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Date Posted: 10:26:10 07/06/09 Mon
Author: Ari
Subject: Re: Questions about sails/furling
In reply to: Colin 's message, "Questions about sails/furling" on 19:06:44 07/03/09 Fri

Hey Colin,

Congrats on the boat! I've heard all kinds of great things about Dana's and Flicka's. Never sailed on one, but a 24 foot bluewater capable boat seems like a pretty good setup for a single person or even couple.

I would definitely say if it didn't have roller furling to start, I wouldn't add it.

The pros are:

- convenience when it's working
- set/unset from cockpit

- easy to singlehand
- a technique I liked a lot on my last boat was to unroll the jib first, hove-to with lashed tiller while raising the main
- slightly bigger production to do the same with hank on, but not that different I guess

The cons are:

- can get stuck:
- the drum can get over-=rides
- the halyard swivel-mechanism can jam

- can come undone in a storm
- once saw some crazy roller furler carnage in a big winter blow a few years back!!! folks were running all over trying to lower or cut down their flogging sails before they brought down their rigs. this was AT the dock

- less choice of sails
- 100% to 120% is probably a good compromise if you had to choose one headsail
- but you don't have to choose
- what you really want is an 80%, AND a 120%, AND a 150%, AND a drifter

- never sets right when partially furled
- I had a furling 120% on my last boat
- despite having a foam "luff pad", it never set 100% right when furled to about 80%
- sheet leads and twist were never right

Overall, I like hank on because it's simpler and more reliable, and because it allows quick changes between a wider variety of sails to suit different conditions. But if I had a boat that already had roller furling, I might keep it until it broke, then "downgrade" to hank on.

On the second question of sail materials: I would go dacron for working sails as it's more durable and repairable. The exception would be in the case where you can get a screaming deal from a racer who's 1 year old carbon/kevlar/mylar unobtainium sail is "obsolete." I know that happens with windsurfing sails: I've gotten practically unused sails for cheap because last year's design is no longer competitive. (half know slower when going 30 - 40 knots don't bother me none!) Not sure if same marketplace exists for used keelboat racing sails...

Cheers,

- Ari

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