In boom furling systems - retrofit - advice sought.

[B27]

Roller reefing booms were used on Bristol Channel Pilot cutters 120 years ago.
How many more years development to you think is needed?

They might make a comeback, if some technology or engineering by-product came along?
A bit like modern rope-luff code zero furlers are a related to ancient headsail furlers with no luff spar?

Maybe if it suddenly became cheap to make an in-boom roller system out of carbon fibre or similar, the game would change?
Maybe a new approach to the problem of the kicker/vang would remove obstacles?

Also sails are still evolving, high performance mains are now 4-sided things, if you make the bottom half of the leach and luff parallel, then reefing the sail around a cylinder gets easier?

But, if you don't like slab reefing or can't make it work, in-mast reefing has the advantage of not needing to hoist anything against gravity. It's not my kind of yacht, but it works for some people and enables them to unwind some sail and actually sail when others don't bother to take covers off and do all that physical hoisting malarkey.

 

[Baggywrinkle]

Roller reefing booms were used on Bristol Channel Pilot cutters 120 years ago.
How many more years development to you think is needed?

When you have a gaff rig, a less-than ideal roller furl on the boom is your only option due to the gaff - in those days it was roller furling boom vs. slab reefing.

Now it is roller furling boom vs. in-mast vs. slab .... and the roller furling boom has its work cut out against the dominant in-mast systems (if roller furling is the way you want to go]

So it has to be better/cheaper than in-mast before it will catch on and become mainstream - the goalposts have moved, so the engineering has to be better.

 

[SaltyC]

Not just pilot cutters.
The problem is the lack of kicking strap, there were various 'claw' devices to go around the reefed sail, or a strap rolled up in the sail etc.
Also it was common for the outboard end of the boom to be fatter, so the clew was raised a bit as the sail was reefed.

Ah (un)happy memories of the old round the boom furling!

 

[dunedin]

When you have a gaff rig, a less-than ideal roller furl on the boom is your only option due to the gaff - in those days it was roller furling boom vs. slab reefing.

Now it is roller furling boom vs. in-mast vs. slab .... and the roller furling boom has its work cut out against the dominant in-mast systems (if roller furling is the way you want to go]

So it has to be better/cheaper than in-mast before it will catch on and become mainstream - the goalposts have moved, so the engineering has to be better.

I don’t think current in boom furler systems are trying to be “mainstream” - they are aimed at being high performance and aimed at superyachts and cruisers that want to have sails which are much more efficient than in mast furling. Hence why very common on X Yachts nowadays.
But a carbon boom with in boom furler and laminate sails is rather different from the round the outside of the boom furling from way back, in terms of sail set as well as price.

 

[Zing]

Boom roller furlers are now very good and reliable, multiple yacht builders have told me. Not so 10 years ago. They are expensive though.

 

[Baggywrinkle]

I don’t think current in boom furler systems are trying to be “mainstream” - they are aimed at being high performance and aimed at superyachts and cruisers that want to have sails which are much more efficient than in mast furling. Hence why very common on X Yachts nowadays.
But a carbon boom with in boom furler and laminate sails is rather different from the round the outside of the boom furling from way back, in terms of sail set as well as price.

Don't you think manufacturers of current in-boom furlers want to increase their sales volume? Would they turn down the opportunity to supply the large production boat manufacturers?

Once the system becomes a bit more idiot-proof and a boom-furling rig becomes cost comparable to in-mast, then IMO it would become mainstream, attracting both in-mast and slab reefing customers. it doesn't have to be laminate sails either.

Is in-boom furling the next big thing in sail handling technology?