In mast furling, please help!

Bus_Driver

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First off I’m new to this boating game so please be gentle with me!

I’ve got access to a Jeanneau with a main that has in mast furling and I’m having terrible trouble with the main jamming about a third of the way out of the mast. I’ve tried keeping tension on the outhaul when furling it away but every time I end up at the mast with a red face and language that means I can’t take any ladies sailing with me!

I’m sure it’s just the fact that I have no idea what I'm doing that is the problem.

If any of you could make any suggestions that would help or point me to a quick idiots guide to in mast furling I would be most grateful.

Many thanks in advance.
 

Phoenix of Hamble

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How tight do you have the topping lift and kicker when you furl/unfurl?

My experience is that you want kicker tight and topping lift loose for the furl, and kicker loose and topping lift tight for the unfurl... ie, get the boom low when you are furling, and high when you are unfurling...

Also, check your track on the boom.... a little graphite spray does wonders.....

With the above advice, mine furls in and out effortlessly....

Also, have you checked the furling gear out properly?.... they can get a bit salted up, so a hosepipe in the slot to flush it out isn't a bad idea.....
 

rays

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I've got a Jeanneau with in-mast furling. It's new to me but I will pass on one tip. Before unfurling, check that the boom is at 90 degrees to the mast by adjusting the topping lift. Best to do this from the pontoon (so you can get far enough back) then stand under the boom so you can replicate the height when on board. Hope this helps but second the WD 40 the boom track suggestion.
 

JerryHawkins

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Some of extra points:

I had a Furlex Main system on my last boat and the tension of the actual extrusion (roller around which sail wraps) needs to be set correctly. There was a threaded sleeve on mine to achieve this. I tightened mine so that when "grabbing and shaking" it, it wouldn't hit the sides of the mast (or behind-the-mast section).

Secondly, the main halyard tension can make a big difference to furling action. Mine seemed about right when the horizontal creases in the sail just flattened out.

On mine, at least, the boom needed to be able to rise up as the sail was pulled out - i.e. slacken off both kicker and main sheet. If the boom cannot rise then you end up with more tension on the leach than the foot of the sail i.e. the pull is uneven.

For furling: try to note max height that boom achieves during unfurling, then hold boom at this level with topping list while rolling sail away. Keeping a little tension on out-haul does seem to helop sail roll away without creases makingg next unfurl easier.

It needs a fair bit of trial and error and is best done on a windless day whilst on your marina berth or mooring!

Cheers,

Jerry
 

samwise

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Some good advice in the replies you have received. A couple more points: If the sail is a bit old or has not been looked after and gone baggy (violent treatment following a jam can do this) it will be difficult to furl easily. We were on a charter boat a few years back and it was clear the poor old sail had been abused and it had to be really gentled into the slot. You can also get a problem if you are trying to furl with too much wind in the sail. Our old Sadler 29 had a Maxi Roach furler wth vertical battens and it never gave us a problem and was the ideal solution for a single hander.
 

Talbot

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There is contradictorey advice here, primarily cause the different systems seem to need slightly different techniques.

Most problems are associated with one or two problems:

too much friction in in and outhaul

boom in the wrong position.


My easyreef with maxiroach main and full length battens, requires the boom to be at 90 degrees for unfurling otherwise you can have problems on the reefing drum.

for furling, the friction losses are a real problem. for me, the kicker must be slack so that the boom can rise when the friction gets too much.

Another potential cause of problems for me is furling completely after sailing with a reef in. There is a danger of a jam unless the sail is unfurled and then furled up
 

Bus_Driver

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Wow, thanks everyone!!

I've just spent the last few hours at the mast again and I wish had a chance to try some of your great advice!

I have a can of silicone spray on order and I'm going to try every different combination of topping lift/main sheet/boom height I can the next chance I get.

I don't think the sail is damaged in anyway, but the next time I manage to get the thing out I'll have a very close look!!

Once again thankyou everyone for your help.
 

Geordie

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I endorse all of the suggestions made so far, but there is one very important one that has not been mentioned:

If you are head-to-wind when furling then, no matter how much tension you keep on the outhaul, there is a chance that you may get a wrinkle in the sail which may cause a jam when unfurling.

If you point off the wind a little to keep the sail just (lightly) full then it will roll up smoothly.

Regards

Geordie
 
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