MacGregorSailors.com

I have a heck of a time getting my 150 Genoa to unfurl past the shrouds - there's still lots left on the roller although I have no idea how much since I have never been able to completely unfurl it

Is there a trick to this?

Make sure the sheets are outside the shrouds and you use the cockpit track for the lead, the wind will do the rest.

I have it set up that way. The motivation would be in light winds but it doesn't seem to get the job done. Maybe something is stuck.

By the way, am I wrong in thinking that having the 150 Genoa crossing back fully behind the mast helps keep the forces around the center of the boat balanced? (I.e. Actually improving pointing?)

Is your furler loose and allowing it to easily unfurl? I generally pull it out quickly and it opens easily.

--Russ

It does unfurl easily back to around the shrouds before it gets much harder. Based on this feedback I'll do some more investigation do see if something is causing it to stick part way.

bobbob wrote:It does unfurl easily back to around the shrouds before it gets much harder. Based on this feedback I'll do some more investigation do see if something is causing it to stick part way.

Sounds like either too much furling line on the drum, or it's not winding evenly over the drum width. In the case of the former, that's an easy fix. For the latter, the fairlead would have to be moved so the line is square to the middle of the drum, and the fleet angle is the same at both flanges.

Is the former an easy fix? The furling line is completely unwound when fully furled, so if there's too much line to fit in the CDI furler I would need to go down a line size - what is the minimum recommended line size for furling lines?

Hello,
What size furler line does it have? Small line tends to tangle up and it's hard on the hands. We went to 5/16" line and removed the core from the drum end. This allows the line to lay flat at first so it all winds in there. Also, I have to keep just a little tension on the line as it pays out to keep the line organized on the drum. Flake the line before deploying.

Hope this helps......

bobbob wrote: By the way, am I wrong in thinking that having the 150 Genoa crossing back fully behind the mast helps keep the forces around the center of the boat balanced? (I.e. Actually improving pointing?)

Generally a 150 will not point as high. A 150 is sheeted out side the side stays. A 100 can be sheeted inside the side stays giving the head sail a better angle. Plus when you sheet a 150 in it starts to affect the main airflow a lot more.

Yeah, sorry - I completely fumbled what I meant to say I was reading another thread about sailing with just the headsail, and it occurred to me that just the 150% Genoa should be superior in terms of pointing or keeping a bearing to just a 100% Jib because at least you have some sail on both sides of the mast with the Genoa?

As the Genny unfurls, the drum winds up the line. If you have too thick a line, you can have too much line on the drum, and end up trying to jam too much line into too small a space. With a strong enough wind, it can unfurl. This can create another challenge. You can also have a difficulty pulling the drum line to furl the Genny if it is too tight ( because of too thick a line).

The next time the PR elm occurs, hopefully you have someone on board who can take the helm, so you can go forward to see how full the drum is. If it is tight, try a thinner line on the drum.

Ray

Try unfurling the furler then run the furling line through ur hands work out any twist in the line which will jam the furler

J

Yes - what's it worth to ya?

bobbob wrote:I have a heck of a time getting my 150 Genoa to unfurl past the shrouds - there's still lots left on the roller although I have no idea how much since I have never been able to completely unfurl it

Is there a trick to this?

How would I tell what size my Genoa is? Are they labeled?

Foresails are measured by the distance from the foot of the forestay to the mast, a 100% jib would go back to the mast, 110% goes 10% of the distance past the mast.

The 150% genoa goes from the foot of the forestay back to the mast and then past it by 50% of the distance from the forestay to the mast.

Eg, if the forestay to the mast is 10 feet, a 100% jib would have a foot of 10 feet,a 110% would be 11 feet and 150% genoa would be 15 feet,

I think thats right anyways