Harbour Furling

[david]

Hi,
        I am having a heck of a time trying to harbour furl my main sail. (Gunter rig). I just do not seem too able to manage it. I end up just scooping it all up and tying it up before I come about. Does anyone have a good way to do this that I can copy please?

Regards,

David. 

[Llafurio]

Harbourfurling is essential for me. One of the reasons I will not have a battened mainsail because that cannot be harbourfurled.

In theory: 1. disconnect the mainsheet from the boom. 2. being a righthander, stand in the centre of the cockpit  and grip the clew side of the boom, aft of the sail clew with your right hand, and the left hand holds the boom as far forward as you can reach. 3. pull the boom aft to disconnect the boom from the gooseneck pin. 4. tilt the mast side of the boom up to bring the entire boom paralell to the sail leech, and start to roll the boom forward into the sail until the roll with the boom at its core is parallel to the mast. 5 . Tie to mast at chest height, and secure the upper portion to the mast with spare (spinnaker) haliard. 6. To tidy and secure all before leaving the boat, release the sail tack from the mast, lower the topmast to jackknife the mainsail roll into the cockpit.

In practice, the standard BR 20 does not harbourfurl well.: On some boats the gooseneck is on the starboard side of the mast, which prohibits righthanders from having the strongest grip and lever on the boom. Then, because of the mainsail being so long in the foot, the boom is very heavy and long which makes it hard to tilt up even without the wind additionally tearing at it. So in just a bit of wind it already takes herculean stature and force to harbourfurl the boat, and even if successful without the sailor having been blown out of the boat the harbourfurled mainsail then cannot even be secured enough so stays in danger of being blown open again at the topmast end, and finally the long roll cannot be jackknifed as uptilted boom and topmast have some overlap.

I advocate the smaller mainsail also because with that also the harbourfurling works like it should and the furled sail can be secured, even in a lot of wind, and finally the rolled sail can also be jackknifed and then fits easily into the cockpit length without any overhang.   

 

[Graham W]

In practice, the standard BR 20 does not harbourfurl well.: On some boats the gooseneck is on the starboard side of the mast, which prohibits righthanders from having the strongest grip and lever on the boom. Then, because of the mainsail being so long in the foot, the boom is very heavy and long which makes it hard to tilt up even without the wind additionally tearing at it. So in just a bit of wind it already takes herculean stature and force to harbourfurl the boat, and even if successful without the sailor having been blown out of the boat the harbourfurled mainsail then cannot even be secured enough so stays in danger of being blown open again at the topmast end, and finally the long roll cannot be jackknifed as uptilted boom and topmast have some overlap.

I agree with Claus that the standard BR20 is very difficult to harbourfurl.  Perhaps with a lighter carbon sprit boom it would be more manageable but even so, it would still be quite an effort with such a large sail.  I think the double topping lift is a better solution with the standard sail - quick to raise and lower and with the addition of a few sail ties can be made into a neat horizontal package which is out of the way of the cockpit.  A smaller footed mainsail with a shorter yard would also benefit from this arrangement, with the added bonus that the top of the lowered yard would not interfere with the mizzen.

Attached a photo of Turaco with its standard sail and the yard projecting beyond the mizzen.  My solar panel rests on top of the boom and (in Corfu especially) charges my 18ah battery quickly.

[Llafurio]

Two photos of the BR 20 with the smaller mainsail, harbourfurled. Lowering and re-stepping of the mast complete with harbourfurled mainsail attached can be done singlehanded in one minute. Harbourfurling takes one minute. HarbourUNfurling (opening the harbourfurled mainsail) into full sailing mode takes less than a minute.

[david]

Thank you for the feedback. I will let you know how I get along.   

[david]

I am pleased to report that the harbour furling this weekend was achieved. Much better system than I had attempted before. You were right that it does take a fair amount of strength to do. I was out in force 4-5 winds this weekend. One hairy moment as I was furling when the wind caught the sail just as I had started, it almost knocked me over 
 I was able to complete and the sail ended up good against the mast. Making the motor in to the dock a pleasant experience. (Rather than having to fight the spars and sail with the tiller!).
 I did experience the issue you warned about on the jack knifing of the spars.

Thank you for the coaching.

Regards,

David.

[Llafurio]

Hi David,
pleased to read that you were successful with the recommended harbourfurling technique. And that you also found out about why the overlap of uptilted boom and topmast yard is not helpful. A small detail it seems, but it makes a big difference to the practical handling of the boat.
You also found out -the hard way- why also the weight of the solid pine boom creates quite a handling problem. In consequence to this I have built me a new boom from carbon fibre, and have used the original heavy boom timber to make me a new stronger jib clubboom. Much happier now, with both.

And I am sorry to announce that you will also find out sooner or later why I had warned you about the harbourfurled mainsail: The length above the main mast top is so long that the furled sail there cannot be secured enough even by slinging the spare halyard tightly around the mast and the harbourfurled mainsail.     Now, once the top of the harbourfurled sail starts to blow open, this process creates more and more windage there, and then the process becomes progressive and the sail will subsequently blow open even more, until you end with a complete mess of a ballooning and entangled mainsail. And, worse, this usually happens when you least want it to happen, i.e. when you are in a tight spot like motoring out of a narrow marina channel seawards into a headwind, and with not much room or shelter to lee.

The smaller mainsail, if you would follow that advice too, will cure all these issues and problems, besides making the boat a better balanced and faster sailer for small crew or singlehander on salt water.
C.

[david]

Hi Graham,
                    I can not figure out how you have such a neat looking sail furled in your photo? I assume you did not roll it in the boom or gaff! I see the toping lift. But am envious of the neat looking furl you have. What is your secret?

David.

[Graham W]

When you drop the yard and mainsail down into the embrace of the double topping lift, the sail naturally falls to the port side of the boom.  Standing on the port side, release the downhaul from the luff and then take the lowest bit of the sail, which is near the luff.  Roll it up into itself with two hands fairly far apart (rolling clockwise when looking forwards) and keep going until it is a neat roll on the side of the boom.  Then use a good quality sail tie to tie it around to the port side or underneath the boom and yard before moving to the other parts of the sail to roll and tie them on too.  I usually use four of five ties for extra neatness.  The main halyard can be left attached to the yard, either hauled in fairly tight or let go, laid along the top of the boom towards the gooseneck, secured there and then hauled tight (less windage and allows a sail cover to be put on). The whole process takes a couple of minutes.  In good weather, the knot I use for the sail ties is what I think is a slipped half hitch with a bow, which means that the whole sail can be unfurled in about 30 seconds and the yard raised in about the same time.

My double topping lift is arranged as follows:  it starts with a padeye at the top of the mast, starboard side.  It then goes down to the end of the sprit boom, where a removable swivelling hook clips on to another fixed eye (screwed very securely with long screws into the end of the boom).  From there it goes back up to a small cheek block at the top of the mast, port side and then down to a cleat at the foot of the mast.  You need plenty of 4mm line and it passes through an eye on the boom end hook rather than being fixed to it.  So when you pull down by the cleat, both sides of the topping lift (and the sprit boom) go up. My cheap swivelling hook with a weak spring has detached itself a couple of times in strong winds, leaving the topping lift to flap about in the wind.  So I am upgrading it to one of these, which is made of sterner stuff http://www.purplemarine.com/dinghy/wichard-snap-swivel-hooks.html?source=googleps

You can probably see the whole thing a bit more clearly in these photos - neat (with solar panel on top) vs quick & dirty.

[steve jones]

I have recently returned from a weeks sailing in and around Plymouth, using the cut down (to first reef) main. The weather for the whole week was mostly greater than a 4, often 6/7 , only on one occasion did I have to resort to outboard alone for a long passage in a 7/8, I would not have gone out in it but was stuck. The fact that I was singlehanded ment I had to frequently put what would be a second reef in and often had to do a harbour furl.
  Since I have incorporated a reefing line at mast head, both reefing and furling are easy, and neat, with the reduced mainsail.
 I had made a reduced sprit boom but rather stupidly forgot to bring it! so had to resort to loose footed main, and in confined waters had to use it more as a windsurfer rig.
 Given the circumstances, single handed; heavy weather; sea conditions; I completly agree with Claus in all aspects, without the mods'  I would have had to abandon the trip.

Steve Jones

BR17 N0NA ME

[david]

Claus and Graham
                                      Thank you for sharing your systems. I do not have topping lines at this time. I generally try to keep the number of lines to the minimum in the boat. The smaller sail is attractive if I can get the funds together for it. I may try the carbon boom idea first. Wind sail masts can be found cheaply here that I could adapt.
Regards
David.

[Graham W]

I've hesitated making a carbon sprit boom, in case the original heavy wooden one has a function in helping the standard mainsail to keep its shape when it's not sheeted in. I can more easily see the case for a stiffer (and lighter) yard and stiffer jib boom.

[Llafurio]

...I generally try to keep the number of lines to the minimum in the boat. ...

Here, Here!

David, pls see the attached photo showing the boat with the carbon spritboom. You see the bend in the boom, and you see why it bends so much: the clew of the mainsail is a good distance aft from the mainsheet point. So, there is a long lever, and that makes necessary such a strong and heavy boom. But, if you have a smaller mainsail, the clew of that sail is practically directly above the mainsheet attachment point, so no lever there, and no bending momentum. Which allows to have a much lighter boom then, I find 40 x 40 mms pinewood fully sufficient, which at 2,750 mms length weighs really next to nothing.

[Llafurio]

...I may try the carbon boom idea first. Wind sail masts can be found cheaply here that I could adapt.
Regards
David.

David,
to make your own mainsail boom from carbon material, three recommendations.:
1. the thinner end of the carbon tube to be on the mast side of the boom
2. turn the tube end plugs from teakwood, to avoid the risk of the plugs bursting the tube ends when getting wet. Glue the plugs in using Sikaflex or Pantera, as epoxy resin does not bond with carbon.
3. you can incorporate an automatic foot tensioning (sail flattening) as per the photo below. This arrangement also automatically takes the sail foot tension out once the mainsheet is taken off, so the boom can be pulled aft and off the gooseneck pin.

[Michael Rogers]

This thread is not of direct relevance to my sailing, and I hesitate to take issue with Claus (albeit on a relatively small matter), but his statement that 'epoxy resin does not bond with carbon' surprised me. In my experience CF does indeed bond very adequately with epoxy. The tube (or whatever) surface does need to be thoroughly roughened, and a routine wipe with isopropanol or whatever does no harm. I have a wooden mast cap and mast heel epoxied into my CF mast, and a few other applications round the partners, and the results are fine. This is also in line with Swallowboats practice. Matt let me have a 'fag end' of CF tube, which was about 30 cm or so (the bit I had a use for) sticking out from where the end was epoxied to a fitted chunk of hard wood. The two were inseparable - believe me, I tried hard to part them!

Michael  (Trouper 12 Cavatina)