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Headsail Furling/Reefing Systems |
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| What They Do
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Headsail furling/reefing systems accomplish two critical
tasks:
1. They allow you to quickly and easily set or strike your headsail.
2. They allow you to increase or reduce the sail area of your headsail while
underway.
These benefits have changed how many of us use our boats.
The main advantages are to those of us who want to dash out for a quick sail, but hesitate
because of the hassles of dealing with a genoa. It can be a struggle to pull an ungainly
sail on deck, bend it on, possibly have to change to a smaller headsail if the wind comes
up, unbend it, and figure out how to fold it properly alone, or with inexperienced guests.
It's frustrating enough to force us to cruise the harbor under power, or to dink around
with only the main up!
Furlers can also allow older or short-handed crews to sail a larger boat than they would
otherwise be able to handle. It's not uncommon to see couples double-handing 55-60'
yachts, which would have been very rare prior to furling (both headsails and mains).
And, when that black squall line shows up in the afternoon, the crew can strike furling
headsails in seconds, leaving only the main to contend with.
(However, we always have to stress conservatism when relying on mechanical devices which
could "pack it in" at an inopportune moment. An older couple we know were
bareboating a Morgan 46 in BVI about 15 years ago double handed. When a large squall
descended upon them, they tried to furl the genoa, which inevitably jammed, forcing them
to enter Virgin Gorda Harbor with a wildly flapping, partially furled sail. They were very
lucky to find a slip that was unoccupied and upwind!) |
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| How They Work
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| Continuous improvement of headsail furler/reefers by
Harken,
ProFurl and
Schaefer
has made these systems affordable and reliable, without relegating your boat to the back
of the fleet. After living with
Harken
and
Schaefer
furlers on our Santa Cruz 40 ProMotion for twelve years, we can't imagine
being without a jib furling system on any but the most high tech race boat, or most
traditional cruiser. The main difference between having one and not is that you are much
more likely to head down to the boat and go for a quick sail when you have a headsail
furler. We still race in club-level events and we are competitive (or at least it isn't
the furler's fault if we're not).
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| Sail Selection
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One area of caution: we think you can
effectively reduce your headsail area by about 30%-from a 130% to a 100%-but not much
further. We've all seen ads in sailing magazines which imply that your 150% genoa can be
rolled into a storm jib, but that is nonsense. If you sail in an area where the prevailing
winds are light in one season and heavy in another, you'll probably want two furling
headsails: a 135% and a 110%, for example.
On the
other hand, one of our associates completed a 35,000-mile circumnavigation in a Freya 39,
and used the same sail for the entire voyage: a 135% high clew genoa, so maybe you can
cruise with only one sail....
For winds of widely varying velocity, you may want to consider having a furling genoa on
the stem, and a furling stays'l inboard. This provides a wide range of sail area, and
doesn't force the genoa to do the work of a small heavy weather jib.
Although you can convert an existing genoa to work with your new furler, you will be much
happier if you spring for a new, properly designed headsail. Sailmakers have steadily
improved their furling sail design, resulting in very durable genoas that have great shape
when fully unrolled or partially deployed. Some include a small piece of foam, which is
sewn into the luff of the sail just aft of the furling extrusion, allowing the sail to
roll up much more smoothly.
Some sails have tri-radial construction so that they look
better over a wider range of deployment, or use fabrics that shrug off UV radiation
without a large blue leech cover. Talk to your sailmaker about which furler you are buying
and how you intend to use it. |
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| What to Look For
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| Ease of Installation
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| All of the systems we sell have very good instructions
included with them, but installation can be a handful for the amateur. All models fit over
your existing headstay, with only slight modifications. However, we think that the
services of a professional rigger would probably be justified, especially when it comes to
measuring, removing, and re-installing your headstay. |
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| Racing Efficiency
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 You don't have to give
up club racing and ocean racing when you add a furler. In general, your furler should have
an efficient foil cross-section with two aft-facing grooves, and one where the drum is
easily removed and replaced. The
Harken
and
Schaefer
models with a standard split drum allow easy removal. With the drum removed, they can use
normal racing sails, do inside-out changes, and compete pretty effectively. In more casual
racing, use your best furling sail, and enjoy the simplicity of mark roundings when all
you have to do is pull a line to get rid of the jib, and pull a sheet to
"deploy" it.
Before you write off serious racing with a furler, read the articles on the Around Alone
(formerly BOC) World Race, or the Vendee Globe Challenge. Those boats, capable of speeds
over 20 knots, generally have two or three furling headsails in place at all times.
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Harken #1 Boat Furler
Harken Small
Boat Furler
Harken Lead Block Kit
Schaefer Furling
Blocks |
