Continuous line headsail reefing

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I've only used standard (rotostay etc) headsail furling systems before, but our Vega has a continuous line system. The maker's name has worn off the drum, so I don't know the make. (I have pix if anyone thinks that would help).

Anyway . . . How is this meant to work?

The system seems to rely on the continuous line being held under considerable tension to stop the headsail unrolling to its full extent when reefed. Today the whole sail unrolled when not required.

The only mechanism for tensioning the furling line is to wrap it round a cleat or two, which is variable in its results, not very quick and not very efficient. (There is about 6" of slack in the line).

Is this standard, or is there a better way?

- Nick

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It's what I have and the way you describe using it is dead right. It is less than perfect. Whenever I leave the boat I put a sail tie around the headsail, just in case.

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It's not when I'm away I worry - I always take a wrap or two of the sheets round it - but I am very concerned about the vessel spontaneously deciding to increase the sail plan at an inconvenient moment.

I was wondering about a pair of jamming cleats side by side . . .

- Nick


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It is likely a Hood LD (Line Drive). I have one on my Westerly Renown, chosen by the previous owner. I wouldn't have one again, but it is too expensive to change. One can reef the genoa by tightly cleating the line down, but the slightest slackness in the line will allow the sail to suddenly unfurl.

<hr width=100% size=1>Alan Porter
 
My boat came with tufnol cam cleats to do the job, but I felt it was less likely to spontaneously 'change the sail plan' if I took a great big bight of the wretched thing and secured it much in the way you'd secure a sheet. Of course since my boat is of a certain age she has plenty of large, strong cleats handy next to the cockpit.

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If it's the Hood LD as Alan suggests then I have one fitted to my Westerly and it sometimes slips. Hood offer an upgrade to single line operation on their site at
http://www.hood.com.ar/sistemas/importado.htm
presumably because of the slippage problem.
Using cleats to keep the rope tight and ensuring that the rope doesn't get worn seems to minimise the problem but, of course, when it does slip it's always in the worse conditions. Once, on a long beat, I even resorted to tying the drum so that it couldn't slip, so much for the convenience of roller furling.
Do let us know if you come up with a solution.

Regards,

Henry

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Knowing abs. nothing about this, I wonder couldn't you have a short auxiliary line which you seize onto the reefing line with a prussic or a rolling hitch?

<hr width=100% size=1>Black Sugar - the sweetest of all
 
these gadgets are very sensitive to type/size of line. they will never be 100% reliable but it's worth experimenting to see what gives best grip.

when cleating it's essential to keep both ends of the line in tension. you could make them up together on a single cleat.

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That is just how mainsail in-mast continuous line reefing works. However you will need to part the line so as to be able to thread it through the cleats or obtain a pair of cleats which have a removable cheek or jammer mechanism.

Steve Cronin

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what I'd do is feed the the line through a spinlock clutch, that should give you much better control.

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Thanks everyone - lots of food for thought as usual.

I'm pretty certain it's not a Hood line drive system - my understanding is that this is only designed for furling, and is not intended for reefing. Hood's 'upgrade' is about the same price as a new Plastimo system complete with forestay!

This system takes the line more than 75% round the diameter of the drum, and looks as though it is designed to lock when required.

I've posted a pic of the furling drum here, to see if anyone can identify it:

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I use line drives - but I was'nt aware that they were ever intended for reefing applications. They are standard issue for furling asymetric spinnakers, Code 0's and similar, and in this context they work fine. They're mighty expensive (close to £1000 for the size I used) - but I wouldnt dare use one for reefing purposes.

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It's a Sailspar. Made by Sailspar, Tower Street, Brightlingsea. Bloody good gear. I have one, probably the same size. Sailspar do a little manual including how to strip it down etc. With the kit you get twin blocks for the stanchions to bring the line aft but are expected to fit your own cleat to chice. I have a medium size cleat on the deck (but then I'm wood and it's easy to fit). Tel No 01206-302679 Fax 303796


It's fine for reefing. The only hitch I get is that the splice on the continuous line does bind a little in the drum. The solution is to position the splice by the drum on the side that will be pulled when you furl the sail before you hoist up the sail. Then once you have fitted the sail, the splice will be puled away from the drum as you reef/furl and unleass you have an enormous headsail or the spliced line has been shortened, the sail will be fully furled before the splice reaches the drum again - does this make sense?
<hr width=100% size=1><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by tillergirl on 05/06/2003 12:58 (server time).</FONT></P>
 
I wonder if you've got the system set up correctly. Having looked at your photo, you've got exactly the same system as me (though I've no idea what make it is). However, my rope doesn't slide on the drum, so when reefing, I only have to keep one side of the continuous loop tensioned.

Possibly your furling line is either too large or small a diameter and so isn't being gripped properly?

Having said that, your line looks identical to mine, right down to the same coloured flecks and rust stains. It may be worth taking the cover off the drum and checking everything insides working as it should.

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Tilergirl, many thanks for the ID, and to Jimi for the URL.

Tillergirl, do you cleat off both sides of the line, or only one? (See below).

Jacket, I'm intrigued that you only have to keep one half of the line cleated off . . . my system may have slipped purely because I had inefficiently cleated off both sides at once. I will try only cleating off the furling side and just leave the unfurling side slack - it makes sense that it is designed to work this way.

What type of cleat do you use? I find it's hard to get the line tight (one or both sides) on a standard cleat simply because it IS a continuous line.

- Nick



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Nick - snap. And I think it might have been made by Sailspar

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whoops! Just found tillergirl's post.<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by JohnM on 05/06/2003 14:11 (server time).</FONT></P>
 
It is a Sailspar, made in Brightlingsea. I have one and it works fine, originally it had a 'useless' Vee Clam Cleat which I changed to a Cam cleat but 2 years ago I fitted a RUTGERSON clutch, the only one available at the time which you could disassemble and fit in an endless line(I believe Spinlock do one now). Very easy to work, just haul in the line and the clutch automatically grips it. Works very well. As said earlier position the splice so it never actually goes through the teeth and DONT have the halliard too tight!
The only problem I've had was with the Rutgerson clutch after one year, the 'spring/rod thingy' that controls the overcentre action bent, but the UK agents(XM Yachting I think, sent me a replacement 'spring/rod' FOC.

<hr width=100% size=1>dickh
I'd rather be sailing... :-) /forums/images/icons/smile.gif
 
I am fitting continuous line genoa furling manufactured by Sailspar. The line is secure on the single turn drum and resists unfurling in the same way a multi-turn drum does. One disadvantage with conventional drum furling occured during a genoa change on a chartered Feeling 486. The sacrificial strip on the replacement was on the opposite side to the original requiring the whole sail to be let fly and the lines re-rigged; this on a mooring in a force 6! However, this is unikely on a boat you know or own. The obvious disadvantage occurs when (not if!) the line jams on a multi turn. That can give you an instant hair bleach.

Graham

<hr width=100% size=1>GBW
 
I wind both 'sides' of the line around the cleat as though it were one. I don't find too much pressure on the line when reefing; the cleat is quite small and manages well. I can go out tomorrow afternoon with the digital camera if you like after the dentist has finished a two hour appt with me in the morning! My manual is on board and I can bring that back if you like. It does explain how to remove the drum etc but Sailspar will proably send you one unless you want some info for this weekend?

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