Genoa wrap and riding turn on furler.

[Scotty_Tradewind]

Oh what a pickle!
We were on a brilliant run in F4-5 down from Fareham Lake then into Portsmouth harbour when I thought it wise to reef in a bit on the 150% genoa.
It had already threatened to wrap itself due to the changing winds and directions that the channel took.
So we came to wind and I found thet the furler wouldn't pull round.
So on went the engine and with trusty SWMBO on the tiller, I went for'ard and found a riding turn was the problem.
I eventually decided to get the main down and sort things from there. The main was dropped and with its full battens and even in the strong wind it wasn't too difficult a job to get tied to the boom, (no marks for flaking though!).
By now I was being lashed to death from the genoa and sheets yet managed to free the halyard and slide the genoa down, eventually getting it tied to the foredeck.
With the various boats that were racing and buoys to be avoided, hats off to SWMBO for keeping us safe, although a couple of racers did get her shouting expletives
(which I'd never heard her use) as they didn't want to 'give her water'.

Advice pl's........What did I do wrong/what should I do to prevent this happening again?

Ta
S

 

[flaming]

Riding turns on the furling drum normally occur when the furling line is not let out gently, but allowed to fly out unchecked when the sail is unfurled. Keep a light tension, perhaps with a half turn around a handy mooring cleat. It is of course the nature of things that the line is more likely to run out quickly and cause problems when the wind is strong enough to make them a pain to deal with!

Otherwise, when you decided to drop the genoa your life would have been made a lot easier by keeping the main up, and running deep to get the genoa in the lee of it. Then sheet the genoa in as if on a reach to help keep the sail on the boat as it comes down. If you absolutely must drop without the main up, or don't trust your helmsman downwind, come up onto the breeze, sheet the genoa as normal, then just before the drop ease about 6 inches and turn into the wind. The foredeck crew should then be able to keep the sail on the boat by working at the forestay only, and the little ease of the sheet takes the tension out of the foot so the sail will slide down the foil.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

Within Quandary's thread on this subject are some tips which may be useful.

http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=247303&highlight=Rolling

In strong winds, when downwind sailing with a Furling system, it would appear to be prudent to take up tension in the furling line or a single wrap in the sail. I think if the furling line is loose then the drum quite happily rotates back and forth as the sail yaws from side to side. Any remaining wraps of furling line get loosened and fall over one another - riding turn territory.

Regards,

BlowingOldBoots

 

[Seajet]

The above comments re. keeping light tension on the furling line are of course spot on.

For interest, I was once on a chum's Anderson 22 approaching a marina when the roller for the headsail failed - it later turned out the roller was short of about 75% of its' ball bearings.

We tried the 'take the sheets off and go in circles to wrap it', and I can report wholeheartedly this did NOT work, even on a 7/8ths rig 22 footer in a moderate breeze.

It eventually became a matter of sense of humour failure, when force pulled the sail down no matter what.

It would have been a lot more difficult or maybe impossible in a strong wind.

Another roller headsail c*** up was on my Dad's Centaur, the cheapo roller system jammed full out in a F6 gusting 8.

We were fortunately already planning to go downwind, or this kit wold have decided for us...

I still wonder if we hold the speed record for a Centaur.

For some reason I stick to hanked headsails on my Anderson...

 

[Scotty_Tradewind]

many thanks to you all....... seems the tension on the furling line is what must have caused furler to get the riding turn.
Thanks 'Flaming', I remember that you gave me sound advice a couple of years ago ref: 'flying my spinnaker'. On this ocassion we were running out of sea room approaching portsmouth entrance with the wind up our tail, hence we turned to wind and struggled from there.
'Blowing old boots... a good thread on your posting, I do have a small jammer on the furler line so that I can lock it off when reefing but I can recall that the genoa filled out with no tension on the line yesterday...
Sea Jet.... a lot to be said for hank on sails... getting a bit old and lazy I guess?? However, in the light of yesterdays tricks I'm not so sure they wouldn't have been easier!

Thanks again....will try harder next time..
S.

 

[lw395]

The only time I've had real trouble with a furler was after sailing a long way downwind, with a rolling sea. The motion of the boat was causing the drum to oscillate a little, which caused the upper turns to work down and jam.
Some tension on the furling line while sailing along would have prevented this.
Also avoid having more rope on the drum than necessary, you don't need 10 turns left on the drum when the sheets are wrapped 3 times around the sail.

 

[Scotty_Tradewind]

Also avoid having more rope on the drum than necessary, you don't need 10 turns left on the drum when the sheets are wrapped 3 times around the sail.

that I will check..
ta
S.

 

[KREW2]

There is always the possibility that a locknut, or something like has worked loose allowing the the whole forestay to turn. This happened to us on the RTI race, always worth checking.

 

[Scotty_Tradewind]

There is always the possibility that a locknut, or something like has worked loose allowing the the whole forestay to turn. This happened to us on the RTI race, always worth checking.

will do
ta
S.