Dinghy Furler

[Searush]

I am just about to acquire a used RWO roller furler for the GP14, but I am at a slight loss as to how it is set up. I understand the general concept when sailing, with mast & genoa all up, but what does one do with it for trailing & storage?

On a cruiser, with a reefing spar one removes the sail & disconnects the foot of the stay from the fore peak fitting & the mast & spar are laid together & supported as one. But with a GP14 the genny is not attached to the forestay & I am also not sure how much room there is between the foot of the sail & forestay for the furler drum.

So, come on Dan Crane, how is yours set up? Anyone else dealt with this?

 

[lw395]

I used to have one on a 505.
There was no standing forestay, the mast stayed up due to being in a gate at deck level.
The jib was taken down when the boat was not in use, just furled ashore, between races, launching and if it got in the way on a dead run.
But that plate with six holes in it sits over the top swivel to keep the forestay clear of the rolling jib.
You might have a bit of elastic to keep the bottom of the forestay back away from the drum?
The rig tension being on the jib luff.

 

[Searush]

I used to have one on a 505.
There was no standing forestay, the mast stayed up due to being in a gate at deck level.
The jib was taken down when the boat was not in use, just furled ashore, between races, launching and if it got in the way on a dead run.
But that plate with six holes in it sits over the top swivel to keep the forestay clear of the rolling jib.
You might have a bit of elastic to keep the bottom of the forestay back away from the drum?
The rig tension being on the jib luff.

Cheers, I guessed that about the plate, I have a similar arrangement on the Pentland to stop halliard wrap. At the moment, I have a rope forestay in front of the wire genny luff & it does go slack when the sail is tensioned. But there isn't much distance between the 2, certainly less than the radius of that drum. I may need to rethink the set up somewhat.

The GP mast slot is gated at deck height too, but I have always used the forestay to be sure. I think yu're right, I may not need a forestay if the furled sail stays in place - good thinking, thanks.

 

[Lakesailor]

I used the Barton equivalent. You just us the wire luff as your forestay and trust that it won't fail. I did actually make an extended stem head bracket to attach the original forestay to, so that it was clear of the furling drum, as a belt and braces device. It was never called into service.

 

[seumask]

The Jib with integral wire luff is the fore stay on many racing dinghys. When not in use the jib halyard is used as the fore-stay, and left clipped to the bow fittings and cleated off at the base of the mast. Mast often held up by gate or even trapeze wires when rigging the jib.

 

[AshleyGoodman]

I've just been through this exercise with a GP14 - I bought the reefing spar from Rob Helyar adds a bit of cost but gives a good sail shape when reefed - it rolls up into a large circle when not in use. The drum does catch the forestay when rigged so I've been meaning to make up an extender but as it doesn't affect the operation of it I haven't yet bothered.

 

[lw395]

The disc will also help keep the spinny halyard out of the way.
Stay in front of luff will be a nuisance with a spinny.
The class rules may dictate a standing forestay?
Some people have one which goes very slack when sailing, but does support the mast ashore.
I always leave my dinghy with the mast pulled forward by the jib halyard, rather than leave it rattling about in the mast gate and the shrouds slack.

 

[Lakesailor]

The class rules may dictate a standing forestay?

I don't think anyone dictates to Searush

 

[Searush]

I don't think anyone dictates to Searush

funny you should say that, I was going to point out that "class rules" are an irrelevance except to those who feel a need to prove their virility by racing round in circles. Altho a previous owner had felt the need to get her "measured" & "certified" for some reason.

I shall see what transpires when the bits arrive, thank you all for your contributions, most helpful once again.

Oh & don't hold your breath as I shall also need a nice day, SWMBO not around & will have to juggle a few vehicles about just to get the trailer out onto the driveway to put the mast up.

 

[snowleopard]

I had 2 arrangements. On my Int 14 (restricted class) the jib luff wire was the forestay. When parked a canvas zippered sleeve was hoisted on the spinny halyard to protect the jib from UV. We have a similar arrangement on our drascombe.

On my Int Canoe there was a jib boom with the tack of the jib projecting about 4" in front of the pivot point of the boom so that if the clew lifted it tightened the luff.

 

[lw395]

funny you should say that, I was going to point out that "class rules" are an irrelevance except to those who feel a need to prove their virility by racing round in circles. ......

Or wants to sell the boat.
Out of class boats are sometimes only sell-able to Dan Crane.

 

[MM5AHO]

spotted a dinghy furler here... http://www.porta-bote.com/?gclid=Cj...C63_UVOdCo9c2gDJ8BmfR8DVcSX-cGEq8sxoCegDw_wcB

 

[Greenheart]

So, come on Dan Crane, how is yours set up?

I came across this thread for the very first time today, after putting "Seahawk" into the forum-search. I'm not sure why the system identified that name here, but I'm glad it did.

I hope Searush fitted the genoa furler to the GP14 without difficulty. The top-swivel in his original photo looks identical to the one Tam Lin very decently supplied to me...

...and the lower drum in Lakesailor's photos looks identical to the one I bought to complete my set-up. The Osprey has a standing forestay, attached far enough up the mast above the genoa halyard, to avoid obstructing the rolled-up genoa...but the deck-fitting (again somewhat like Lakesailor's) only gave two deck-position options, too close together to allow the drum to stand and rotate freely.

I'm afraid my solution wasn't nearly as nifty as Lakey's...(that pierced bar using the holes to hold it horizontal is very slick work :encouragement...I simply put a ring-bolt through the solid hardwood gunwale-overlap which sticks out beyond the bow, so there's a good space between the genoa's boltrope and the forestay.

As in other classes, genoa-halyard tension is key to the Osprey's rig tension, but ashore or whenever I lower the genoa, the less-tight permanent headstay keeps the mast up.

That photo shows the furling line being pulled horizontally, such that the line would bunch up badly on the drum. After taking the pic (and again without any great cleverness) I threaded a couple of feet of 3mm cord through a little stainless fairlead, which I positioned at a point guaranteed to 'centre' the pull on the furling line...

...I then drilled (and epoxied) holes in both sides of the hardwood gunwale, behind the drum, so the tight athwartship line holds the fairlead almost flat on the deck, a few inches behind the furler. Picture below. I didn't screw the fairlead into the centre of the deck because the thin GRP bends under any significant pressure, and putting any solid backing under the deck to reinforce the screws would have required climbing bodily under the foredeck. I've lost 2 stone since March, but I still can't squeeze through that little catflap!

Out of class boats are sometimes only sell-able to Dan Crane.

Hmm. I am almost invariably glad to read your input on all dinghy questions, lw395...your input is reliably, invaluably clear and logical. Not so sure about here, though! Seriously, some of the rules which keep racing classes' options limited, ostensibly for preventing over-complication/expense/unfair advantage, also make sailing the boat significantly more of a toil. Selling a racer may require that she is seen to be fit to race, but sailing a racer as a cruiser, one may discover what relaxing fun not racing can be!

Several dinghies at my club have roller-furling headsails. I expect most are racing classes which allow it. Permissible or not under Osprey rules, it's proven an absolute boon to me - I have an easy choice of sail-reductions and the Osp even sails beautifully under genoa alone, if things get too brisk. The roller-furler must be top of the list of "aids to singlehanding".

Jeepers, I do go on, don't I.

 

[lw395]

I came across this thread for the very first time today, after putting "Seahawk" into the forum-search. I'm not sure why the system identified that name here, but I'm glad it did.

I hope Searush fitted the genoa furler to the GP14 without difficulty. The top-swivel in his original photo looks identical to the one Tam Lin very decently supplied to me...

...and the lower drum in Lakesailor's photos looks identical to the one I bought to complete my set-up. The Osprey has a standing forestay, attached far enough up the mast above the genoa halyard, to avoid obstructing the rolled-up genoa...but the deck-fitting (again somewhat like Lakesailor's) only gave two deck-position options, too close together to allow the drum to stand and rotate freely.

I'm afraid my solution wasn't nearly as nifty as Lakey's...(that pierced bar using the holes to hold it horizontal is very slick work :encouragement...I simply put a ring-bolt through the solid hardwood gunwale-overlap which sticks out beyond the bow, so there's a good space between the genoa's boltrope and the forestay.

As in other classes, genoa-halyard tension is key to the Osprey's rig tension, but ashore or whenever I lower the genoa, the less-tight permanent headstay keeps the mast up.

That photo shows the furling line being pulled horizontally, such that the line would bunch up badly on the drum. After taking the pic (and again without any great cleverness) I threaded a couple of feet of 3mm cord through a little stainless fairlead, which I positioned at a point guaranteed to 'centre' the pull on the furling line...

...I then drilled (and epoxied) holes in both sides of the hardwood gunwale, behind the drum, so the tight athwartship line holds the fairlead almost flat on the deck, a few inches behind the furler. Picture below. I didn't screw the fairlead into the centre of the deck because the thin GRP bends under any significant pressure, and putting any solid backing under the deck to reinforce the screws would have required climbing bodily under the foredeck. I've lost 2 stone since March, but I still can't squeeze through that little catflap!

Hmm. I am almost invariably glad to read your input on all dinghy questions, lw395...your input is reliably, invaluably clear and logical. Not so sure about here, though! Seriously, some of the rules which keep racing classes' options limited, ostensibly for preventing over-complication/expense/unfair advantage, also make sailing the boat significantly more of a toil. Selling a racer may require that she is seen to be fit to race, but sailing a racer as a cruiser, one may discover what relaxing fun not racing can be!

Several dinghies at my club have roller-furling headsails. I expect most are racing classes which allow it. Permissible or not under Osprey rules, it's proven an absolute boon to me - I have an easy choice of sail-reductions and the Osp even sails beautifully under genoa alone, if things get too brisk. The roller-furler must be top of the list of "aids to singlehanding".

Jeepers, I do go on, don't I.

Indeed!
If you are not looking to race to you a world of choice.
If you are going to race you have to pay the premium to get a boat that is within class rules.
So I see a huge difference between reversible mods which make life a little easier, against irreversibly taking a dinghy out of class, as doing that narrows the field of potential buyers should you ever wish to move on.
I used to have a 505 where the jib rolled up, I was reminded of it the other evening, trying to sort a jam in the main halyard while the jib was intent on slapping me around the head. This on an RS400 where the rules are very prescriptive. It would have been nice to pull that string and furl the jib, just to lose the flapping noise in 20knots of breeze ashore.
I doubt the battens would have liked it much....Or the owner?