Dufour 36

[dufour_on_dart]

I intend to order this week for a Dufour 36, This is our first boat, Is this a good choice,are there any better options- any Dufour 36 owners with useful advice.
Boat will be Marina based in the west Country and generally sailed by 2 people- is the in mast furling a good idea or does it compromise performance too much?

 

[tony_brighton]

Not going to comment on the boat being a Bav owner; but you might want to rethink the in-mast furling. Having chartered with it and knowing several friends with it - we've all had problems with it jamming. If its an option (and probably cheaper anyway) then single line slab reefing is almost as easy to use and much less problematic; a couple can handle easily.

 

[quaelgeist2]

Having grown through a number of boats, I would always recommend starting with a used one. It has seen a lot of alterations and equipment added. Teething problems solved, etc....

No new boat is essentially ready to sail, whatever the salesman tells you.

The Dufour owners I have met (plenty in Holland) have all been pleased with the boat as such. As with mentioned before - quite some have regretted the choice of in-mast furling -> when it gets stuck, it will be in rough weather - always when its full out and you don't want it ;-)

chris

 

[Chris_Robb]

What other boats have you looked at?

In Mast Furling - you do loose sail area, and therefore do compromise performance. There are issues on reliability, and frankly you may be better off saving some money and having a single line slab reef, and spend the extras on some more saftely equipment.

 

[xcw]

I have in mast furling on my Bav 36. I wouldn't be without it. I normally sail with the family and it's so easy to reduce sail if needed and set exactly the right amount needed. I think you will find that most people with it would not go back to the traditional rig. Most who don't have it slag it off! I admit that it may not have been that reliable in the past but new rigs seem to be completely reliable if looked after properly. You do loose some performance but for my type of sailing its perfect. Go for it!

 

[Jacket]

Noisy in mast furling

This is ment to be a serious question, and isn't aimed at belittling boats with in-mast furling! Its something I've wondered for a while, and if maybe you can answer it for me.

When I've moored up near boats with in-mast furlers, when the wind gets up you tend to get this awful whistling noise from the wind blowing past the slot in the back of the mast. This noise is very noticable from on deck on any nearby boat.

What I was wondering was how noticable the sound is from down below on any boat with in-mast furling. Is the noise loud, or are you insulated from it through having a deck stepped mast?

 

[nicho]

I've ordered a bav 36 with in mast furling, after doing quite a bit of research. I'm given to understand that the modern system, especially that from Selden, is now very reliable mechanically. The biggest cause of jamming is normally down to 'pilot error'. Evidently, it is very important to keep tension on the outhaul whilst rolling it in to keep the sail tight, and to prevent "bagging" and thus being too large to fit in the mast.

I'm sure the doubters will find every reason to blow that theory away, but John Goode, proprietor of Southern Sailing recemmends the system wholeheartedly.

There used to be concerns that the additional weight up aloft eroded the boats stability, but the new Selden system is only a couple of Kg heavier that the standard mast.
!

 

[tom52]

If you are going to buy new, why not wait until the London Boat Show in January?

There are usually special discounts or packages of 'extras' on offer.

 

[brians]

I have the Selden system also on a Bav. No problems so far and so easy to use. I am always amused by the envious looks I get coming in to harbour from those w/o in mast.