I was referred to it by friends in the Cape Dory Association because I asked about their experiences with either in-mast or in-boom furlers. John Mast Hi-Low ReeferThis reefer is the departure point from which the others have developed. Profurl offers two types of in-boom furlers:
Schaefers boom furler allows the boat to remain on course, thus preventing most of the yaw and pitching connecting with old style reefing. An aft cockpit configuration typically provides a lower boom that is mostly forward of the dodger and is relatively easy to reach from the cabin top to flake, secure and cover the mainsail. On one hand, you don't need a sail cover. Privacy Guaranteed - your email is never shared with anyone, opt out any time. Shoreham - up the river without a paddle. Except that its different from the one you describe: the sail does not furl inside the boom but around it. Our Leisure Furl Coastal, in boom, mainsail-furling system has been installed on our Catalina 30 for approximately six months now. However, an in-mast system has a significant advantage when reefing in or rolling away, as one simply needs to keep light tension on the outhaul line without needing to be directly head to wind. Oceanfurl carbon booms are the perfect combination of performance, convenience, and safety. Just a push button to haul down the main sail
Chuck Poindexter (Sound Rigging, Essex, CT) has installed 14 Leisure Furl units. However, the newly-engineered hardware proved to be more complicated and ultimately less convenient than it looked. Maximum Coastal System luff length (P) is 40 and maximum foot length (E) is 14, Enter Your Email Address to Get our eNewsletter, Subscriber Only SpecialsTech Tips From the Pros, 22322 Gilberto, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688. A: First, a little background we invested four years in design, engineering and materials evaluation to produce the most advanced, trouble free mainsail furler available anywhere. A new boom is prepared for Rodkicker, Lazy jack sliders, easy installation of a stack-pack system and boom light that will lighten up your cockpit at night. As with all of the mainsail furlers, the angle between mast and boom (or tack angle) is critical. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. On the other hand, an external roll is tolerant of long battens, stiff sailcloth, and furling errors. Having to drop the sail doesn't, in my book count as reeking and having to deal with a mainsail on deck in a rising wind is possibly dangerous. In-mast systems require a little more attention when deploying initially, as one needs to keep tension on the outhaul when rolling out the first 10-20% of the sail, in order to avoid bunching up within the mast cavity a situation that can easily be rectified by reversing the process. Eco electric Torqeedo Cruise 4.0 saildrive with folding prop. We have a Profurl in-boom on ours. No boating registration required nor boating licence needed. Both systems offer tremendous safety advantages because you dont have to leave the cockpit to shorten or store the mainsail. Cabin has two bunks, galley, gas oven/stove, fridge/freezer (12v an. With the Schaefer system (and all others except ProFurl) you can reef without totally depowering the sail if you must. We hope this note helps to highlight the many considerations involved in choosing a mainsail handling system. The most common upgrade is to a Single Line Boom. In order to reduce weight, while still providing sheaves for single line reefing, we have made the inboard end fitting as short as possible. The advantages of in-boom furling that prompted Hoods noble experiment have not disappeared with Stoboom. Seldn booms have a wealth of sophisticated features and can be equipped with a variety of reefing systems to suit different boats and the needs of different sailors. But since reconfiguring the foot, lining up batten pockets parallel to the boom, adding material to the roach, attaching a new luff tape, and installing a new headboard, it may be cost effective to order a new main. Boom reefing places the mainsails furled weight low, with the boats natural righting motion undisturbed. Release tension on main halyard. The boom vang is not included. 2022 Schaefer Marine Inc., 158 Duchaine Boulevard, New Bedford, MA / Tel: 508-995-9511. JavaScript is disabled. The boom is tapered for refined styling and weight savings. A significant difference between systems is how they attach to the mast. Electric halyard winches, full-length battens with roller cars, single reef lines and built-in zip sail covers all make life easier when it comes to raising, lowering, securing and covering the sail. In contrast to the in-mast furling systems, where the sail is rolled onto a vertical luff rod within the mast profile, with a boom reef system the sail is furled and reefed horizontally onto a hollow section within the boom. A lighter boom also reduces the tendency of the boat to roll when sailing downwind and it improves the effect of the Rodkickers gas spring. New production GRP yacht, designed by Tony Castro, built by Central Boating Services, awaiting launch. 2022All rights reserved Low boom weight, Drive positioned inside mandrel The two key elements in the furler, however, are its through-the-mast drive shaft and the universal joint that joins it to the mandrel at the gooseneck. Butch Ulmer, veteran sailmaker from City Island, NY, feels cautious about it: The geometry still needs to be worked out. Schaefers furling boom features the same trouble free, oversized Torlon bearings as our headsail furler. A: The races are open, so you can just flush them out with fresh water every few months. ProFurls other salient feature is its articulating luff track mounted aft of the mast. A: Absolutely. Schaefer Marine, a well-established hardware company, on the other hand offers a new system born of three years of design and development, but without much time in service. As I said, the Stoboom, or at least my Stoboom, contrary to what the article says, does not roll inside the boom but around it making it much less likely to jam. Check if the sail is flat for in boom furling it is for in mast all normal sails are curved and provide drive. I can imaging this is a VERY difficult sail to get correct. From the perspective of a sailmaker, the one thing I don't like about in-boom furling is how the sail design is totally taken over by the hardware. FurlboomOne of the secrets of this furler is the way its built. Lower the boom end, however, and the sail will bunch at the forward end of the boom, leading it to jam. Robust gooseneck attachment wings and a rugged, load bearing gooseneck fixture, to provide three-point attachment of the gooseneck fitting to the mast. We put the gear through paces that occasionally created problems, but those snags never kept us from executing our set/reef/reset/douse evolution. A 42-foot P unit retails for $7,920, including a solid vang and boom brake. More affordable and less risky than furling the main inside the mast, these boom furlers were a big hit. > Maintenance free
As an alternative, an internal cascade system with up to 20:1 purchase can be used and operated by hand from the cockpit or by a crew member hiking on the rail. Release tension on main halyard. You can reef on any point of sail, without leaving the cockpit, without bringing the boat into the wind, and without losing either your steerage or bearing. Like many of the systems we looked at, this one has had success on the race course. Because of the number of components, relationships, and variables, we think Leisure Furls riggers only installation scheme makes sense, too. We asked the owner of a 73-footer who undertook a complete and costly refit why he hadnt put a boom furler aboard. With a boom-furling system you can assure yourself of a powerful modern sailplan with plenty of roach, with the additional bonus of being able to use full-length battens to help control sail shape and reduce flogging. Hoisting the sail by hand felt significantly easier than with any of the other systems. The subject of mainsail rig and furling systems is an important one, and the question of What is best? invariably comes up early on when reviewing sailboats with clients. Each boom is custom made at our plant in Southern California by professional riggers. The forward universal allows complete freedom of rotation under the highest loads. > Ease of use: one furling line
The current owner, who inherited the boat from her father and has sailed it all those years, said her father never used it.not has she. Booms with German split mainsheet systems have fastening positions for blocks at the inboard end, and two webbing strops to hold up the mainsheet. And, as always when we attempt to conquer the considerable forces of wind and wave by mechanical means, we tread a fine line between convenience and chaos. We wondered if the luff groove, a UV-resistant polymer, was as sturdy as the rest of the unit, but from the flogging that we put it through on our test sail it seems ready to withstand realistic abuse. A non-furling mainsail has its limitations and improvements as noted above. New Bedford, MA 02745; 508/995-9511; www.schaefermarine.com. It captures a short bolt rope on the middle third of the sail, holding it to the mandrel. It was equiped with a Proctor system which has a reefing handle on the forward side of the mast. I dont need a $20,000 sailcover, he replied. To match up to a 50-foot luff length you will need to pay $9,300. Ooops, just realized the article is from 20 years ago. With the autopilot you can furl the sail single-handed in a couple of minutes or less. Holds full length battens at the precise distance from the mast for stowing on our boom enclosed mandrel. However, when you see the slick automatic sail cover that you can slide into place once the sail is put to bed, it underscores the fact that you cant knock boom furlers for cruisability. Hood tried education (a special aftermarket owners manual) and hand-holding (extensive customer service) before eventually pulling the Stoboom off the market. We were determined to produce a system that would operate perfectly right out of the box, and extensive testing while sailing on small, medium and large boats (32 to 50 (feet) indicates we were right on the mark. Great for the young folks.but Im 76, and hoping to sail, sometimes singlehanded, for 15 more years. For the timber boat enthusiast, there is a full history, log book, including photos and signatures from Voyagers build and launch. Class rules are closely studied to push performance to the limit. attachment. Well, youre talking to a guy in Maine..but I didnt write this article. Ive been impressed that Leisure Furl has continued to evolve and improve.. This includes a boom vang, but not a sail. We have a range of drive systems to suit your yacht and the desired specification of your Oceanfurl Furling Booms > Can be fitted on most boats with aluminium masts
With old style jiffy reefing shortening the main in heavy air requires seven steps: Bring boat into the wind Furlboom (designed and built in Australia by Aussie yachtsmen to suit our rugged sailing conditions) has had a varied career and is now built and sold by the recently-formed Yachting Systems of America in Costa Mesa, CA. A lighter boom makes gybing less dramatic, as the boom has less momentum. If its fully battened and in very good to excellent condition, maybe. They were also fickle in terms of boom angle, and costly in terms of luff chafe. These booms are produced from bended aluminium plates. During reefing or storage, flat battens lie parallel to the boom, efficiently rolled up with the sail. In-mast furlers require roachless, high-aspect triangles, thus reducing mainsail area, distorting ideal shape, and lessening draft control. A spring loaded vang to support the boom and flatten the mainsail. Mast furling Main; 15.6 luff- 6.8 foot, ex cond ,$500. An excellent feature, and one shared with Leisure Furl, is a locking mechanism that takes the strain of holding the sail in place once the sail is set (or reefed). Electric or hydraulic Spars in boom furling technology has changed the game for superyachts with furling main sails. We have loved living aboard since 2013 (3rd owner) and have spent many hours and dollars (over $100k) on upgrades since purchase , including all rigging and safely lines, Genoa and staysail, electronics (Raymarine e180 touch scr, Download the Gumtree app for iOS or Android. Click here to view John Mast Hi-Low images. Cast iron wing keel (0.90m draft) ie Suitable, Sales for Sail : Main; 12.9 luff- 4.6 foot, good cond $300. A brilliant system! It has given us the confidence to sail short-handed in conditions where we would have hesitated with a conventional reefing system. Imagine and in mast turned through 90 degrees. Ease the main sheet. By Ted Hood If all else fails, just drop the sail as you would a normal main and furl it on the boom instead of inside. You can cut your main for a fuller roach, thus increasing over all speed and, especially, light air performance. The plates are interlocking and bonded with 2-component epoxy glue. Every boom will require a fully battened mainsail, designed as an integral part of the reeng system. This ratchet engages under spring tension and is released by a trip line controlled from the cockpit. We found it incredible that we could furl downwind in 50 knots in Bass Strait in the Sydney-Hobart Race, reports one user. Tri Sail; luff 5mtrs-3.6mtrs foot, 7mtr leech, good cond, $200. All booms are manufactured to suit your specic requirements taking into account sail lu and foot length, displacement and rig type. One Maritime Drive, Portsmouth, RI 02871, USA, Basics a Buyer Should Know Regarding Yacht Registration, You Dont Need a Marketing Guru to Tell You Sailing is the Great Escape. This boat is ready to sail with no issues. will formal racing be a major part of their plans? If the boom is cocked up a bit more than perpendicular it pulls the sail aft and helps it lie smoothly in the boom. De Hagen 23 1.5 lb./ft.). One basic factor we discuss with clients is how much they want to emphasize performance i.e. No torsion in the boom shell The distance between the mast and sail can therefore be kept to a mininum, allowing for more sail area and improved overall performance and aesthetics. Huge Save - Last of the Beneteau First 25, s sold new $158K options/electronics! Stowing, furling, and reefing the main is still a sizable chore, especially as the size of your boat increases. Managing Partner, Wellington Yacht Partners. Dr. Robert Leaf, one of the first Americans to put Leisure Furl on his boat, had a big problem chewing up luff tapes to the tune of three or four a season. Cutting sails to minimize pullback and new, tougher luff tapes seem to have solved the problem. But here are some basic assessments: The John Mast reefer is an older design, and the company has yet to establish an aggressive sales presence in North America. Seldn dinghy booms have been designed to offer the ultimate in stiffness, weight and functionality. Cruising sailors rely on their engines a lot more than they like to admit. Installation, boom vang, and a new sail will boost that price a lot. Each boom comes standard with a built-in sail cover for convenience and ease of handling. In contrast, an in-boom system requires a precise angle of the boom to avoid the sail creeping forward or back when furling; halyard tension must be monitored closely, and the sail must be furled or reefed with no wind in the sail whatsoever.