-enforcing my decision to go this way. You're much bigger than I'm talking now, as I've downsized to a 22 footer. But working up on the deck is just as awkward, maybe more so. I just want to sail nowadays without all the heroics. In the cockpit is good for me. I'm wondering if a normal bottom furler would be ok rather than top down because the sail area is much less than a normal sized cruising boat which seems to what these systems are sized for. Currently looking at the Karver system. The adaptor from bottom to top furler is over £500. Maybe I'll try the basic bottom up system and if it doesn't take the "bag" in, then buy the conversion kit.

 

[Halo]

Top down works best for me

 

[Tranona]

I had a Selden top down furler on a Bavaria 33. Excellent bit of kit, particularly after having the luff attached to the furler to prevent wraps. Furling needs good control over the sheet and the furling line and the Selden double line blocks plus the double jamming blocks made this very easy. The sail was about 65sqm and probably as much as this geriatric sailor would want to handle on his own. Not used a huge amount but well worth it in the right conditions.

 

[jane444blue]

I had a Selden top down furler on a Bavaria 33. Excellent bit of kit, particularly after having the luff attached to the furler to prevent wraps. Furling needs good control over the sheet and the furling line and the Selden double line blocks plus the double jamming blocks made this very easy. The sail was about 65sqm and probably as much as this geriatric sailor would want to handle on his own. Not used a huge amount but well worth it in the right conditions.

Interesting, I've just got a new ASym made and am in the process of getting my Selden top down cable and bits for a GX15 I was given. It's going on a bowsprit I had fitted last year in preparation. I have been pondering the Selden double line blocks and reading another thread here which mentions Harken blocks too. I'm guessing as with bottom up furler the lead angles and positioning of blocks are crucial. I'm hoping for me single handed it's going to be easier than a cruising chute with a suffer- at the correct wind angle obviously. Don't use the Symetric unless I have a crew.

 

[Tranona]

The lead blocks are removable and never had any problem with setting at the right height oin the stanchion. The double fiddle block needs care in attaching it to something solid and accessible alongside the cockpit. mine was on one of the guardrail eyes on the pushpit which was easy to reach and worked well Had similar on the other side with a Harken single jamming fiddle block for the jib furler

 

[ashtead]

We have bow spirit below in front of the furlers to take the Asym on the Karver furler . Don’t have a picture of furler rigged though.