capnsensible
Well-Known Member
The feeder is so you don't have to go on the foredeck........
Used to call them monkeys (think you know).
Wintering afloat - leave sails on OK?
- Thread starter JimC
- Start date
The feeder is so you don't have to go on the foredeck........
Used to call them monkeys (think you know).
JimC
Well-Known Member
Use a pre-feeder...
Many variations available.
I'd never heard of prefeeders before. I found this video illustrating their use... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hc3tdAS1sqo,,, and they look to be just the job. Any recommendations on which to buy? The Harken one is attractively cheap.
prv
Well-Known Member
Do you adjust the jib halyard much? I don't, which is why I put it at the mast so that it's handy when on the foredeck to hoist or lower the sail. And if I were to adjust it for optimum sail shape, it would only be on nice calm days when trying to squeeze the most out of a light wind, so I'd be happy to go on deck to tweak and fiddle.
In any case, if you are stuck with the halyard in the cockpit, you shouldn't need to un-reeve it - just put it round a turning block somewhere aft.
Pete
snooks
Well-Known Member
If you want to look after your furling headsail, you may want to...I release my genoa halyard after every sail. Leaving the halyard tensioned all the time elongates the luff because it's always under tension. Once it's stretched the halyard need tightening up and the whole process starts again as the sail slowly stretches.
Of course you can still ease the halyard at the mast, but it's easier to forget.
Robert Wilson
Well-Known Member
The feeder is so you don't have to go on the foredeck........
Used to call them monkeys (think you know).
I accept that, and it was fine with my old(er) jibs but my new genoa (4 years and rarely hoisted/downed) and new working jib they are so stiff that feeding often needs "manual assistance".
Robert Wilson
Well-Known Member
1. I now feel a complete twit !! :redface-new: All this time and it never struck me that I hardly ever adjust the halyard apart from easing it when finished sailing and tensioning it when starting sailing.
Big thank you from big twit on the Doh-Doh-Step
AND that frees-up a clutch back at the cockpit...............
Hey ho!
2. Sadly it isn't long enough to reach back to the fore-deck from the cockpit. Silly oversight on my part....
3. BUT it will be long enough after I have reeved it to the mast winch and cleat.
HOW embarrassing. But thank you sir.
Koeketiene
Well-Known Member
snooks
Well-Known Member
Well, as my post I was replying to was about cockpit led lines...How about easing the halyard it at the cockpit jammerWhere else?
RichardS
N/A
Well, as my post I was replying to was about cockpit led lines...How about easing the halyard it at the cockpit jammer
But be careful about easing it too much! For some reason when I dropped my genoa this August I released the halyard before I unfurled the sail. As soon as I released the tension on the furler the sail "relaxed" and unfurled itself a little thereby taking the halyard on the top swivel a turn around the forestay. Cue another 30 minutes trying to work out why the sail will now not drop down out of the slot like it has always done before.
I've since had a careful look at the top swivel (now it's down) and poured some clean hot water through it. It seems to turn smoothly but it is quite tight so I guess it's meant to be. Must remember not to slacken in right off at the jamming cleat whilst the sail is still tightly furled!
Richard
charles_reed
Well-Known Member
On principle, I'd take the sails off.
Lack of water-borne discolouration, risk of flogging damage and unnecessary UV degradation are the main reasons. I've even had two sparrows nests in the main
I say "in principle" because I leave my fully-battened main on in its boom bag as it's such a problem to stow (taking a 32m2 sail back home 1330nm is not viable) and re-placing and tuning the battens and putting in 4 sets of reefing lines is more than one day's work.
I have had one roller genoa flog itself to death over a two-month storage ashore in Monfalcone - not a major setback as it was the first and last crosscut genoa I'd had and was a real dog. So I always take off the roller foresails (of which I've three).
Lack of water-borne discolouration, risk of flogging damage and unnecessary UV degradation are the main reasons. I've even had two sparrows nests in the main
I say "in principle" because I leave my fully-battened main on in its boom bag as it's such a problem to stow (taking a 32m2 sail back home 1330nm is not viable) and re-placing and tuning the battens and putting in 4 sets of reefing lines is more than one day's work.
I have had one roller genoa flog itself to death over a two-month storage ashore in Monfalcone - not a major setback as it was the first and last crosscut genoa I'd had and was a real dog. So I always take off the roller foresails (of which I've three).
Kelpie
Well-Known Member
My boom, stackpack, and mainsail is down below in the cabin- didn't bother trying to take the canvas off, so no need to unreeve any reefing lines, remove battens etc.
Twister_Ken
Well-Known Member
Clever!
PeppaPig
Well-Known Member
Talking to the local sail-maker about taking down the furling main and genoa for winter he says keeping them rolled is better than folding/flaking. We leave ours on and put extra ties around them to stop any unfurling.
Daydream believer
Well-Known Member
As I now have a laminate ST on my boat I found folding hassle so i rolled it round a piece of plastic soil pipe
Worked quite well & having done it once so I know the angle to start the roll off I could do it on the foredeck fairly easily - assuming 2 of us ,which one needs to flake anyway