Changing fore sails

[JimC]

I've recently bought a larger overlapping genoa for my boat as an alternaive to the small self-tacking jib which was Hunters' standard fit. The idea is to use the self-tacker when single-handing and the genoa when I've a crew. My question is: how do you fold the sail you've taken down within the confines of the boat on a mooring or pontoon berth. Having always owned boats with roller-furling jibs I've only ever had to fold a sail after taking it down at the end of the season when the boat is already ashore and I can spread the sail out on the club lawn. There must obviously be an easy answer as people with hanked-on jibs must be doing it all the time.

 

[sailorman]

lay it on the deck
pull the tack & clew straight
flake the sail parallel with the foot
fold the flaked sail from the leech to the luff & add 2 sail ties
open the bag & pop the sail in

 

[NormanS]

lay it on the deck
pull the tack & clew straight
flake the sail parallel with the foot
fold the flaked sail from the leech to the luff & add 2 sail ties
open the bag & pop the sail in

That's easy on an aircraft carrier.

 

[sailorman]

That's easy on an aircraft carrier.

Have you seen the size of the sails on an aircraft carrier but loadsa room as ours dont have ant aircraft

 

[Twister_Ken]

That's easy on an aircraft carrier.

Can do it that way on every boat I've sailed on, up to and including 150% genoas.

You might also, when you've finished folding as described, like to put a single sail tie through the tack, head and clew which should all be in approx the same place when you finish. Stops the sail getting snarlyfurkined in the bag, or when you tip out it out to hoist.

 

[JimC]

lay it on the deck
pull the tack & clew straight
flake the sail parallel with the foot
fold the flaked sail from the leech to the luff & add 2 sail ties
open the bag & pop the sail in

That's how I do it on the club lawn. There's nowhere near enough space on the boat. The foot is about 12 ft, that's 2 foot more than the beam of the boat.

 

[Twister_Ken]

That's how I do it on the club lawn. There's nowhere near enough space on the boat. The foot is about 12 ft, that's 2 foot more than the beam of the boat.

You lay it along the boat, not across it. Tack near the bow, clew pulled back on the side deck (inside or outside the shrouds, depending on the boat).

 

[flaming]

Half decent video here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2n_MJiG5iY

If you don't have hanks it helps to have 2 people, one at each end.

 

[Amulet]

Stuff it roughly in the bag any old how.

 

[Simondjuk]

I think the question that's being asked is what you do with the mass of unfolded sail while you flake along the deck. I put it on the coachroof and flake down onto the deck from there. On a pontoon, I keep the bulk of the sail on the boat and flake it down onto the pontoon, taking care not to drag it across the stanchion tops.

 

[matt1]

Hello Jim, I also have a Channel 31 with Genoa and Self Tacking jib combination. I always make a point of removing the headsail after every trip A) to prolong its life and B) to force me to make an active choice of which sail to use next time I go out (trust me, the genoa would never get used if I left the self tacker up all the time as I would just get lazy!). I'm on a pile mooring with a pontoon and its easy enough for two people to flake it on the pontoon. The only problem is that where the sail is so high aspect, the skinny head of the sail often ends up snaking over the guardwires into the river as I pull it off the boat. I have flaked the jib down the relatively wide side decks of the the 31 before and that went ok but again it's a 2 person job.When I have been on my own I have rolled the jib up and that worked well expect you then have to stowe it rolled in the main cabin and the foot is still too long to really lie out straight without kinks ....if that makes sense

 

[JumbleDuck]

Stuff it roughly in the bag any old how.

Agreed. Random creases all over the place which change every time are better than repeated sharp folds in the same place.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Stuff it roughly in the bag any old how.

Unless you have a bag the size of Shropshire or a sail that's so floppy that it's shot, it'll never fit!

 

[alant]

I've recently bought a larger overlapping genoa for my boat as an alternaive to the small self-tacking jib which was Hunters' standard fit. The idea is to use the self-tacker when single-handing and the genoa when I've a crew. My question is: how do you fold the sail you've taken down within the confines of the boat on a mooring or pontoon berth. Having always owned boats with roller-furling jibs I've only ever had to fold a sail after taking it down at the end of the season when the boat is already ashore and I can spread the sail out on the club lawn. There must obviously be an easy answer as people with hanked-on jibs must be doing it all the time.

You can flake it on the side of the fore deck, as it comes down, before taking the piston hanks off the forestay & much easier to handle it that way. Can also be bagged before taking off the forestay, cos you don't want a bloody great uncontrolled sail flapping about when your up there, so also helps to put some sail ties around it, perhaps tying onto the guardrail wire just above deck level (stops any rogue wave hitting it & knocking overboard). Don't take it off the forestay, until you are sure its properly secure.

Don't forget, there isn't a handy pontoon/club lawn available, when your sailing offshore.

 

[flaming]

Stuff it roughly in the bag any old how.

Does your sailmaker send you Christmas cards by any chance?

 

[oldbilbo]

Does your sailmaker send you Christmas cards by any chance?

Invoices, more like!

 

[KenMcCulloch]

Stuff it roughly in the bag any old how.

You can go off people, you know.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Does your sailmaker send you Christmas cards by any chance?

It's a perfectly reasonable way of treating terylene sails. Perhaps not the shiny things you racing boys have, though ...

 

[William_H]

I find that I can fold (flake) my jibs including genoa partly in the cabin. It takes 2 people of course. Any attempt to fold on deck is just too fraught with wind gusts and the sail wanting to fall in the water. One person sits as far forward as possible in the main cabin. ie level with the chain plates. The other person sits outside at the back of the cockpit on the opposite side to first person. The sail sits in bundle inside the cabin hatch on opposite side ot inside person. Find the tack and clew one to each person. Pull the 2 apart as far as possible then grasp a handful of luff and leach to fold it back on itself. It is this first few folds that are difficult in the cramped space and a bit rough. Subsequent folds are easily but both people must move toward each other. When you reach the top. Fold over in lumps in size suitable for the bag. Always fold with the tack outwards (last).
This means that when you hank on the sail next time you lay the rolled jib on the foredeck and attach the tack. Then unroll to reveal the clew ready for sheets and can start hanking on from eityher the bottom or top. good luck olewill

 

[onesea]

That's easy on an aircraft carrier.

He asked how you do it, he did not ask about it being easy

It's a perfectly reasonable way of treating terylene sails. Perhaps not the shiny things you racing boys have, though ...

+1 laminates and regular cloth are 2 different stories.

Having no roller furling I have to do this on my own whilst sailing. Some days go better than others but...

I find that if I put the boat:

On dead run, with the main up and jib behind it. (keep sail sheeted so its not quite tight but straight along deck) I can take the halyard forward with me and using the leach get a reasonable "flake" effect on to foredeck. Its not precision but as above I don't think it matters with cloth.

Slightly to close hauled (again main up seems to help?), jib sheeted for beating then by pinching up to wind having the sail flapping. Bringing the halyard forward I can drop the sail using the luff to encourage the flakes..

Sounds difficult you rarely get a really "good" stow but I find it easier and better on my own than trying to flake it later with or without pontoon.