Fitting roller reefing

[Reptile Smile]

Hi all,

I have a small 18' Foxcub with hank-on foresails. I'm investigating roller reefing but I'm as baffled as Adam and Eve on Mother's Day.

This looks like exactly what I'm after cheaply, and the top swivel is also cheap, but surely there has to be a grooved track that the luff slides into..? Otherwise, what does it wrap around when it furls..?

Also, if it does have a 'track' then presumably my hank-on sail would need to be converted? Or is it just cheaper to buy another one second-hand?

Any advice gratefully received...

 

[lustyd]

That's a furler not roller reefing. The furler uses the wire in the sail and the sail is either out or in. With roller reefing the sail slides into a foil and can be reefed.

Does your sail have an appropriate luff to attach to a foil?

 

[Reptile Smile]

Oh. Right. I doubt my sail is suitably equipped.

So the furling drum is just a glorified tidying device - not for reefing..?

Foil/reefing sections sound a whole lot more complicated and expensive. Maybe I'll just learn to love my foredeck...

 

[lustyd]

No, the furler still let's you put the sail out and away from the cockpit, just that you can't have a little bit of sail out.

You can get the sail modified to fit a groove or replace the sail. It's not as cheap as a furler either way.

 

[Reptile Smile]

Right, I see. Thanks for clarifying that. Just to check, then - is it likely that my existing hank-on sails would work wit a furling drum/swivel without modification - that is, it's only for roller reefing that they'd need to be modified to fit into the 'track', but that furling would work with cannibalising my existing forestay/sails..?

 

[lustyd]

If they have wire luff then I believe so but hopefully someone else will be along to confirm as I have not used a furler before.
Cheers
Dave

 

[VicS]

Right, I see. Thanks for clarifying that. Just to check, then - is it likely that my existing hank-on sails would work wit a furling drum/swivel without modification - that is, it's only for roller reefing that they'd need to be modified to fit into the 'track', but that furling would work with cannibalising my existing forestay/sails..?

This page http://www.bartonmarine.com/tech-info-jib-furling-fitting-instructions.asp I think explains how the Barton furling gear works.

The sail has a wire luff it does not hank on to the forestay.

For roller reefing the sail needs a bolt rope to fit in the track in the spar. Sails for roller reefing are usually cut differently to a normal hank on sail. Converting an old hank on sail would only be worthwhile if in good condition otherwise it would be more sensible to have one made specialy

For a small boat like a Foxcub a Plastimo reefing spar would be satisfactory. Not the "bees knees" maybe but functional and designed for retro DIY fitting.

 

[ProDave]

I fitted the Barton roller furling system to my boat.

It works and does what it says. I just wanted to be able to deploy and furl the sail from the cockpit and it does that perfectly.

For me the decision to fit that was swayed by the fact my jib already had the wire rope up it's luff.

 

[VicS]

Digging a lttle deeper

Here is the page from Bartons website showing furling gear with a hank on sail

http://www.bartonmarine.com/tech-info-jib-furling-fitting-instructions-sail-hanks.asp

 

[William_H]

Roller reefing

If you need a jib with a wire luff many dinghy jibs have a wire luff. Indeed the wire in the jib doubles as the forestay.
However I would never have roller reefing or furling. A down haul string will enable you to pull jib down to the deck from the cockpit.
regarding reefing as you get more experienced with weather changes you will find you can mostly set the correct jib for the occasion. if you are just cruising a smaller jib might be more conservative and avert a jib change. good luck olewill

 

[Reptile Smile]

Digging a lttle deeper

Here is the page from Bartons website showing furling gear with a hank on sail

http://www.bartonmarine.com/tech-info-jib-furling-fitting-instructions-sail-hanks.asp

And this arrangement, I guess, means that I can use any hank-on foresail - wire-luffed, or no?

Will, you present (as ever!) an interesting argument. If I understand you, you say that if you're going to have any line going to the cockpit, why not just have a downhaul, so that you can collapse the jib from the cockpit. The block for this could be attached where the furling drum would be, and I suppose the 'hanks' are on the forestay enough to stop the sail spilling into the sea/all over the place.

Wouldn't the sail flog around a lot on the foredeck, though?

Thanks to all for their on-going contributions . Much appreciated...

 

[ProDave]

All I will add is make sure you choose the larger of the furling drums. even on my little boat that is only just large enough.

I considered the downhaul idea. But my objective was to have everything workable from the cockpit, so as well as running the downhaul back to the cockpit, I would also need the jib halyard running back to the cockpit.

Fitting the roller furling meant just one extra line to the cockpit so was easier and quicker.

Another important point is getting enough tension in the jib, to the point that the forestay is a little slack and not doing much (apart from being a backup)

I chose to fit the Barton system after seeing Lakesailors vidoe of his in action. I'm sure he will be along soon so post that clip for you to see.

 

[PhillM]

A down haul string will enable you to pull jib down to the deck from the cockpit.
regarding reefing as you get more experienced with weather changes you will find you can mostly set the correct jib for the occasion. if you are just cruising a smaller jib might be more conservative and avert a jib change. good luck olewill

I'm with William on this. Last year we strung a downhaul over the foredeck to see how it worked. This year we added a block next to the jib halyard and another at the foot - so that we can use the down haul without having a trip hazard.

One thing to note is that you need to attach the downhaul on the first hank below the sail head, otherwise when you let the halyard go, the head falls (because its heaver than the sail) and jams. Attach below and it works really well.

We tend to pull the Jbb or Genoa down before entering harbour and then tidy up in calmer conditions. We dont get a lot of flogging because the downhaul holds the sail down. We tend to keep the sail sheeted as it falls so it all ends up on one side of the foredeck - which also helps to stop the flogging.

 

[Searush]

For information; I fitted Plastimo reefing gear to both of my boats as soon as I could afford them - one a Westerly 25, the current one a Westerly Pentland. In both cases, the cost of a specially made sail would have doubled the cost so I converted the No2 jib for reefing.

This meant cutting the eye splice off the top of the luff wire & removing it. I then replaced teh wire with a plastic luff rope designed to fit the spar groove & stiched it off at the head & tack. I also had to fit a small headboard & re-inforce the head. It wasn't a big job I just needed patience to get the new luff rope thro the channel in the tabling & a bit of work with a needle & palm top & bottom.

After several years use I was able to afford a roller reefing genny, but the old modified No2 was still in good order & is now kept as a winter sail if I want to be able to leave her in commision all year round.