Westerly Oceanlord bites the dust in Arwen

[Sandy]

I leave the boat with several returns of sheet round and a bright yellow sail tie securing the sail. As @V1701 says it is not that difficult.

In the last yard I was ashore in they would not lift you unless all sails were off.

 

[Kelpie]

Spinnaker halyard wrapped several times around the furled genoa is a pretty good backup for the furling line and sheets. Takes seconds to do and could save your sail, your rig, your boat, and the boats next to you.

 

[dunedin]

Spinnaker halyard wrapped several times around the furled genoa is a pretty good backup for the furling line and sheets. Takes seconds to do and could save your sail, your rig, your boat, and the boats next to you.

It’s amazing what a gale can get into if the sail is not rolled very very tightly. For winter stows we roll hard against the sheet tension all the way, then three wraps of the sheets once really tight.
But after removing sails from two boats with furling lines that chafed through, we also add a short strop wrapped round the bottom of the furler and tied off to the pushpit as a secondary furling rope- just takes 60 seconds. Been through a lot of storms this way, nut always afloat.

 

[Biggles Wader]

I remove the genoa whenever I am not using the boat for more than a few days and would never leave it up when out of the water.

 

[Stemar]

For winter stows we roll hard against the sheet tension all the way, then three wraps of the sheets once really tight.

That's what I do all the time. As long as both sheets and furling line are made off properly, it won't go anywhere unless the sail's stretched to the point where the foot and leach are loose enough for the wind to get in, when a new genny on the insurance sounds like a good idea anyway

 

[dunedin]

That's what I do all the time. As long as both sheets and furling line are made off properly, it won't go anywhere unless the sail's stretched to the point where the foot and leach are loose enough for the wind to get in, when a new genny on the insurance sounds like a good idea anyway

Except that surprisingly often a furler rope parts near the drum and costs a sail, or more

 

[Poignard]

Even if sails and covers don't break loose there is still the likelihood of damage from U/V light and dirt.

 

[Kelpie]

I remove the genoa whenever I am not using the boat for more than a few days and would never leave it up when out of the water.

Where do you flake it?

 

[graham]

Storm Barra on its way to claim some more genoas .after a fin keel yacht rotated about 20 degrees in its cradle due to a loose genoa our club has made it a hard and fast rule furling genoas must be removed prior to lifting out.

If it were up to me mainsails sprayhoods and dodgers would be removed as well in winter.

 

[Biggles Wader]

Where do you flake it?

On the pontoon if available or as best I can on board if not. Either way the headsail comes off if Im away from the boat for any significant length of time.

 

[Boathook]

I remove the genoa whenever I am not using the boat for more than a few days and would never leave it up when out of the water.

My headrail goes on at the start of the season and comes off at the end. Same with the main. Like others I furl against a slight sheet tension and the sheets wrap round the sail at least 3 times. There is also some furling line left on the furler. All ines are cleated off. So far no problems after 25 plus years and the boat has seen some summer storms.

 

[LadyInBed]

Now I'll take it down if we're anchored in potentially strong winds.

Anchored, I would have thought that several wraps of the sheets would suffice, as the boat will be pointing more or less head to wind, and if you need to vacate in a hurry you don't want the extra hassle of putting a sail on in strong wind.

 

[Bobc]

T'is but a scratch. It'll buff out.

 

[Bodach na mara]

Many years ago, before there were any marinas, I watched from the shore at Cardwell Bay (Gourock) as the jib on a gaffer moored in the bay unfurled and flogged itself to bits. It was not a modern gear that could reef the sail, just the old Wickham Martin type. Nobody could get out to sort out the problem. Since then I have seen several other cases of sails coming free and have been careful on my own boats to secure the mainsail to prevent any problems. On all but my last 2 boats the Genoa came off as there was no furling gear.

When I got my first boat to have a furling gear, I found that it had a short piece of wire shackled to the bow fitting with a snap shackle on the other end which was clipped on to a lug on the reefing drum to stop it turning should the reefing line break. I always used it and have done something similar on my current boat.

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

Storm Barra on its way to claim some more genoas .after a fin keel yacht rotated about 20 degrees in its cradle due to a loose genoa our club has made it a hard and fast rule furling genoas must be removed prior to lifting out.

If it were up to me mainsails sprayhoods and dodgers would be removed as well in winter.

When we had a hoolie in Hamble at the end of October these Cape 31s were blown over. (No sails at all).



What puzzles me about the Oceanlord in the OP is that I'd have expected the insurance co's were shaken out of their torpor and started reminding boatyards of their duty? I'd also have thought they'd write to owners, but I certainly haven't had anything.

And how we forget. Post Michael Fish's non-hurricane in '87 the rule was flatly mast down, full stop.

 

[grumpy_o_g]

So excuse my ignorance but if this can happen in the marina presumably it can happen at sea too? What actually gives - something in the furling mechanism itself, the furling lines? also why is it always it always headsails and never in-mast furling mainsails. I must admit I've never really thought much about it as I've never been master of a boat with a furling headsail - even back in early 70's though all sails were always removed before lifting when I worked in the yards at Burnham as a kid.

 

[penfold]

There's precious little for the wind to worry at with in-mast furling, just the clew; a furled headsail has multiple potential flappy bits for the wind to get under, stretch and vibrate, putting extra strain on the furling line etc. If there's slack in either or both the furling line or sheets then the wind gets more to play with, maybe the vibration and pulling jerks the furling line out of its cleat, then when the owner next comes down to the boat and is welcomed by shredded remnants if they're lucky; if not then the extra windage drags or breaks the mooring causing other carnage.

 

[john_morris_uk]

It also isn’t helped by people thinking it looks neater to only furl the sail until the clew is just up to the rolled sail instead of carrying on and making sure there are two or three turns of sheets around the sail.

 

[brainstorm]

Which yard is the Oceanlord in? I imagine she is capable of repair in the right hands

 

[NormanS]

Hmm, there's something to be said about being in a boatyard which is somewhat lower than the surrounding land, and also surrounded by tall whippy trees. ?