To furl or not to furl

rsallo

rsallo

Active Member
Joined
10 May 2005
Messages
56
Location
Southampton
Visit site
Hi all!

I am a newbie looking for a boat. After seeing many, I've fallen in love with a Hurley 22, without furling headsail.

I'll be sailing singlehanded most (99.9%) of the time. All the boats I've sailed as crew had roller furling headsails, so I don't really know how difficult it is to sail without it /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif.

What would you recomend, for a single handed beginner?

Many thanks!
 
You should have a range of different sized headsails with your new boat. Start with a middle sized one until you work out how to handle the boat while changing sails on the foredeck. You will find she goes almost as well to windward with the working jib instead of the genoa, you will be able to see around you much better and you will remain in control if the wind pipes up unexpectedly.

Go for it! Neil
 
I bought a boat with hank on headsail.
I was planning to change to furling gear, but lazyjacks and a sail coat intervened for the main, which I'd got fed up of wrestling with to unbend and stick in the cabin in anything more than a F2.
I'm now changing my mind on the furler. I had one on my last boat, and yes it is a lot easier, and it's handy coming up to my mooring to just wizz it away, but the hank on regime is not so bad as long as you don't post pictures of it and have half the forum telling you your piano-string-tight luff is too slack.
I'd see how you get on before making the change. I won't miss the regular halyard wind-up and filthy green leech (I didn't have a sacrificial strip)
 
My last boat was a H22 and I fitted roller reefing. I had a rope to fit the extrusion sewn in by a local sailmaker for about £60. The furling kit cost just under £300.
It was the best spend I made on the boat.
Going forward to tend to the hank-on in a bouncy sea was no fun and changing sails was near impossible without a second pair of hands on the tiller... the autopilot often couldn't cope.
You can sail with hank-ons single handed, but why suffer?
 
[ QUOTE ]
........... as long as you don't post pictures of it and have half the forum telling you your piano-string-tight luff is too slack.

[/ QUOTE ]

Still not over it yet then? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Welcome to the forum. I had a H22 for about 5 years with out furling.

I had 3 headsails a big Genoa which I rarely used ,good for up to about a force2to 3 ,a working jib used almost constantly that was good up to force 5 touching 6, finally a storm jib ,only used rarely for winds over a 6.

If the sails are in good nick then give it a go with the hank on sails but If I were you I would leave the genoa in the bag until you get used to the boat.

PS Good choice of boat.
27472033989b7e33a953066cc1db895e3d99e67d95059a1f461eda35.jpg
 
[ QUOTE ]
Hi all!

I am a newbie looking for a boat. After seeing many, I've fallen in love with a Hurley 22, without furling headsail.

I'll be sailing singlehanded most (99.9%) of the time. All the boats I've sailed as crew had roller furling headsails, so I don't really know how difficult it is to sail without it /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif.

What would you recomend, for a single handed beginner?

Many thanks!

[/ QUOTE ]

Furling every time!!! There must be a reason why most boats have genoa furling gear, or it wouldnt be there.

Regds & Good Luck

Richard
 
I've got a furling system I am trying to get rid of, going at a reasonable price and not too high tech. It came off my Bolero 25 which is fractional rig so it shouldn't be too far off what you want. PM me with your email address if your interested, I'm not looking for loads of cash, more to get rid of it from the garden.
 
Tight luffs ....

LS - you are not the only one ... posted piccy with a bit of slack in mainsail luff ..... blimey - you'd think you'd knicked the Crown Jewels ! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Still - gives the boys something to fixate on .... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
Something that has not been mentioned is that on a small boat storage space will be a premium.
With a roller headsail you will not have all those wet headsails to store below deck.
 
Re: Tight luffs ....

Yeah, they're sat in their offices and can't get out on the water. Besides which, we never see pics of their perfect boats under way. (not the bits that matter) /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Re: Tight luffs ....

I have a 21 fter in fact now 25 years I have had it with hard racing for 21.
No way in the world would I have a furler. They just spoil windward performance especially in stronger winds with only part jib being used.
Yes I oftern sail on friends boats with furler although furlers are very much a minority in our club. At least one of my friends has packed in his furler and gone for real jibs. (for performance) And don't give me that " I won't be racing" line, every sail boat needs the very best of performance. It is easy to sail conservatively if you are not racing.
As has already been stated if you go single handed which I do. You need a pretty good sense of what the wind is going to do during the sail (ie pick up or drop) then fit a slightly smaller jib than you need. ie plan to not change jibs and you will have a very pleasant sail alone. If sailing with crew it is no trouble to change a jib. IMHO
I would suggest you make provision for easy slab reefing single handed from the cockpit to allow you to cope with wind increases.` olewill
 
As one that has solo'd in open water for many a mile, I would say that safety is of much more importance than windward performance...fit the roller if you can! If you don't, then at least fit a downhaul for the jib, so that if it do need to get the sail down in a hurry for any reason, you can do it quickly from the cockpit.
Moggy
 
I've sailed many miles with hank on sails and I like the way they set and the reliable simplicity of the system. And you don't need to stow all your sails below. There's some info on the set up I had on Adriana on my web site under cruising resources. However, I've also used roller furling and there is no doubt it is convenient and it saves a trip to the foredeck in dodgy weather.
 
I can see that you've opened a can of worms!

I started sailing a couple of years ago in a 22ft boat much like the one you're looking at and it has hank on sails. I initially planned on investing in furling gear as the idea of chaning sails on the little foredeck filled me with dread.

However....having learned much about sailing with hankon sails in the subsequent period I really don't mind the whole sail changing business at all. My top tip is to always reef and change sails early, this way you feel a bit more in command as reefing and changing sail when conditions have got a little more hairy is a bit intimidating especially when starting out.

So, my point is don't worry about it, its not difficult just plan ahead. Don't let the fact the boat you've found has hank on sails stop you going for it, many thousands of sailors have learned on similar gear.

Good luck.

Andy
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top