Furler Winding

[Moe]

Just curious if there's a difference in how owners wind the jib on the furler.

[dclark]

It would seem to make the most sense o run the furlerline down the port side. The starboard side is already busier with the CB line. Plus if the lead your main halyard aft, it'll probably be on the port side. Plus the furler line has away of interfering with the anchor locker. It's be worse if the line was on thar starboard side since that is the side the locker opens from.

[Paul S]

Port side. For no other reason that is how the dealers demo boat was. Got used to it there. Put it there and I am happy. Seems logical.

Paul

[Sloop John B]

Coil the line clockwise, as you look down on it.

Pick up three expensive fair leads or bulls eyes from WM. They have a stainless steel insert the line scrapes thru on. They are secured to the stanchions with what look like hose clamps. The forward clamps placement is critical. Mine is on the bottom aft part of the pulpit, port side and leads the furling line to the outside. It does not interfere with the hatch, and doesn't screw up the anchor locker too much, since the locker flips up from starboard.

From the stanchion mount, the line must shoot directly into the drum (which is cocked to port) and must not chafe on the upper or lower part of the drum (or either side).

Two more fair leads clamped on the stanchions to the outside bring the furling line back to the cockpit.

I mounted a small horn cleat toward the back of the cabin, on the side, that is, just over the side from the top. Access for washers and nuts is easily gained through the fuse box hole.

Using the cleat as a template, drill the two holes clean through and secure the cleat.

Next, take your time with masking tape and tape the deck surrounding the cleat. It's hard to do when it's curved, use thin strips.

Next, remove the cleat and coat the exposed area with a nice layer of 3M 5200. No rush, let it get a little tacky. Secure the cleat firmly finger tight, that is, don't really scrunch it yet. Let it firm up a bit, dry to the touch. Doesnt take long so dont leave. Now scrunch it down fairly firm.

Remove the masking tape. Wala.

I use the port winch to crank the furling roller inside the drum while furling the foresail.

When unfurling the sail, keep some tension on the furling line as it coils inside the drum to keep the line from fouling in the drum. Keep an eye on this operation, because if theres a backlash or anything fouled in the line coiling action in the drum, you can really get screwed up with an unremovable sail. That is, until you crawl up there with your little toolbox and a buck knife.

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

The main reason most use the port side is it puts it along the hinged side of the anchor locker. This keeps it out of the way of anchors, chains, bow rollers, etc.

Mine goes to port, winds counter clockwise. This lets the line enter on the aft side of the drum which makes getting a clean run for the line easier.

I have three deck bulls eye fairleads. The first fairlead needs the stainless insert because the line makes a fairly sharp turn to line up with the drum. The previous owner had an all plastic one there and the line had cut a slot half way through. The rest of the fair leads make much gentler turns and I don't see any reason to use the more expensive ones with inserts, they are just plastic. Mine are all along the outboart edge of the deck as it climbs the steps up to the cabintop. My final one on the cabin top is on the forward port stanchion with a clamp on one as Sloop describes.

Originally the line came to a standard cam cleat which worked well. I wouldn't want a horn cleat for the furler line. When I installed my enclosure the cam cleat was in the way of some of the dodger support hardware, so I switched to a smaller Lance cleat



I like it better because it keeps the line captive, you just slide it to the side and it runs free. Ideally I may switch to a small rope clutch which would be even better. I never have needed the winch to furl, we just pull the line by hand. There's never much load.

I'd advise against 5200 for hardware like this. These things get damaged from time to time. Using a less permanent adhesive makes more sense. Marine Silicon has always worked great for me. Another choice would be 4200 sealer, it's much easier to get the part off later with it.

[kmclemore]

I wonder - does one wind it the other way 'round if one is south of the equator?

It would seem to make the most sense o run the furlerline down the port side. The starboard side is already busier with the CB line.

The main reason most use the port side is it puts it along the hinged side of the anchor locker. This keeps it out of the way of anchors, chains, bow rollers, etc.

Mine goes to port, winds counter clockwise. This lets the line enter on the aft side of the drum which makes getting a clean run for the line easier.

I have three deck bulls eye fairleads. The first fairlead needs the stainless insert because the line makes a fairly sharp turn to line up with the drum.... Mine are all along the outboart edge of the deck as it climbs the steps up to the cabintop.

I agree - that's where I ran mine. Works great.

[Don B]

Mine winds clockwise - don't ask me how I know.

I was wondering where the drum is inside those boats that have a furling main sail with the sail furled inside the mast.

The reason I wondered is the base of the mast is not a large enough diameter to hide the drum. I finally figured it must be hidden under the mast step somehow.

I finally saw one exposed. It is a wormgear !! Pretty clever. The line wraps inside the grooves of the wormgear. Sort of like a barber shop pole.

-Don B

[Chip Hindes]

Mine ('01 X) is on the port side, but the real question I believe is which direction the line winds onto the drum. Mine enters the drum on the starboard side, so that if you're looking down on the drum, the way the line winds on resembles a figure "9". Without further description, I think "clockwise" and "counterclockwise" are ambiguous, depending on whether you're describing the way the line wraps the drum or the way the furler turns when you pull the furling line, whether furling or unfurling, etc. So here goes: when you pull the furling line, and when viewed from above, the furler rotates clockwise.

I don't have a particularly good reason why this is so. The fairleads were installed by the dealer; but when I installed the sail, the direction of wrap was left up to me. I experimented with both directions, and to me at least, the way I set it up the line seemed to run to the drum a little fairer.

However, just this past weekend I helped a friend set up his new (to him) '97 X boat, and though the fairleads were the same as mine, the UV strip on the genny dictated that it be wound the opposite direction, like a "P" rather than a "9", and so the furler rotates counterclockwise when the line is pulled. His runs just as fair, maybe even slightly fairer, but the key is, the drum cover on his has been rotated so that the "window" faces 45 degrees to port, rather than dead aft like mine. I read the manual and the ability to reorient the window in any direction is a design feature.

I would caution against using the winch to pull in the furling line. If it's too much for you to pull in easily by hand, something is wrong; if you try to winch it you're liable to break something, or at least jam it up so badly you'll have to wrap the sail around the furler by hand, then later dismantle the furler to fix the jam. Been there, done that.

[Paul S]

Not sure if this answers you question. here is a shot of how it is run on our boat. Pic is dealers demo boat. But ours is run exactly the same:
Roller line

Works fine

Paul

[Newell]

My sailmaker pointed out that there is an outside and a inside to the jib/genoa. The sail should be rolled so that the leech has the smooth side out and the cut side in. He said the UV protection is only on the outside. My sail goe on clockwise and comes off counterclockwise.

[Frank C]

.... However, just this past weekend I helped a friend set up his new (to him) '97 X boat, and though the fairleads were the same as mine, the UV strip on the genny dictated that it be wound the opposite direction, like a "P" rather than a "9", and so the furler rotates counterclockwise when the line is pulled. His runs just as fair,
.... I would caution against using the winch to pull in the furling line. If it's too much for you to pull in easily by hand, something is wrong; if you try to winch it you're liable to break something, or at least jam it up so badly you'll have to wrap the sail around the furler by hand, then later dismantle the furler to fix the jam. Been there, done that.

Chip's description using "9" is how I furl mine, and using the alternative "P" is a good way to picture things. Absent the UV strip, it's entirely Captain's option if the lead is fair. In fact, my dealer's skipper suggested that it's a good idea to alternate sides, since the sail (without protection) is occasionally subject to moderately-lengthy UV exposure.

I agree that using the winch for the furler is "usually" not a good idea. However, on occassion I've had the need, though I dislike it. If winds exceed 18 knots or so, my 135 Genoa can be nigh-impossible to reef by hand, especially since the furler line is so skinny.

I fabricated a "line-grip" tool to when winds are heavy. Basically, it's a 3" length of 1/2" PVC pipe a V-cleat screwed along the length of the tube. Don't stress over trying to duplicate it - worked marginally. Later I found there's little T-shaped gadget available in windsurfing shops to help gripping a small line. Couldn't find a link to one today, but they're out there somewhere.

[Chip Hindes]

Frank: True enough about the skinny line in combo with high winds.

On the old board (so obviously some time ago) somebody suggested using a fatter doublebraid line, say 1/2", to be easier on the hands, but decoring it for whatever length was rolled onto the drum. Seems like it would work great, though it would bother my cheapskate sensibilities to be buying expensive oversized line then essentially cutting off and throwing away a decent chunk of it. I'll probably do it if my existing line ever needs replacement.

[Frank C]

Frank: True enough about the skinny line in combo with high winds.

On the old board (so obviously some time ago) somebody suggested using a fatter doublebraid line, say 1/2", to be easier on the hands, but decoring it for whatever length was rolled onto the drum. Seems like it would work great, though it would bother my cheapskate sensibilities to be buying expensive oversized line then essentially cutting off and throwing away a decent chunk of it. I'll probably do it if my existing line ever needs replacement.

Yeah, and it's those same heavy winds that make furling that puppy quickly, even more urgent! If you're using the winch, just be sure you don't have the idle jib halyard wrapping the top of the Genny, or you could pull the rig down with that winch!

It offends my sensibilities to rely on that half-inch line cover after it's been cored. I know it's probably adequate, but the strains I've felt when reefing in high winds .... just makes me nervous.

[Chip Hindes]

It offends my sensibilities to rely on that half-inch line cover after it's been cored.

I'd say what's left of a cored 1/2" is roughly if not exactly equivalent to the 1/4" OEM original that came on mine.

[Dimitri-2000X-Tampa]

Well, I have a bunch of comments on this one.

First, on Paul's pic...wow, that fairlead is really far back. Mine is much closer to the furler. However, maybe too close. I used to think that keeping some tension on the furling line while the sail was unfurling was a good idea, but then I noticed the line bunching up around the bottom of the drum..perhaps because the fairlead is too close, who knows. But once I stopped snubbing the line and just let it fly, it fills the drum just fine and does not jam...so, that is my new approach and it works great.

Second, regarding the cored line..my sailmaker recommended this too, said hardly any of the ropes' strength is in the core and its almost as strong without it. If I replace the line, I may do this as it supposedly makes it wrap around the drum much nicer, but I wouldn't go up to a line bigger than 1/4 inch otherwise you would be defeating the purpose. The idea is not to decore the whole thing, just the part that wraps around the drum. That way, the part you still hold in your hand is thicker and easier to hold.

Finally, I have to point out that my former O'day (much fancier) sailboat had all those doohickies on each stanchion and it was a royal pain. It had bunches of fairleads, lots of ballbearing guides, etc. That thing only worked right 50% of the time. The rest of the time, I was either winching it like a banchee (across the beam of the boat) or else I had to go to the foredeck and turn it by hand.

When I got the Mac, the P.O. had the line going through all kinds of contortions also, through the only fairlead (ie. I only have one and it does not have the insert nor is it cut through), then through the anchor locker hasp (mine is on the starboard side), through the little webs of both stanchions, etc. No ballbearings...but the thing still worked better than the O'Day because it had less obstacles to go through..ballbearings or not.

When I had the sail off last year to do the U/V cover, I decided if less was better, why don't I route it even straighter so now, I only have it contact 3 places. 1. the fairlead, 2. It goes around the starboard side of the aftmost stanchion of the bow pulpit, then 3. through the webbing of only the fore upper stanchion. From there, it goes straight to the camcleat. Yes, the line is over the windows a bit, but who cares, the thing works like a charm. Going around the bow pulpit keeps it well away from the anchor locker and keeping the resistance down to only 3 lead points makes it furl like a dream.

Since I've done that, I have never had to unjam it or winch it no matter how strong the wind is (and this is with the genoa, not the jib which is even easier). It works flawlessly each and every time...so, a good example of the KISS method at its best.