Roller reefing main vs stack-pack, advice and tips please.

[Baggywrinkle]

From all the experience quoted above, I’d say that if sailing performance is less important than ease of sail handling, in-mast furling looks a good choice; provided the system is reliable.

Given the restriction on choice mentioned by the OP in #54 and the worry that an unknown x y/o furling system might not be robust, perhaps the OP might consider extending their search to include boats where the price allows for scrapping the existing rig and replacing it entirely with up to date, new spars and sails.

Thought about that too ... there is a market for second hand stack-pack masts but a new rig would be on the expensive side, and while I've budgeted for standing and running rigging, plus new sails, a new rig is not something I was prepared to do - rather wait for the right boat than replace the rig. I'd also rather the upgrade budget went on solar arch, davits, lithium, leccy winches, water maker, etc.

 

[Skylark]

The SO 409 I chartered was a bit of a shock from the sail handling perspective ... I've used stack-packs often, but the SO was much higher and more inaccessible than anything I'd experienced before - it really put me off - I had roller reefing on my last boat. and have used them on boats from 36 to 46 feet with only the 46 footer causing problems due to a totally worn out sail which was tissue thin and very stretched - it kept jamming by picking up folds when rolling the sail out. With decent sails I've never encountered a problem with roller reefing mains in the last 12-15 years ... with the exception of the 46ft AWB mentioned above.

The Oceanis 41 looks just as high, if not higher ... so I'm resigning myself to the fact that for me, being a short-@rse with an even shorter crew, roller reefing main is probably the way to go - a decent sail paired with a folding prop will do me fine. It really narrows the choice though as most used boats seem to have stack-packs

I’ve sailed a few SO410, a well known fleet based on Lake Solent, and the boom is not as high as the absolutely wonderful Oceanis 41. The SO410 fleet need their mains flaking around the boom but there’s usually crew at hand.

I’m 5ft 7in and I sometimes need to practice acrobatics by climbing on the arch to get the main bagged. It’s a royal pita but I wouldn’t want to change the boat for the world. It’s easy to forgive it, given so many other positive attributes so loved by forum contributors (fin keel, balanced spade rudder, twin wheel, fat arse, drop down transom, teak deck, bright, airy, spacious accommodation down below, the list is endless).

 

[benjenbav]

Thought about that too ... there is a market for second hand stack-pack masts but a new rig would be on the expensive side, and while I've budgeted for standing and running rigging, plus new sails, a new rig is not something I was prepared to do - rather wait for the right boat than replace the rig. I'd also rather the upgrade budget went on solar arch, davits, lithium, leccy winches, water maker, etc.

Out of interest do you know what a roller furling mast for a 40-ish ft Ben/Jen would cost - you seem to be planning to replace the rig with the exception of the spars themselves anyway? I spent a bit of time looking on the Selden website but answer found I none. I’d guess ~€10k but would not be surprised if I was wrong.

 

[Baggywrinkle]

Out of interest do you know what a roller furling mast for a 40-ish ft Ben/Jen would cost - you seem to be planning to replace the rig with the exception of the spars themselves anyway? I spent a bit of time looking on the Selden website but answer found I none. I’d guess ~€10k but would not be surprised if I was wrong.

I did know an australian who was in my marina a few years back with an Oceanis 50 ... he had a fractured mast ... from what I recall,the replacement cost using a second-hand mast was around the €20k mark.

 

[SaltyC]

Out of interest do you know what a roller furling mast for a 40-ish ft Ben/Jen would cost - you seem to be planning to replace the rig with the exception of the spars themselves anyway? I spent a bit of time looking on the Selden website but answer found I none. I’d guess ~€10k but would not be surprised if I was wrong.

New Selden furling mast and rigging for 37 footer currently £12k.

 

[SaltyC]

Previous boat (31') had fully battened main, friedrikson cars, single line reefing and lazy Jack's and control lines led back to cockpit.
Perfect for single headed and short handed, once at sea all sail handling done from cockpit, only go on deck to hoist or drop the main.
Sail shape perfect and performance good.
Next boat, 37' has in mast furling - 90% sold with in mast not much option! Unbattened main, sail shape was awful, particularly in light winds with a definate hook to the leach, about 10k TWS straightened out. Although not in bad condition it wasn't easy to furl without creasing, that could be the sail or my inexperience with outhaul tension.
As expected at purchase the main had to go! Changed for a full length vertical battened main - a revelation! I could once again look at the mainsail and feel it was set correctly, performance improved but the main benefit has been easier furling without creases due to stronger cloth and full battens. Reefing can be done downwind, preferably on starboard but works on port, pull the sail in a little first to take the pressure off, however, the main point is reef early, being a 'flatter' hull she likes to sail flat and doesn't lose much speed when reefed, I am not racing on the edge!
The verdict, as I have got older and the boats larger over 34 foot I would probably go for in mast.
Back to OP's slabs on 40 foot, I skippered a 45 foot SO45 with slabs and stack pack. At 6'3" the only way to start tge zip was to climb on the Targa arch, definately not safe at sea! To fit the mast boot at the front of tge stack pack there was a fold down step on the mast, climb up, hang on, 2 hands to start the zip. Hated the boat!
Another I regularly skipper is 49 foot with slugs on tge main not cars, lots of friction to hoist (lots of young myscle to do it ) and needs boat hook to pull slugs down.

Each system has its advantages / disadvantages, cost, ease of use, performance and the niggling worry of 'what if' on balance at 37 foot after 5 years and a change to full length battens I am happy with in mast.

PS as mentioned elsewhere the infinitely variable reefing of a roller blind can be very useful.

 

[Baggywrinkle]

New Selden furling mast and rigging for 37 footer currently £12k.

Where did you find the prices? ... I guess it would be a little more for a 41ft boat but at that sort of price for mast and rigging plus the second hand value of the existing mast, rig, and sail, lazyjacks and sail bag it may well be a viable option if I can find a good boat where the only issue is a stack-pack.

 

[benjenbav]

Where did you find the prices? ... I guess it would be a little more for a 41ft boat but at that sort of price for mast and rigging plus the second hand value of the existing mast, rig, and sail, lazyjacks and sail bag it may well be a viable option if I can find a good boat where the only issue is a stack-pack.

…especially if you apply a little bit of man-math to deduct the cost of the standing and running rigging that you were budgeting already, perhaps…

 

[Roberto]

Where did you find the prices? ... I guess it would be a little more for a 41ft boat but at that sort of price for mast and rigging plus the second hand value of the existing mast, rig, and sail, lazyjacks and sail bag it may well be a viable option if I can find a good boat where the only issue is a stack-pack.

I think there may be a market for that, mast swap furling vs slab.

 

[SaltyC]

Where did you find the prices? ... I guess it would be a little more for a 41ft boat but at that sort of price for mast and rigging plus the second hand value of the existing mast, rig, and sail, lazyjacks and sail bag it may well be a viable option if I can find a good boat where the only issue is a stack-pack.

Baggywrinkle many apologies for musleading, using memory and not checking!! Too many prices in my head.

Revised nast price once old one surveyed upon arrival £14k, this excludes standing rigging at a further £5k. Prices rounded

HR37 is quite a tall mast but would imagine a 41 would be a little longer.

Prices were quoted and mast now on order for April delivery.

We shall just say there was a little 'incident ' involving an incompetent 3rd party necessitating replacement.

 

[RAI]

I changed from slab reefing to in-boom furling and reefing. I can operated it entirely from within the wheelhouse. The old slab reefing mainsail was serviced at the mast and even with the best batten cars I could find, was still a battle to raise and lower.
Using a winchrite electric winch handel speeds the process of furling in-boom. It is very sensitive to the vang, mainsheet and topping lift tensions. Otherwise, the whole sail does not want to go back into the boom. I do motor to windward to make it work with less fuss. The upsides are that the mainsail is well protected from inside the boom and a simple canvas cover is used to keep the sunlight off in harbour. Full length horizontal battens provide a better sail performance.

 

[Whaup367]

I changed from slab reefing to in-boom furling and reefing. I can operated it entirely from within the wheelhouse. The old slab reefing mainsail was serviced at the mast and even with the best batten cars I could find, was still a battle to raise and lower.
Using a winchrite electric winch handel speeds the process of furling in-boom. It is very sensitive to the vang, mainsheet and topping lift tensions. Otherwise, the whole sail does not want to go back into the boom. I do motor to windward to make it work with less fuss. The upsides are that the mainsail is well protected from inside the boom and a simple canvas cover is used to keep the sunlight off in harbour. Full length horizontal battens provide a better sail performance.

Which system do you have, please, on what size boat? (Mine is a ProFurl on a thirty-six footer).

 

[RAI]

Which system do you have, please, on what size boat? (Mine is a ProFurl on a thirty-six footer).

Main Star from Elvstrom Sobstad on a 11.4 m boat. Boom is 4.3 m long, so foot has to be shorter.