do you leave your genoa sheets tight?

[fishermantwo]

I have several wraps on mine and some tension to hold against the cleated off furling line. In my spare time I do the same to other boats and add a frapping line when they try to shred themselves in our winter breezes.

 

[BAtoo]

We put a couple of turns around the furled sail, the sheet away from the pontoon is kept tight and the one alongside slackened so it lies on the deck. The furling line is cleated off. SWMBO likes it that way.

Thas't what I do in a marina and put the cars right forward so the sheets down low by the shrouds. On a mooring usually both sheets tight & a tie around the clew as well if being left for more than a day or so then it matters less if the furling line breaks (which it never has).

 

[rob2]

Well, it's all down to personal preference. I like my sheets up off the deck so I can walk past them, not tread on them. The reefing line is cleated off, I have a padlock through the drum so it can't turn, a sail tie through the clew and two turns of the sheets around the whole lot, cleated off at the winches. If I grab a line for a handhold, I accept that it isn't rigid and may not stop me falling, but it should soften the blow a little.

Rob.

 

[KellysEye]

> I have see other boats who have left them slack in strong winds and the wind has got into the sail and made it flog enough to chafe the furling line - then the whole sail unfurls and shreds!

I saw that happen to a boat in Greece.

 

[Gordonmc]

Port sheet is cleated off, but not uber-tight.
Starboard is left slack enough to hang below the toerail.
The gate for the boarding ladder is Starboard side... one less trip-risk.
Best of both worlds.

 

[cliff]

Few turns round the sail then dropped to deck and left slack all the way back to the winches - reason? Genny cannot unfurl if furling line is tight and cleated off, 3~4 wraps round the genny keep it from flapping, sheets do not get worn through where they contact the shrouds when tight - already cost me a sheet although I did manage to splice the worn through bit and end for end the sheet.

 

[rivonia]

Yup we put two or three wraps around the gennie and then nice and tight back to the winches. Wrapped around tight.

great to grab hold of when on deck.

Peter

 

[Jamesuk]

I always have but SWMBO objects to climbing over them to get on and off from the launch if they wrap a bit higher than usual when I wind in the genoa. She insists that if the furling line is secure I don't need to do it. I've explained that it 'guarantees' the genoa won't unwind and flog in high winds and that the sheets are much more robust than the furling line.............

but as they say 'If a man talks in a wood where no woman can hear him - is he still wrong?'

I make sure i have a few extra turns around the clew but above all as long as the genoa has been furled tightly it will prevent the sail from developing pockets further up the leech of the sail.

It is not good to have them tight because usually that means a rub mark on the steel after a season you will see a weakeness in the sheet develop ;-)