What type of mainsail system to select

[Lozzer]

Hi

I am very fortunate in that my boss has just ordered a new Oyster 745 due to be completed early 2016.

When we put our specification together we ordered a Carbon fibre mast with ocean furl boom as we intend to sail the boat relatively short handed 4 people.

Having just had a meeting with our project manager (who is excellent) I am now not convinced we have ordered the right thing.

As I see it there are two options as we have completely discounted in mast furling so that is fully battened main with lazy jacks or stick with the ocean furl system.

Is there anyone out there with ocean furl system? How have you found it from a usability view, does the sail loose it's shape when reefed due to no real downward pressure on clew. Is it reliable?

I will be contacting the manufacturer but want to get real feedback rather than their chosen reference clients..

Lazy jack system I find is untidy, having said that I saw a system where they are pulled forward any this looked like a nice compromise.

All view happily received...

 

[dunedin]

In boom furling seems to be almost mandatory these days for Oysters and the like.

Saw a small one a few weeks ago, and a bit odd the sail track behind the main mast - but the sail set pretty well when hoisted, as we both tacked up a narrow-ish sea loch (we overtook the Oyster, just, in spite of us having 10 foot less LWL, but a furling mainsail would have been even further back).

Suspect that lazy jacks & battened sail would get hard work at 70 foot plus

 

[Leighb]

One of their project managers used to live next door to us until Oyster made him move to Southampton, lovely guy, what is your PM called?

 

[sailorman]

In boom furling seems to be almost mandatory these days for Oysters and the like.

Saw a small one a few weeks ago, and a bit odd the sail track behind the main mast - but the sail set pretty well when hoisted, as we both tacked up a narrow-ish sea loch (we overtook the Oyster, just, in spite of us having 10 foot less LWL, but a furling mainsail would have been even further back).

Suspect that lazy jacks & battened sail would get hard work at 70 foot plus

Not so.
a high % have in mast, the rest conventional slab of which the larger tend to have "Park Avenue" booms

 

[Lozzer]

Our PM is called Andrew. I believe he lives on the river Stour if I'm correct.

At the Oyster boat show only one yacht had in boom and that was an 825 if I recall.

We want performance from the boat yet ability to sail shorthanded. I see there is a system that will flake the main at the mast, used in conjunction with lazy jacks that can be dragged forward could be the solution.

 

[sailorman]

you will get more applicable answers on the Oyster Net , contact Tudor sailor on the ybw

 

[Jamesuk]

Being an Oyster I would expect nothing less than a race rig set up with race crew.

For an easy life (move and sail a boat with one person) the in mast EPEX fully battened Fat Furl system would be where I would look. So your putting more weight in the mast while reefed but then You have the cheese fridge and ice maker to counter that ;-) you also get upto10% more sail area. More than traditional battened mains.

 

[Leighb]

Not our ex-neighbour then.

 

[Javelin]

We had a J51 in for a refit and it had a very expensive carbon boom with in-boom furling.

Frankly it was bloody hard work to get it to furl correctly until we got everything calibrated.
The boom has to be exactly at the right angle because either the mainsail walks forward into the mast or the furls become too loose at the aft end.
Control of the halyard and roller speed has to be very good also to get the furls tight-ish and not damage the battens.
Also on another occasion an innocuous little plastic fairlead at the aft end snapped and the whole dammed thing locked up with the main 1/3 down.

In ideal conditions with control it works but in puffy stuff I'd worry about it.

I'd opt for simple slab reefing with at least three reefs but consider four.
Lazy jacks with a boom bag/collector.

 

[Resolution]

We had a J51 in for a refit and it had a very expensive carbon boom with in-boom furling.

Frankly it was bloody hard work to get it to furl correctly until we got everything calibrated.
The boom has to be exactly at the right angle because either the mainsail walks forward into the mast or the furls become too loose at the aft end.
Control of the halyard and roller speed has to be very good also to get the furls tight-ish and not damage the battens.
Also on another occasion an innocuous little plastic fairlead at the aft end snapped and the whole dammed thing locked up with the main 1/3 down.

.

A friend has an X43 within boom furling. It took him a good couple of years to work out all the angles and tricks to make it furl reliably, but he now finds it excellent.

 

[sailorman]

A friend has an X43 within boom furling. It took him a good couple of years to work out all the angles and tricks to make it furl reliably, but he now finds it excellent.

thats no different to in mast, the boom needs to be the correct angle to the mast

 

[TimBennet]

A friend has an X43 within boom furling. It took him a good couple of years to work out all the angles and tricks to make it furl reliably, but he now finds it excellent.

That's my experience with the Sailtainer in-boom system. They are not exactly 'plug and play' from the start, but once you understand how they work best, I think in boom reefing knocks the socks of all the other systems I've used.

 

[Bobc]

Of course, the one benefit that in-boom has over in-mast, is that if the furling gear jams, you can still drop the sail.

 

[BrianH]

I think in boom reefing knocks the socks of all the other systems I've used.

I thought my humble Profurl system too small and cheap to comment in regard to the OP's impending installation but can relate to the quoted generalisation. With the proviso it took a long time to get right when reefing so that it did not bunch up at the mast - as others have mentioned.

It is thought to be an expensive solution but for a retro-fit, in comparison to a new mast for an in-mast system (heard bad things about behind-mast add-ons), it was the cheapest. And it relieves me of the worry of a jam in a rising gale as it can always be dropped.

 

[sailorman]

Of course, the one benefit that in-boom has over in-mast, is that if the furling gear jams, you can still drop the sail.

with the weight of the sail just above deck level & not up the mast

 

[Lozzer]

Thanks for all the feed back I appreciate it.

I spoke with a sail loft today who made some interesting points however he was a little bit on the fence

One key factor for me is the reefing. Conventional slab I can go 3 reefs with a 4th optional. The in boom system is two reefs then you got to a trysail!!! Alternative was just buy a delivery main which is small?? Don't think so.

At he moment I'm erring to conventional in a big V-boom to catch it.

 

[johnphilip]

Is it just me but i cannot help feeling that this thread is as much about letting us know they are ordering this megayacht as it is about sail storage. Best solution to the sail problem is to get a smaller yacht.

 

[Lozzer]

Is it just me but i cannot help feeling that this thread is as much about letting us know they are ordering this megayacht as it is about sail storage. Best solution to the sail problem is to get a smaller yacht.

Why the hell would we need to brag about buying a 75' yacht! Firstly I am just the skipper so not the person paying the cheques so no kudos for me. Then I'm sure my boss has better things to do than garner gooey comments from people on a forum.

Yes we could buy a smaller yacht but that's not the point. We could also continue to use motor yacht but that's not the point.

Without wanting to appear rude if you having nothing of value to add please don't make any pointless comments about people you don't know.

 

[sailorman]

Why the hell would we need to brag about buying a 75' yacht! Firstly I am just the skipper so not the person paying the cheques so no kudos for me. Then I'm sure my boss has better things to do than garner gooey comments from people on a forum.

Yes we could buy a smaller yacht but that's not the point. We could also continue to use motor yacht but that's not the point.

Without wanting to appear rude if you having nothing of value to add please don't make any pointless comments about people you don't know.

This is a public forum, you asked the question that your sailmaker would be more than happy to answer considering the bill he will be sending you

 

[Lozzer]

I am talking to the sailmaker however it is nice to have independent views from people that have lived with set ups.

It is a public forum I agree, it doesn't mean that people have to question motives for the post.

I guess I have to take the good with the bad etc.