I sail a Cape Dory 28 sloop with hanked-on foresails: 150 Genny, 145
Drifter, and a 80 club footed jib. I'm happy with this arrangement
primarily for its simplicity and reliability. The club footed jib is
self tacking so it's easy to handle. If there's enough wind it's great
especially when single handing. I'm not constantly changing sails and
don't mind going to the foredeck to do it. I can douse the foresail
completely from the cockpit because the halyard and downhaul are there.

Despite the popularity of roller furling I've stayed away from it for 3
reasons:
1) They can fail. I dread the thought of a mechanical failure with a
partially furled headsail when it's really blowing.
2) I hear that changing headsails under way is so difficult, it's not
done. People are installing removable inner forestays so they can hank
on smaller or storm sails.
3) I was happy with what I had.

Now I'm reconsidering for 2 reasons:
1) A friend wants to partner with me on this boat and he doesn't want to
be on the foredeck; he wants roller furling.
2) I'm 65 and who knows how much longer I'll be able to go foward in
safety. If roller furling will extend my cruising life it would be a
good thing.

So here is my question: Is it practical to change headsails underway?

My drifter has a wire luff and although it has hanks can be flown free.
If I got roller furling I'd probably get a new #1 genny (135 rather
than 150 and with a higher clew). I'd also replace the jib hanks with tape.

Would having a dual groove extrusion make it significantly easier?
(doing that racer's peel thing). I was thinking about a CDI FF7 or a
Profurl R25 both have good reputations. I expect that the FF7 with its
single groove and internal halyard would make sail changes impractical;
is that so? Does the Profurl allow for easy sail changes?

Jack
s/v SeaBelle Rockland, ME

Jack Jamison wrote:

I sail a Cape Dory 28 sloop with hanked-on foresails: 150 Genny, 145
Drifter, and a 80 club footed jib. I'm happy with this arrangement
primarily for its simplicity and reliability. The club footed jib is
self tacking so it's easy to handle. If there's enough wind it's great
especially when single handing. I'm not constantly changing sails and
don't mind going to the foredeck to do it. I can douse the foresail
completely from the cockpit because the halyard and downhaul are there.

Despite the popularity of roller furling I've stayed away from it for 3
reasons:
1) They can fail. I dread the thought of a mechanical failure with a
partially furled headsail when it's really blowing.
2) I hear that changing headsails under way is so difficult, it's not
done. People are installing removable inner forestays so they can hank
on smaller or storm sails.
3) I was happy with what I had.

Now I'm reconsidering for 2 reasons:
1) A friend wants to partner with me on this boat and he doesn't want to
be on the foredeck; he wants roller furling.
2) I'm 65 and who knows how much longer I'll be able to go foward in
safety. If roller furling will extend my cruising life it would be a
good thing.

So here is my question: Is it practical to change headsails underway?

My drifter has a wire luff and although it has hanks can be flown free.
If I got roller furling I'd probably get a new #1 genny (135 rather
than 150 and with a higher clew). I'd also replace the jib hanks with tape.

Would having a dual groove extrusion make it significantly easier?
(doing that racer's peel thing). I was thinking about a CDI FF7 or a
Profurl R25 both have good reputations. I expect that the FF7 with its
single groove and internal halyard would make sail changes impractical;
is that so? Does the Profurl allow for easy sail changes?

Jack
s/v SeaBelle Rockland, ME


I had a profurl, with only one groove. It was an old, obsolete
thing. Still have it, melted through by the fire set by vandals on
"The Penny Louise" in about 1999. It parted at the masthead swivel,
nuts came unstaked. The sail could not be easily doused. It needed
to come down, and wouldn't furl any further, having retracted a few
turns in a blow, fouling the forestay on a lee shore. I thought we
were gonna die. We just got it down in time to sail away on the main.

I have your setup. I love it. When you daren't try the foredeck, in
a blow, it's time for a powerboat. I feel for you, I'm next.

I'll try twin forestays for optional sails first with twin halyards,
downhauls, sheets, everything.
Terry K

In article ,
Jack Jamison wrote:

I was thinking about a CDI FF7 or a Profurl R25 both have good
reputations. I expect that the FF7 with its single groove and
internal halyard would make sail changes impractical; is that so?
Does the Profurl allow for easy sail changes?

We have the Flexible Furler; second boat we've put one on. We have about
15 years' experience in total.

Sail changes are not impossible while under way, but the process is
somewhat slower than a racing foil. At anchor, it's no big thing. For
cruising, that's fine as you can figure out approximately what the
weather's going to do most days, downsizing when you expect heavier
winds. If stuff hits the fan, you can partially furl and get by with the
reduced efficiency. Changing to a larger one, of course, is about the
same as doing it at anchor.

The internal halyard works very well. I particularly like both the lack
of halyard wrap and that the luff can be tensioned at the foot with
gravity helping instead of hurting. The whole system is pretty much
bulletproof.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

Terry Spragg wrote:

Jack Jamison wrote:

I sail a Cape Dory 28 sloop with hanked-on foresails: 150 Genny, 145
Drifter, and a 80 club footed jib. I'm happy with this arrangement
primarily for its simplicity and reliability. The club footed jib is
self tacking so it's easy to handle. If there's enough wind it's great
especially when single handing. I'm not constantly changing sails and
don't mind going to the foredeck to do it. I can douse the foresail
completely from the cockpit because the halyard and downhaul are there.

Despite the popularity of roller furling I've stayed away from it for 3
reasons:
1) They can fail. I dread the thought of a mechanical failure with a
partially furled headsail when it's really blowing.
2) I hear that changing headsails under way is so difficult, it's not
done. People are installing removable inner forestays so they can hank
on smaller or storm sails.
3) I was happy with what I had.

Now I'm reconsidering for 2 reasons:
1) A friend wants to partner with me on this boat and he doesn't want to
be on the foredeck; he wants roller furling.
2) I'm 65 and who knows how much longer I'll be able to go foward in
safety. If roller furling will extend my cruising life it would be a
good thing.

So here is my question: Is it practical to change headsails underway?

My drifter has a wire luff and although it has hanks can be flown free.
If I got roller furling I'd probably get a new #1 genny (135 rather
than 150 and with a higher clew). I'd also replace the jib hanks with tape.

Would having a dual groove extrusion make it significantly easier?
(doing that racer's peel thing). I was thinking about a CDI FF7 or a
Profurl R25 both have good reputations. I expect that the FF7 with its
single groove and internal halyard would make sail changes impractical;
is that so? Does the Profurl allow for easy sail changes?

Jack
s/v SeaBelle Rockland, ME


I had a profurl, with only one groove. It was an old, obsolete
thing. Still have it, melted through by the fire set by vandals on
"The Penny Louise" in about 1999. It parted at the masthead swivel,
nuts came unstaked. The sail could not be easily doused. It needed
to come down, and wouldn't furl any further, having retracted a few
turns in a blow, fouling the forestay on a lee shore. I thought we
were gonna die. We just got it down in time to sail away on the main.

I have your setup. I love it. When you daren't try the foredeck, in
a blow, it's time for a powerboat. I feel for you, I'm next.

I'll try twin forestays for optional sails first with twin halyards,
downhauls, sheets, everything.
Terry K

We OTOH have roller furling everything. Behind the mast roller
furling main which came to us that way from the PO. We've repaired it
in the off season a couple of times. I thought that I wouldn't like
it, but I do. Since it isn't furled in the mast I think the places it
could get stuck would be less.

We have a roller furling staysail on a self tending boom that we
installed. Love it. Originally it was not roller furling, but the
top of the sail tore out (probably dry rot because PO apparently used
this sail very little) when it was too rough to go on deck to drop the
sail.

We also have the roller furling yankee jib (not self tending) which
came that way from the manufacturer. One of the later boats than ours
came with three roller furling sails from the manufacturer. Have not
had a problem with this sail either.

We like being able to handle all the sails from the cockpit.


grandma Rosalie