Furled Cruising Genoa in extreme winds.

[fuss]

I just wondered if anyone has any experience of the maximum wind strength that a reasonably tightly furled genoa can stand before the wind gets a grip of some parts of it and rips it to shreds.

The reason I ask is that I see that in very strong winds, there are sometimes some torn sails and for me it would be nice to know how strong the wind needs to be for this to happen.

I always furl my sail tidily and always put a few turns of the sheets as well. I cant imagine the wind ever getting to unfurl some of it.

 

[fireball]

you can furl tightly or loosely - tightly it'll survive stronger winds as there is less for the wind to get a hold of ..

ours has withstood F9 - although I do prefer to remove it if possible.

 

[dimdav]

Tends to happen when the wind gets a hold of the area about the clew and the sheets have a bit of slack in them. Easy way to stop it is remove the sheets and/or put a couple of tie wraps throught the clew eye whenever high winds are forecast. Once the wind dies just snip the tie wraps.

 

[Tranona]

Suggest cleat the furling line off securely as well as a couple of turns of the sheet around the furl.

 

[Simondjuk]

I put a sail tie through the clew ring and around the sail every time I put the boat to bed. Wrap the sheets as many times as you like, but if the furling line runs or parts the sail can unroll itself. The sail tie prevents this possibility.

 

[prv]

I put a sail tie through the clew ring and around the sail every time I put the boat to bed.

Definitely the way to go.

I don't bother every time I put the boat away, but I pop down and do it whenever it's forecast to be windy.

Pete

 

[Deleted member 36384]

I usually take the furling head sail off when I leave the boat for longer periods. Quite a few furled sails withstood around 100 kts of wind on the Firth of Clyde at Kip Marina quite a few years ago (1980s). A few pontoons didn't come out of it that well! As others have stated a nicely furled sail and a few wraps with the sheets, taught sheets secure from loosening should see the sail ok.

 

[njsail]

Another trick I use besides tying at the clew ring is take the halyard and wrap it around the head sail over and over until the entire length of the sail is wrapped. The combination I found is best if I don't have time to take the sail down or think it won't be bad enough to warrant taking it down (but it gives me a little confidence if it does). It only takes a sliver of genoa or jib to be exposed for a high wind to rip it off. Your sail shouldn't be the only thing to worry about. At that wind speed the bimini, doger and anything else on the boat will be a projectile. stuff rips off and flys all over.

 

[aslabend]

I put a sail tie through the clew when I'm not going to be around the boat. I have also wrapped the genoa halyard a few times round the sail once after watching the furled sail on a nearby boat work loose and flog itself to pieces in a day of heavy gales.

 

[Boathook]

I furl my sail tightly and allow the sheets to wrap round a few times. The sheets and furling line are all cleated off. I then add a line tied round the sail a few times by the clew. A bit OTT, but living nearly a hundred miles from the boat means I don't worry to much. It also helps having a boatyard that also keeps an eye on my boat and the others on it's moorings.

 

[ithet]

Shockcord.

I have a loop of shockcord which goes around the rolled sail at the furled clew height. When sailing I just drop the loop down the foil and it sits neatly on top of the furling drum.

 

[john_morris_uk]

A sail tie round the clew when it is furled is a great idea if you can reach the clew! I would need a step ladder to get to mine.

What has not been emphasised enough (IMHO) is to keep furling until there are a few turns of the sheets around the genoa. So long as the thing is furled nice and tightly and the reefing/furling line is cleated off well the sail should stand lots of wind.

Too many people seem to think that it looks neater/better to furl until the clew is just at the rolled up sail. This is a big mistake from my observations of boats over the years.

 

[RupertW]

A sail tie round the clew when it is furled is a great idea if you can reach the clew! I would need a step ladder to get to mine.

What has not been emphasised enough (IMHO) is to keep furling until there are a few turns of the sheets around the genoa. So long as the thing is furled nice and tightly and the reefing/furling line is cleated off well the sail should stand lots of wind.

Too many people seem to think that it looks neater/better to furl until the clew is just at the rolled up sail. This is a big mistake from my observations of boats over the years.

Or even worse with a neat little corner out like a pocket handkerchief in a blazer. That seems to be the fashion in our marina. I go for a few turns knotted with the sheet when leaving the boat.

 

[Lakesailor]

I used to put a bungee around the sail at the clew level when leaving the boat. However on a bigger sail (especially if the leech or foot is baggy the wind can rip the sail apart even if the strops you have put on remain in place.

Even those fancy snoods for headsails aren't a guarantee

 

[prv]

Or even worse with a neat little corner out like a pocket handkerchief in a blazer. That seems to be the fashion in our marina.

Usually due to not having enough rope on the drum to furl all the way in a bit of a breeze.

Must admit I think winding the sheets round the sail looks messy, but there's no denying it's more secure.

Pete

 

[Simondjuk]

Usually due to not having enough rope on the drum to furl all the way in a bit of a breeze.

Must admit I think winding the sheets round the sail looks messy, but there's no denying it's more secure.

Pete

And the effort to put it right? Take the sheets forward and turn them with the furled sail a few times to load a little more line to the drum. A five minute job. It never ceases to amaze me how lazy some people must be.

 

[jimi]

A sail tie round the clew when it is furled is a great idea if you can reach the clew! I would need a step ladder to get to mine.

What has not been emphasised enough (IMHO) is to keep furling until there are a few turns of the sheets around the genoa. So long as the thing is furled nice and tightly and the reefing/furling line is cleated off well the sail should stand lots of wind.

Too many people seem to think that it looks neater/better to furl until the clew is just at the rolled up sail. This is a big mistake from my observations of boats over the years.

Agree, however rather than cleat off I use a bargeman's hitch around the sheet winch. lazy end loop under lead to genoa and over top of winch , repeat until you run out of sheet, also keeps sheet ends tidy.

 

[johnphilip]

yes tooo lazeee

And the effort to put it right? Take the sheets forward and turn them with the furled sail a few times to load a little more line to the drum. A five minute job. It never ceases to amaze me how lazy some people must be.

In fact just passing the sheets around the forestay will mean extra turns on the drum when the sail is next pulled out.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Agree, however rather than cleat off I use a bargeman's hitch around the sheet winch. lazy end loop under lead to genoa and over top of winch , repeat until you run out of sheet, also keeps sheet ends tidy.

I agree, a bargemans or tugboat hitch (if that is what you mean and we are talking about the same thing) is very secure.

 

[Searush]

Properly furled & with both sheets & furling line well secured it will take as much as a main sail properly secured under a cover. But leave any part of the sail loose or the sheets slack, or furling line unsecured & it will quite quickly revert to rags in only the lightest of winds. I like to let the sheets take a couple of turns around the sail before cleating everything off firmly.

Oh, and have some one to warn you of any slackness early so you can go sort it quickly - especially if you live many miles away.