How to rig an emergency sail

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fliti

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We are setting out across the Atlantic in January and our perfectly healthy sail wardrobe of furling genoa and in mast furling main plus cruising chute should do the job as long as nothing untoward happens. Of course, we need to anticipate just that so having an extra sail aboard in case one suffers major damage en route makes sense. On the other hand, it's hard to justify the expense of a new sail which will most likely spend its life in the locker. Enter my sis and brother in law who have kindly contributed their old genoa. Rigged properly, this should fill any gap that arises. However, it is a lot smaller than the existing genoa-about 60% compared to 155% and much shorter in the luff-about 12 metres compared to a forestay of 17.5m . So, the question is, what would be the best way to rig, if we had to?
We could run it up tight to the furler drum, keeping it low to the deck and either run a line from the head several metres up to enable the swivel to stay at its usual height close to the top of the foil or only raise the swivel to about 2/3 of the way up the foil, with the head lashed to the swivel as usual. We could also fly it higher, with a line down to the drum, bracing it to the foil with extra ties in case it was pulled out of the groove, again with a line up to the swivel at the top or with the swivel well short of the usual position.
Can anyone advise, please?
 
I should consider fitting an inner forestay. You are then insured against a total disconbuggeration of the furler and/or furling genoa, as well as strong wind conditions.

You could have the sail bagged, hanked on, on the foredeck, ready to go, with sheets attached.
 
fliti said:
We are setting out across the Atlantic in January and our perfectly healthy sail wardrobe of furling genoa and in mast furling main plus cruising chute should do the job as long as nothing untoward happens. Of course, we need to anticipate just that so having an extra sail aboard in case one suffers major damage en route makes sense. On the other hand, it's hard to justify the expense of a new sail which will most likely spend its life in the locker. Enter my sis and brother in law who have kindly contributed their old genoa. Rigged properly, this should fill any gap that arises. However, it is a lot smaller than the existing genoa-about 60% compared to 155% and much shorter in the luff-about 12 metres compared to a forestay of 17.5m . So, the question is, what would be the best way to rig, if we had to?
We could run it up tight to the furler drum, keeping it low to the deck and either run a line from the head several metres up to enable the swivel to stay at its usual height close to the top of the foil or only raise the swivel to about 2/3 of the way up the foil, with the head lashed to the swivel as usual. We could also fly it higher, with a line down to the drum, bracing it to the foil with extra ties in case it was pulled out of the groove, again with a line up to the swivel at the top or with the swivel well short of the usual position.
Can anyone advise, please?
Click to expand...
Having just this year had a furling gear go from working perfectly to jammed with duff bearings in a couple of weeks, an inner forestay with a hanked on sail as backup is a very good idea - also a separate storm jib.
 
Set it at the bottom of the spar (tack to the drum). That way the drive is low down, and it won't pull out of the groove because the head swivel will keep it in place. The worst that could happen is that you go a bit slower, but if you get to the point of needing a spare, I can't see that bothering you.

Have a great trip.
 
Bobc said:
Set it at the bottom of the spar (tack to the drum). That way the drive is low down, and it won't pull out of the groove because the head swivel will keep it in place. The worst that could happen is that you go a bit slower, but if you get to the point of needing a spare, I can't see that bothering you.

Have a great trip.
Click to expand...

This is very helpful, thanks but please can you also let me have thoughts on whether to leave the swivel 2/3 of the way up the forestay or at the top, attached via a long line to the head of the sail?
 
Swivel at the top + line, worked for me. You may want to use it with your no1, furling together. My downwind rig was a no1 + no2 rolled together, one from boom end the other poled out.

You should really consider a proper storm headsail as well, especially if you plan on sailing back. I used mine three times on one circuit. Heavy duty, flat on seperate stay.
 
When we crossed I took a slightly undersized genoa with a longer tack line. It fitted the luff groove in case I wrecked the normal genoa and had SS eyes fitted so that I could hank it to an inner forestay with long U shackles.

That gave me a twin headsail rig and a spare roller reefing headsail just in case, without a 'spare' sail taking up storage space.

If you leave the tack low down with a long halyard you risk a halyard wrap.
 
Thanks to Chalker and Neil Y. If I understand, somewhat contrary advice regarding the positioning of the swivel, as also from BOBC, whose advice on keeping the sail low makes intuitive sense to me. To clarify, there is no plan to fit any inner forestay and I believe the differential in size (60% vs 155%) rules out flying both sails as a downwind rig (?).The emergency sail will therefore only be used as a replacement if we damage the genoa beyond repair.
Swivel position is therefore really about halyard wrap and maybe the question I need to ask is this: Is there more risk of halyard wrap with the swivel 2/3 of the way up the foil or with it at the top with a long line down to the sail head? To make it easier, lets assume that I don't intend to use the furler at all with the emergency sail, which I would simply raise or lower up the furler groove, as required.
Very grateful for answers to the above, especially from those like Neil Y who have been there and done it.:confused:
 
If the swivel is not near the top of the foil, it may wrap the halyard when you roll the sail.
Having a tack line of a couple of feet allows waves to wash over the deck, gives better vision and may raise the jib into a more useful airflow.

You may find that the position of your jib tracks dictates how high you set the sail.

An inner forestay is the best way to go, it avoids the need to remove the other sail.
If you get a windy crossing, using your small sail might save a lot of wear on the genoa.
 
I'm new to this sailing game but surely you should be anticipating the worst, like a total jam up of the roller furling rig or something else that renders it unusable. It seems risky to me to be relying on using the roller furler with your emergency sail.
 
fliti said:
We are setting out across the Atlantic in January and our perfectly healthy sail wardrobe of furling genoa and in mast furling main plus cruising chute should do the job as long as nothing untoward happens. Of course, we need to anticipate just that so having an extra sail aboard in case one suffers major damage en route makes sense. On the other hand, it's hard to justify the expense of a new sail which will most likely spend its life in the locker. Enter my sis and brother in law who have kindly contributed their old genoa. Rigged properly, this should fill any gap that arises. However, it is a lot smaller than the existing genoa-about 60% compared to 155% and much shorter in the luff-about 12 metres compared to a forestay of 17.5m . So, the question is, what would be the best way to rig, if we had to?
We could run it up tight to the furler drum, keeping it low to the deck and either run a line from the head several metres up to enable the swivel to stay at its usual height close to the top of the foil or only raise the swivel to about 2/3 of the way up the foil, with the head lashed to the swivel as usual. We could also fly it higher, with a line down to the drum, bracing it to the foil with extra ties in case it was pulled out of the groove, again with a line up to the swivel at the top or with the swivel well short of the usual position.
Can anyone advise, please?
Click to expand...

Furlers can be a nightmare if they go wrong, so hope you've at least got a decent storm jib.

Our hanked staysail (looked good, but couldn't cope) blew out on the way back from the US & this made do for most of the trip. We were ketch rigged, running on staysail & mizzen.

Ideally one with a wire luff, so that you don't need to bother with extra forestay if in extremis. Can also be hoisted as a small main, should you have any problems with your inmast reefing main (if this jambs, your stuffed & even to drop it, you need to let it all out & not easy in an Atlantic blow). Trisail better of course.
 
alternative foresail

My immediate thought is that the swivel needs to be at the head of the sail. If you put it siginificantly higher you could get snarl ups when you furl it. The best solution offered is the inner forestay which has other uses apart from hoisting your spare sail. You can use it for a storm jib. In my own case I fitted an inner forestay taken almost to the top of the mast and thus avoiding any out of balance strain on the mast and I kept the storm jib hanked on and furled on deck. If you had to use your spare sail in moderate winds you could bend it above the furled storm jib.
I also fitted a seperate slide on the main mast for a try sail. I only used it twice but liked it mainly because you can hoist it without having to cope with a boom trying to kill you. My boom was then bowsed down to the gallows which I also fitted. This latter fitting is worth its weight in gold. I always feel insecure and threatened when coping with heavy weather in a boat with no boom gallows.
 
CreakyDecks said:
I'm new to this sailing game but surely you should be anticipating the worst, like a total jam up of the roller furling rig or something else that renders it unusable. It seems risky to me to be relying on using the roller furler with your emergency sail.
Click to expand...

+1

I'm a long way from crossing oceans but if and when I do, i will do it on a boat with a storm jib and trysail on board. Think of it as travel insurance that needs renewing once every ten years :)
 
A heavy duty hank on storm jib is worth having.

Also, whatever else you do, take some sail material with you and a needle and thread so you can repair tears and chafe damage.
 
What's with this idea of a furling sail as an emergency sail? A proper emergency would be your main furling sail has ripped out and taken the furling gear with it. :eek::D

Make sure you have a non-furling small genoa that clips on.

Do you have spare genoa halyards already rigged?
 
please dont take this the rong way but if you have to ask this question are you ready to try to cross an ocean ?
ok maybe im a bit over the top but i have 8 sails on board including storm try sail,storm jib,inner forestay,
any idear that you will be able to go forward to change a sail in a blow is madnes
 
Further thoughts, the breakages which have actually happened to me have been the top shackle of the furler parting (twice) and the tack shackle once, the latter not quite so traumatic. In this case you obviously need the inner forestay to do anything. This should be a wire not a foil. If your spare sail has a bolt rope you need to attach some hanks to it.
If your furling foresail falls down for any reason, it will be virtually impossible to remove the sail from the foil at sea. Maybe just possible if it is not rolled at all, quite impossible if it is.
 
fliti said:
We are setting out across the Atlantic in January and our perfectly healthy sail wardrobe of furling genoa and in mast furling main plus cruising chute should do the job as long as nothing untoward happens. Of course, we need to anticipate just that so having an extra sail aboard in case one suffers major damage en route makes sense. On the other hand, it's hard to justify the expense of a new sail which will most likely spend its life in the locker. Enter my sis and brother in law who have kindly contributed their old genoa. Rigged properly, this should fill any gap that arises. However, it is a lot smaller than the existing genoa-about 60% compared to 155% and much shorter in the luff-about 12 metres compared to a forestay of 17.5m . So, the question is, what would be the best way to rig, if we had to?
We could run it up tight to the furler drum, keeping it low to the deck and either run a line from the head several metres up to enable the swivel to stay at its usual height close to the top of the foil or only raise the swivel to about 2/3 of the way up the foil, with the head lashed to the swivel as usual. We could also fly it higher, with a line down to the drum, bracing it to the foil with extra ties in case it was pulled out of the groove, again with a line up to the swivel at the top or with the swivel well short of the usual position.
Can anyone advise, please?
Click to expand...

It all depends if the mast has fallen down or not.
 
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