Furling lines

[smert]

Is there a definitive or recommended way to rig the furling line on a roller furling genoa?

I have had a look round the marina and it seems that Furlex rollers have the line coming out of the roller and down the port side of the boat, while others have the line coming out of, and running down the starboard side. Yet others have the line coming out of one side of the roller and running down the other side boat. This is how ours is rigged (not Furlex!).

I ask as ours seems to jam as we pull on the line, as the line digs into the next layer on the drum.

 

[pvb]

You can run the line down either side of the boat, the furling mechanism doesn't mind. If you're getting jamming, check that your furling line is the correct diameter, and try to keep some tension on the line as you unfurl the sail, so that the furling line winds securely on to the drum.

 

[jac]

I think the only definitive advice is that it should run in as straight a line as possible and that any turns should be slight. to do other wise adds additional friction. Which side is irrelevant but Port is traditional - it makes sense to furl / unfurl whilst on starboard and operating on the port side also means you can keep an eye out on that side but may compromise your ability to winch and surge if one winch is used for both jobs!

Do check the alignment from the drum to the first turning block, especially vertical - someone had aligned the one on our present boat so that it led up from the top of the drum causing the line to pile up there. All resolved when it was aligned to feed centrally and not rub against anything.

Re the line digging in - it may be too much slack on the drum when unfurling it. That then causes the tension when furling to compress the line on the drum. Always take a turn round a winch when unfurling the sail so as to keep some tension on the line and prevent this. Then pull tight when the sail is out. Should help.

 

[SteveSarabande]

It depends which side of your sail the uv strip is attached to

 

[NormanS]

It depends which side of your sail the uv strip is attached to

That has no bearing on which side of the boat the furling line is rigged, but obviously determines which way round it is put onto the drum.

 

[Simondjuk]

Which determines which side of the drum it comes out of, which was part of the OP's query.

 

[smert]

Thanks all!

I will check the alignment of the first block at the weekend. We have replaced the line as the old one was getting a bit tired, so this will hopefully help, as well as putting a bit of tension on it as it winds onto the drum.

 

[Paul06]

Which determines which side of the drum it comes out of, which was part of the OP's query.

Please forgive my ignorance, but can you explan this a little more. I can see that depending if the line is loaded clockwise or anti-clockwise, onto the drum, when the furling rope is pulled the drum will rotate in the opposite direction. I get that.
Now let's say that the rope is wound onto the drum clockwise, pulling the rope to furl the sail in, will make the drum rotate anti clockwise, no matter which side of the boat the furling rope leads aft! How can it make a difference?

 

[Simondjuk]

Sorry, I didn't mean that which side of the boat the line runs down will kake a difference, it won't, but that which side of the drum the line leads onto will make a difference, as in that being the way it's loaded you mention above.

My point was that the OP's observation of furling lines exiting from differnt sides of the furlers on different boats was relevant as it realtes to which way the sail furls to suit the UV strip, so the post prior to my previous dimssing the post prior to that as all but irrelevant was unnecessary as the question of why the lead onto the drum varies from boat to boat was part of the original enquiry.

 

[prv]

Sorry, I didn't mean that which side of the boat the line runs down will kake a difference, it won't, but that which side of the drum the line leads onto will make a difference, as in that being the way it's loaded you mention above.

My point was that the OP's observation of furling lines exiting from differnt sides of the furlers on different boats was relevant as it realtes to which way the sail furls to suit the UV strip, so the post prior to my previous dimssing the post prior to that as all but irrelevant was unnecessary as the question of why the lead onto the drum varies from boat to boat was part of the original enquiry.

Our furler is set with the fairlead in the middle

(The line then runs down the starboard side of the boat.)

Pete

 

[Paul06]

Sorry, I didn't mean that which side of the boat the line runs down will kake a difference, it won't, but that which side of the drum the line leads onto will make a difference, as in that being the way it's loaded you mention above.

My point was that the OP's observation of furling lines exiting from differnt sides of the furlers on different boats was relevant as it realtes to which way the sail furls to suit the UV strip, so the post prior to my previous dimssing the post prior to that as all but irrelevant was unnecessary as the question of why the lead onto the drum varies from boat to boat was part of the original enquiry.

Ok, I'm still confused.
Say the furling rope is fed onto the drum in a clockwise direction. Pulling the rope off the drum will cause the drum to rotate anti clockwise. So if the line is led aft down the port side, the uv strip will need to be on the stbd side, but if taking the furling line aft down the stbd side the uv strip will still need to be on stbd side because the drum is still rotating the same way.

 

[duncan99210]

We replaced our sails a few years back and the Genoa was supplied with uv strip on the opposite side to the original sail. All we did was to wind the furling line on in the opposite direction. It made no difference to where the line exited the furling gear, which is via a guide on the drum casing.......

 

[Simondjuk]

Our furler is set with the fairlead in the middle

(The line then runs down the starboard side of the boat.)

Pete

Yes, mine too, but the furling line leads onto the drum either to port or starboard of the drum/forestay which (as you well know ) is what dictates which way the foil rotates when the line is pulled off the drum and hence which way the sail furls to suit the UV strip.

 

[Simondjuk]

Ok, I'm still confused.
Say the furling rope is fed onto the drum in a clockwise direction. Pulling the rope off the drum will cause the drum to rotate anti clockwise. So if the line is led aft down the port side, the uv strip will need to be on the stbd side, but if taking the furling line aft down the stbd side the uv strip will still need to be on stbd side because the drum is still rotating the same way.

Precisely, but the OP was also asking about the variations of which side (which is the same thing as which direction the line is wound onto the drum) furling lines lead onto the drums/past the forestays he's looked at, not just about which deck it should or shouldn't run down, which as you say is entirely irrelevant anyway.

 

[Paul06]

Precisely, but the OP was also asking about the variations of which side (which is the same thing as which direction the line is wound onto the drum) furling lines lead onto the drums/past the forestays he's looked at, not just about which deck it should or shouldn't run down, which as you say is entirely irrelevant anyway.

Ok. But could you not wind the rope onto the drum either clockwise or anti-clockwise and still have the rope exiting on the port side, for example. Why is which side it exits, the same thing as which direction the line is wound onto the drum. I just don't get it.
Reading post 12 is the way I see it.
Perhaps when I'm next at the boat it will make more sense.

 

[smert]

If the line comes off the drum on the port side then across the boat and down the starboard side (option A), there will be a slight pull across the boat. However, if the line comes off the drum on the port side and then continues down the port side of the boat (option B), then the direction of pull is straight back.

However, this also means that the point of application of the pulling force will also change with option B having a point of application at or slightly in front of the centre line of the drum and option A being slightly aft of the centreline. This has connotations for whether the line will want to dig in to the layers underneath or not.

I'm not sure if I have explained well enough to convey my thoughts, but I don't have access to create a diagram that would explain it all easily! I'm also unsure if it actually makes the slightest bit of difference to the overall operation of the furler (I suspect it doesn't)!

 

[Simondjuk]

Ok. But could you not wind the rope onto the drum either clockwise or anti-clockwise and still have the rope exiting on the port side, for example. Why is which side it exits, the same thing as which direction the line is wound onto the drum. I just don't get it.
Reading post 12 is the way I see it.
Perhaps when I'm next at the boat it will make more sense.

Assuming the line runs from the drum aft and not forward (which would be fairly unusual), if you turn the drum anti-clockwise to wind the line onto it, the line is leading onto/peeling off the starboard side of the drum, If you turn the drum clockwise to wind the line onto it, the live will be leading onto/peeling off the port side of the drum. Where it goes after that or where the opening in any line guide that may be surrounding the drum is pointing is irrelevant.

To be absolutely clear, I'm not talking about port and starboard in terms which side of the centre line of the boat the line happens to emerge from the drum on, but which side relative to the centre of the drum/forestay. If it's wound round the forestay anti-clockwise, you can't make it clockwise without either pulling it all off then winding it back on clockwise or cutting the forestay and flipping the drum and the coil of line it's holding over.

 

[NormanS]

blimey, I never realised it was so complicated

 

[pvb]

blimey, I never realised it was so complicated

It isn't!

 

[prv]

If the line comes off the drum on the port side then across the boat and down the starboard side (option A), there will be a slight pull across the boat. However, if the line comes off the drum on the port side and then continues down the port side of the boat (option B), then the direction of pull is straight back.

However, this also means that the point of application of the pulling force will also change with option B having a point of application at or slightly in front of the centre line of the drum and option A being slightly aft of the centreline. This has connotations for whether the line will want to dig in to the layers underneath or not.

I don't see why it should. The drum is circular, and the line joins it at a tangent. That's all that either of them can "see" and the interaction between the two will be identical whichever way the hull underneath happens to be pointing.

Pete