singlehanding : maintaining positive tension on furler line

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bluerm166

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Does anyone have any useful method of keeping slight tension on the line/managing the line as the jib is pulled out by the sheet ? With a 150% there's just under 5 metres of travel so preventing snags and keeping the tension whilst hauling the sheet is tricky.
 
bluerm166 said:
Does anyone have any useful method of keeping slight tension on the line/managing the line as the jib is pulled out by the sheet ? With a 150% there's just under 5 metres of travel so preventing snags and keeping the tension whilst hauling the sheet is tricky.
Click to expand...

Tried various methods, easiest I have found is coil the line on the cockpit floor 'before' pulling the Genoa out, just 'hang' the line (not coiled) round the winch (so you have a straight pull) and when pulling in the sheet just let the line run through you hand.

Mike
 
I put a turn of the furling line round a winch so as to use it as a snubber. Then haul sheet (by hand / winch as necessary) to pull out sail using one hand and control the furling line with the other. This assumes (a) you can reach both at once (or have a crew) and (b) you have a spare winch if you're winching the jib sheet on the same side as snubbing the furling line.
 
As stated in previous posts, a small amoun of drag around a winch seems to work. If the wind is a bit strong, I tend to be a bit more cautious and try to control it a bit more, especially if I want to keep some of the sail reefed. Bit difficult hanging it around a winch when you are also using that winch to control the genoa sheets, so if possible I tack so that I can hang the reefing line arond the port winch, while sheeting the genoa on the stbd winch.

You have to love auto tack on the autohelm;)
 
If you let a bit of jib out, then cleat the sheet.
Bear off and just ease the furling line, then cleat it.
wind the sheet in then repeat if necessary.

Takes a few seconds but only one rope need be controlled at a time so it cannot run away from you.
Useful if it is a big sail or quite windy.
 
lw395 said:
If you let a bit of jib out, then cleat the sheet.
Bear off and just ease the furling line, then cleat it.
wind the sheet in then repeat if necessary.

Takes a few seconds but only one rope need be controlled at a time so it cannot run away from you.
Useful if it is a big sail or quite windy.
Click to expand...

+1
 
Mine comes out of my cockpit across the side deck where it runs through a right angle pulley block attached to my high bulwarks;from there it runs through a series of pulleys to the furler.Its locked off on the cockpit coaming by a clam cleat.I usually just let it run out through my hand and stop it off when out-It never snags.
Yes and I have a pair of leather rigger gloves-good for the anchor chain as well.
 
I dump the line on the cockpit floor and use foot pressure to control the drag...

Can get a bit burnie in bare feet mind.
 
I have both lines in one hand allowing me to pull on one and ease on the other - can't really describe how I do it in words but it works.
 
bluerm166 said:
Does anyone have any useful method of keeping slight tension on the line/managing the line as the jib is pulled out by the sheet ? With a 150% there's just under 5 metres of travel so preventing snags and keeping the tension whilst hauling the sheet is tricky.
Click to expand...

I have a snubber winch for my furling-line. One turn round this, prevents tangling in strong winds. Under normal conditions I just feed it out by hand. Mind my genoa is only 28m2.
 
bluerm166 said:
Does anyone have any useful method of keeping slight tension on the line/managing the line as the jib is pulled out by the sheet ? With a 150% there's just under 5 metres of travel so preventing snags and keeping the tension whilst hauling the sheet is tricky.
Click to expand...

I have only a 105% jib but I've, so far, never felt the need to keep tension on the furling line. I'm interested in knowing what you are trying to achieve: is it to stop sail billowing out and thus harder to pull/winch in?
 
Furling line issue

srah1953 said:
... never felt the need to keep tension on the furling line. I'm interested in knowing what you are trying to achieve: is it to stop sail billowing out and thus harder to pull/winch in?
Click to expand...

I was out in a bit of a gusty blow on Sunday and ended up with the headsheet wrapped around the forestay, so furling/unfurling whilst applying pressure to the headsail sheets didn't work. Bit of a mess and the sea was a bit lumpy to spend long on the foredeck.

I think (having ballsed this up, hence decent basis for hindsight) that the key is to let a bit (1.5m or so) out, then take it in using the headsail sheets, and repeat - unless you have sufficient crew to tension the furler whilst pulling out the headsail using the sheets. If your boat is set up well enough, then by all means do both yourself. Fine in a steady wind, but (in my own defence) it was very gusty yesterday, so it was difficult.

As far as I am concerned, I learn far more from my mistakes than when things go right, so I shan't make the mistake again.

Mind you, I tried to unfurl/furl the foresail using the lines, whereas it would have been easier to rotate the furler and sail by hand from the foredeck, albeit a bit risky.
 
Camelia said:
I have both lines in one hand allowing me to pull on one and ease on the other - can't really describe how I do it in words but it works.
Click to expand...

I know what you mean. This works really well and uses one against the other to keep the tension right. Works both furling and unfurling.
 
Thanks all for these considered replies.Illustrates that it is something of an art,particularly in strong winds.Quite a few tweaks to try out here with the intention of preventing loops and snags of the line on the drum (Rotostay) which has two guide pins rather than a cage so can in the worst case allow line to escape.
 
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