Furler without foil?

[CaptainBob]

Bought a yacht with a self-tacking stay sail. Haven't got round to bending it on yet (or in fact putting said yacht in the water)... but I notice the foresail has a furler and a foil with curtain rail style arrangement up the forestay, but the stay sail just has the furler and the standing rigging wire, no "foil".

In old pictures of the vessel sailing, there are obvious dark, evenly spaced, marks up the "stay" at the luff of the sail.

Is this normal?

Does it mean I need to bend this sail on only when I want to use it, and remove it completely when I don't? Or can I leave it furled for all time when not in use? Or am I missing a "foil" completely?

Go easy on me!!

 

[Poignard]

That will be a Wykeham-Martin system. A precursor of the modern systems with a foil.

You have to have the sail either comptely furled or unfurled

http://www.classicmarine.co.uk/articles/wmgear.htm

 

[maxcampbell]

Yup, it's a furler, not roller reefing. Got 2 - jib & staysail. Wykeham martin nice bronze jobs, but many modern equivalents.

 

[CaptainBob]

Not going mad then! Thank you!!

 

[Tomahawk]

Good things come round again...

I had a stay sail made for Tomahawk just like they way you describe.... I role it up and stow it ... Or pull the whole lot out... So far very pleased with the effect.

There is a photo of it on one of my albums..

 

[theoldsalt]

A Little information here.

http://www.davey.co.uk/pdf/wykeham_martin_gear.pdf

Also here.

http://www.classicmarine.co.uk/articles/wmgear.htm

 

[Lakesailor]

Barton make a very reasonable and efficient system now. I put one on Feckless. About £70.
You need a wire luff in the sail for it to work properly. It is only for furling, not reefing.

See the furling at 3 minutes 50 seconds. Blink and you miss it.

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