# In-mast furling



## davidpm (Oct 22, 2007)

What is the process to convert an in-mast furling system to a standard slab reefing system?

I have heard that the big charter companies are moving away from the in mast fullers? Is that true?

What is your experience with the in-mast systems and in conversions.


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## lajimo (Sep 5, 2011)

Wow that's interesting. Getting in- mast furling installed is really expensive - seems like converting one back to a non-furling system will really ding the boats value...


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## CalebD (Jan 11, 2008)

davidpm said:


> What is the process to convert an in-mast furling system to a standard slab reefing system?
> 
> I have heard that the big charter companies are moving away from the in mast fullers? Is that true?
> 
> What is your experience with the in-mast systems and in conversions.


Remove in mast furler or just bury in the mast behind new sail track.

I would not be surprised if the charter companies are moving away from in-mast furling main sails. The more complicated the system the more likely it is to cause problems, rip the sails and generally be a PITA. I'd think electrically powered ones would be the least effective.

Absolutely no experience with in-mast furling systems, I'm just shooting from the hip. They are probably great in under 20 knots of wind and I know that some here love their in-mast furled main sails. I just doubt that they are any easier to use than a standard slab reefing setup which is less likely to tear the sail to shreds.


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## night0wl (Mar 20, 2006)

I dont know about you, but I haven't seen an in-mast furling unit on a charter boat (Moorings, Sunsail, etc) in some time. They're almost always a traditional setup.


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## MedSailor (Mar 30, 2008)

I have no idea if it's feasible or not, but you might look into selling your mast since the in-mast roller furlers ARE so expensive. You might be able to sell yours and buy a new one and come out ahead.

Better yet, find the owners group for your type of boat and see about getting a mast swap with someone else who has the same size boat. I bet if you offered your mast in trade for a regular one you could get the other guy to pay for the swap and to pay for all new standing rigging for your new mast. Since you'd swap sails too you wouldn't have to buy a new main either. 

Just a couple thoughts.

MedSailor


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## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

davidpm said:


> What is the process to convert an in-mast furling system to a standard slab reefing system?
> 
> I have heard that the big charter companies are moving away from the in mast fullers? Is that true?
> 
> What is your experience with the in-mast systems and in conversions.


David,

To be honest I do not think its practical to convert back unless you go for a new mast. You'd have to put some kind of plate over the opening in the mast and a track onto that. Not to mention the fact that you'd end up with a bigger heavier mast than needed. (note - Seldon furler masts have a secondary track for a trisail. Perhaps this could be used but it is off centre.)

Now, having used a furling mast for the past year and a bit I have to say that I am quite happy with the thing. Beats the hell out of stomping up forward to manhandle the main when reefing.

Why would charter firms go back ? Cost perhaps, while modern lazy jack systems may make sail handling a lot easier, or are they going in boom ?

Regards

Andrew B


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## SimonV (Jul 6, 2006)

Had this conversation at a cruisers get together at Hogs breath cafe, Port Douglas, seems those that have it would never have anything else, and those that didn't have it hated it or secretly wanted it. I for one don't have it but hope my next boat does. It seems there is no problem furling in up to 45 knots as long as you have the angle right between the boom and mast, those that know told me they just mark the boom vang control sheet and keep tension on the out haul. The only problem seemed to be as the sail got old and worn it would stretch and this bagging of the sail did hamper the furling process, they fixed this by having it re cut and stitched.


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## SloopJonB (Jun 6, 2011)

SimonV said:


> Had this conversation at a cruisers get together at Hogs breath cafe, Port Douglas, seems those that have it would never have anything else, and those that didn't have it hated it or secretly wanted it. I for one don't have it but hope my next boat does. It seems there is no problem furling in up to 45 knots as long as you have the angle right between the boom and mast, those that know told me they just mark the boom vang control sheet and keep tension on the out haul. The only problem seemed to be as the sail got old and worn it would stretch and this bagging of the sail did hamper the furling process, they fixed this by having it re cut and stitched.


I've used one a fair bit on a Hunter 38 and I don't like it. We've had problems with a curl in the sail up high jamming it - had to hoist the skipper up with tools to unjam it and have had to be VERY careful when furling ever since. There is very little room in the slot for any wrinkles etc. to fit through. I also find it very hard work to wind in & out - lots of friction. It has to be winched the whole way. It takes much more effort than conventional hoisting from the boom.

I vastly prefer lazyjacks.


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## SecondWindNC (Dec 29, 2008)

SloopJonB said:


> I've used one a fair bit on a Hunter 38 and I don't like it. We've had problems with a curl in the sail up high jamming it - had to hoist the skipper up with tools to unjam it and have had to be VERY careful when furling ever since. There is very little room in the slot for any wrinkles etc. to fit through. I also find it very hard work to wind in & out - lots of friction. It has to be winched the whole way. It takes much more effort than conventional hoisting from the boom.
> 
> I vastly prefer lazyjacks.


I've had a very different experience using in-mast furling on several different boats - primarily a Catalina 36 and a Saga 409 but also a Hunter 306 and a Jeanneau 45. I've had very little trouble with jamming - you need to keep the boom angle within reason and keep slight tension on the outhaul when furling, but the in-mast furling systems I've used have all worked pretty smoothly. I find it to be much less effort than hoisting a traditional main. So much so that I think people use the mainsail more. It's common to see boats with traditional mains sailing jib-only because of the effort involved in taking off the sail cover and sail ties, and hoisting, then flaking, tying, and covering to put it all back away when finished. With in-mast you just roll it out, sail, and roll it back in.


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## ccher (Jun 24, 2011)

Agree with 2ndWind. My current boat has in mast furling and my next boat will have it. Regarding the OP's question I have a Charleston Spar system (now Sparcraft I think) and it appears to have a slot in the extrusion for sail slides. Perhaps yours does as well. Would take some rearranging of the halyard sheave, tac fitting, etc. but seems like it could be done without a huge expense.


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## SeaQuinn (Jul 31, 2012)

I love the in mast furling system on our boat. I used to hate having to take the sail up and down and having to manage that in heavy winds. I am never going back!


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## johnnyquest37 (Feb 16, 2012)

I have an in-mast furling system and I love it, but there are drawbacks:

CONS:
Main is roachless and battenless, allowing for far less sail area that the rig is capable of.
Permanent cupping of the leech due to the roll of the main in the mast.
Weight aloft due to the furling mechanism.
Difficult to fine tune mainsail trim due to loose foot and no downhaul/cunnignham.
Somewhat difficult to secure the rolling mechanism without the mainsail (during winter storage)

PROS: 
I can furl and unfurl the main by myself, even in high winds.
Infinite number of reef points.
Easily reefed without leaving the cockpit.

The CONS mostly detract from performance and the PROS mostly have to do with ease of handling. Wish there was an easy way to furl (or drop) up the main and deploy a standard main on occasions like racing, when performance really matters.


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## kosta.k (Apr 24, 2012)

Just came back from a charter in Croatia, Europe. Seems like every single charter boat has in mast furling there. I sailed on a variety of boats with mast furling systems and find them pretty easy to use. They have advantages... pulling the mainsail out and furling it up again is no effort at all. Interesting enough I experienced this from 36 ft to 55 ft boats. Size apparently doesn't matter . 

However, there are three things that I don't like... or make me feel uncomfortable in a way. 

1. What if the main gets jammed during reefing and you can't pull it out nor furl it up. I can't think of any other solution as to cut the sail from the mast. Well, in a high wind situation that is. Or is there another solution to it?

2. I had occassional "nearly" jams in winds over 25 knots when reefing. I tried everything imaginable. Different points of sail. Easing the sail, keeping it tight, letting it go all together. I always had troubles - but only in higher winds. The smaller the sail becomes (i.e. reefed) the better it furls up. 

3. The third thing is the sails performance. I couldn't find a furling main that was better than a "traditional" mainsail. You can't seem to get them flat in a blow and their profile in general is always kind of "suboptimal". This is not only for performance reasons but also for safety reasons (in blow for example). 

I personally would spend the money somewhere else. That is only for me and I do see the advantages of an in-mast furling system - they are just not for me.


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## Sea Dawg (Jun 26, 2012)

Just spent a week on a Jeanneau 39i with in mast furling and electric winch. Never used it before, and none of my daughters have sailed. In the week they all learned to furl and outhaul and it worked flawlessly. I'm sold. Agree there is a bit of friction and you DO need to keep tension to avoid wrinkles. But, when the weather was rough it was nice staying right there in the cockpit to do ALL of the reefing work. Single handing would seem to be a big plus.


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## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

Add on to my previous post, comments relating to other folk's comments.

Sail Area .... yes furling main is smaller than non furling but I'm not sure I agree with "far less sail area". I'd like to compare. 

Lack of Battens is for me a negative, yes. 

Friction, no matter how you look at it is a problem and yes you do need to winch in. I also find that keeping the outhaul under control as you furl is a problem. Good furling requires some tension on the outhaul so I find myself having to let out some outhaul then wind, repeat sequence. I do wish there was some way to keep tension on outhaul without the need for a second pair of hands. (If any of you are sitting there thinking I'm not doing it correctly please let me know.) 

We've not had problem with wrinkles or jamming nor do I have a problem flattening the main but I am loath to ease halyard tension in light airs which I'd readily do with a non furling main. This may be prejudice on my part. I have noticed that when furling it seems to load up towards then of each rotation. This may be need for maintenance of the furler itself and I'll be addressing that when we pull her out of the water next month.

Previously I would have thought in mast furler would be a deal killer but by the time we bought the new girl I'd largely overcome that concern. Now I'm quite happy with it though I couldn't say with 100% certainty that I'd go in mast if I was building a new boat or re masting an old one. 

Andrew B


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## sailortrash (Sep 1, 2012)

Don't know about charter biz moving away but I can tell you i have had three jam on me in bad conditions and had to cut the sail to stay out of trouble. I like the in boom systems though


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## SimonV (Jul 6, 2006)

sailortrash said:


> Don't know about charter biz moving away but I can tell you i have had three jam on me in bad conditions and had to cut the sail to stay out of trouble. I like the in boom systems though


Please tell us more about these three times you had to cut the sail away. Here at the marina there would be many hundreds of thousands of miles between the cruisers and none have ever needed to cut away a main. How did you do it? what were the conditions ? was it on the same boat?


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## sailortrash (Sep 1, 2012)

SimonV said:


> Please tell us more about these three times you had to cut the sail away. Here at the marina there would be many hundreds of thousands of miles between the cruisers and none have ever needed to cut away a main. How did you do it? what were the conditions ? was it on the same boat?


Lack of maintaining being the primary cause. Every time this happened The boat had been sitting for over 3 years with no use and during a squall (over 60 knots) . That plus my bad luck which i seem to have a knack for attracting. Live and learn I guess these days if a in mas furler has not been used in oiver 3 years on it being completely serviced by someone better experienced than me or I will walk away.


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## Ninefingers (Oct 15, 2009)

Three boats that had been sitting for over three years? What type?


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## captainjay (Oct 11, 2007)

So without debating the pluses and minuses of roller furlings. The OP asked how to convert one to a traditional main. I would contact Tide Slide, their external track could probably be used to convert the mast. You will have to remove the furler from inside the mast. If you don't have a sail on them the foil bangs inside the mast constantly with boat movement. You would likely have to have some plates made to go inside the mast to attach their brackets for the external track to.

As for in mast furlings, they work well until they don't then it's bad. The number one cause of jams is old blown out sails. When the sails start to bag they have to go. With a belly in the sail they will fold and jam. You can get some vertical batten mains for in mast furling which improves sail shape. They require more finesse in sail handling or the light weight material will self destruct around the batten pockets. They don't hold up well to flogging the main.
Jay


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## SimonV (Jul 6, 2006)

sailortrash said:


> Lack of maintaining being the primary cause. Every time this happened The boat had been sitting for over 3 years with no use and during a squall (over 60 knots) . That plus my bad luck which i seem to have a knack for attracting. Live and learn I guess these days if a in mas furler has not been used in oiver 3 years on it being completely serviced by someone better experienced than me or I will walk away.


But how did you cut them away, especially interested in the one during the over 60kn squall.


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## LinekinBayCD (Oct 19, 2009)

I have a in mast furling system on a Cape Dory 30 motor sailor. It is furled by way of a continuous furling line led to the pilot house. An electric furling motor would be a lot less hassle. It is hard to keep enough tension on furling winch which is mounted on the mast perpendicular to it just below the boom. A winch handle can be used on the furling inch but you can't take a full turn with a winch handle because of the proximity to the boom. 

It's jammed a little in high wind situations but i was always able to get it in. It could be a real problem if you couldn't get it furled. I've capitulated on the continuous furling line by buying a winchbit that I'll use with a rating socket wrench. Tried it out last weekend and it is much easier than messing with the furling line although to use it I need to go to the mast.


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## SimonV (Jul 6, 2006)

Quote:
Originally Posted by sailortrash View Post
Lack of maintaining being the primary cause. Every time this happened The boat had been sitting for over 3 years with no use and during a squall (over 60 knots) . That plus my bad luck which i seem to have a knack for attracting. Live and learn I guess these days if a in mas furler has not been used in oiver 3 years on it being completely serviced by someone better experienced than me or I will walk away.: end quote.

But how did you cut them away, especially interested in the one during the over 60kn squall. 

Come on sailortrash you have had a week, share the story It will be nice for us to know what and how to do.


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## VK540 (May 6, 2011)

captainjay said:


> So without debating the pluses and minuses of roller furlings. The OP asked how to convert one to a traditional main. I would contact Tide Slide, their external track could probably be used to convert the mast. You will have to remove the furler from inside the mast. If you don't have a sail on them the foil bangs inside the mast constantly with boat movement. You would likely have to have some plates made to go inside the mast to attach their brackets for the external track to.
> 
> As for in mast furlings, they work well until they don't then it's bad. The number one cause of jams is old blown out sails. When the sails start to bag they have to go. With a belly in the sail they will fold and jam. You can get some vertical batten mains for in mast furling which improves sail shape. They require more finesse in sail handling or the light weight material will self destruct around the batten pockets. They don't hold up well to flogging the main.
> Jay


There was a boat docked beside my slip that had in mast furling without the sail on it for a few weeks. The banging of the furling gear inside the mast drove everyone nuts! The owner was getting tired of telling people there was nothing he could do about the noise until his sail was put back on. LOL! I would think you most definitely would have to remove the gear or someday you will arrive at your boat and someone will have your mast removed for you.


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## fallard (Nov 30, 2009)

We've had at least a half dozen charters in the Virgin Islands (US, BVI, SVI) with Island Packets that had in-mast furling. This includes the 350, 370,380, and 420. Wind speeds probably averaged upper teens, with the max about 30 kts.

As others have mentioned, in-mast furling operation requires attention to the boom angle to assure proper feed through the slot and maintaining tension on the outhaul to avoid bunching (and therefore jamming) as the sail enters the slot. We didn't have any problems by adhering to this procedure and never had a problem unfurling.

However, the sail shape wasn't impressive: with no battens and minimal roach, it always seemed to be a bit baggy and wimpy--and these were not blown out sails. So, you pay for the convenience of rolling up your sail and reefing as much as you please, with relative ease. For a laid-back Virgin Islands charter, it was a great compromise.

That said, our own 35 footer has a fully-battened main with conventional slab reefing and requires a certain amount of effort to deal with the sail cover and sail ties. After some harrowing experiences reefing when it was necessary to go on deck to hook the tack, we went to single line reefing, with Karver blocks added to the existing main and all lines led back to the cockpit: reefing lines as well as the main halyard. This arrangement works pretty well, and takes not much more effort to reef than in-mast furling, although you have fixed reef points. At the end of the day, you still have to deal with sail ties and the sail cover. You also have to got on deck every once in a while to deal with the occasional snag when unfurling.

If we were to try anything else, it would be in-boom furling. We could keep the full-length battens and have a fuller roach and we would have an "infinite" number of reef points, but at a significant cost. The conversion would add a heavier boom, but the sail and furling mechanism would be relatively accessible. The in-boom approach would require attention to the boom angle (via the vang) to assure proper alignment of the luff and you would invariably have to buy a new main tailored to the in-boom conversion. 

BTW, at least one of the in-boom furlers has a narrow strip of sunbrella that is used as a sail cover and closes the slot. Your slip mates will appreciate the lack of a low frequency "whistle" that you get with the in-mast furlers in a cross wind.


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## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

davidpm said:


> What is the process to convert an in-mast furling system to a standard slab reefing system?
> 
> I have heard that the big charter companies are moving away from the in mast fullers? Is that true?
> 
> What is your experience with the in-mast systems and in conversions.


I suspect the conversion requires changing the mast. Sounds cost prohibitive. I suspect there might be a few workarounds, like the batt carr or something similar, but why?

I have years of experience with both. I am a fan of In mast. I can single much easier and my main often gets more use than my jib. I can reef at night without going forward (a huge plus) and pretty much stay in the safety of my cockpit.

As far as people having jams, what I typically see is that they are doing it wrong. Look at this picture:










Note the location and height of the clew and how high it is above the boom. The sail does not go horizontally into the mast, but the clew goes up at an angle. The issue becomes when people haul down hard on the boom vang or the main sheets and begin to crank in the sail. What happens is you stretch the leech and start to crinkle the sail. You cannot reef the main this way. You will get crinkles in it and probably a jam. You have to ease off the tension on the mainsheet and boom vang to allow the sail to travel "up" as it goes in.

Typical *slab* reefing you have the boom "horizontal" to the water, drop your halyard slowly while pulling in a jiffy reef line. Right (simplified, of course)? You keep your mainsheet taunt and your vang taunt. You crank down on that JR and probably go to the boom to secure the leftover sail.

Typical *Inmast* reefing, you ease off the vang and maybe the mainsheet while slowly letting out the outhaul and pulling in the reefing line. You have to let that boom travel up some to allow the clew to move up some as it goes into the slot.

So the problem, again, is you get a Slab reefer dropping in a reef like he might on a traditional slab reef main and the tension on the boom-to-clew causes a wrinkle in the sail and bamo! You got a jam.

For the record, we almost always reef by hand in normal conditions. We do not reef in via the winch and certainly never the electric winch. You cannot feel a hang if you do. If you are having to winch it in, head up to take some pressure off or make sure your boom and main sheets are taking the tension off the clew as it goes in. Also, you will see by the way the sail come out, one point of sail is better to reef than the other. At one point of sail, the main is resting against part of the mast. On the other, it is probably open to the slot. The latter is the easier reef. Also, put some McLube on the outhaul track on your boom. Its amazing how well that stuff works. If none of this works for you, make sure as you reef you are looking up at that slot and watching for wrinkles going in.

I have thousands of miles on my inmast and not one hang. Not one! And this includes some pretty nasty seas and storms. Heck, even my 8 yo and 12 yo reef it in (with help).

If you do everything as I discussed it, all by hand, you will NEVER have a jam you cannot get out. In the event you ever screw something up and do, I always wondered if it wouldn't be better to ease the outhaul all the way out and wrap the main around the mast. Then, take a spare halyard (SPI maybe), and wrap it backwards (opposite of the way the sail was wrapped) down the mast. Of course, it would not be perfect, but I have always wondered if this wouldn't work?? No experience with this, just throught I might try it. I would certainly do that before going up a halyard and slicing down a very expensive piece of rigging. At that point, there is no going back.

The big negative to inmast, other than the potential to really screw up some running rigging, is the performance. I personally think the best system of all may be a in-boom? That would be my choice. I also heard that many of the major manufacturers like Catalina may charge extra for the old traditional mast. Inmast is standard. I suspect that is a function of cost-supply, but I cannot verify any of this, was only told it by someone on the dock.

As far as the charter companies companies coming off it, that is completely understandable. All you need is one half-drunk gorilla on the reefing line wrapped around the electric winch, one good jam, and you get a bunch of PO'd customers and a really screwed up boat. Theres a lot less potential to screw up a trad sail plan... but that does not make it better.

My opinions.

Brian


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## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

My only problem with in mast furling has been controlling the outhaul as you release it to reef or furl. Takes practice particularly if you are doing it single handed.


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## davidpm (Oct 22, 2007)

captainjay said:


> So without debating the pluses and minuses of roller furlings. The OP asked how to convert one to a traditional main. I would contact Tide Slide, their .
> Jay


do you have a link google come up empty


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## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

davidpm said:


> do you have a link google come up empty


David,

I found a TideSlide but they seem to only do mooring systems.

TideSlide Mooring Systems Retail & Commercial Apps +1.989.695.2646 www.TideSlide.com

Than a mob called Versatech do a product called Tide Slide but that is an oil containment boom.

rgds

Andrew B


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## dorymate1 (Dec 6, 2011)

Having sailed both systems in mast & slab for 1000's of offshore miles on boats form 40 to 85ft. I've only had 1 furling issue and when I reviewed the problem it was do to inproper out haul tension. The older I get the more I appreciate in mast furling. I have had a # of clients ask or want to change systems when they are buying boats. I always answer if they buy a boat with in mast to sail it at least a year before changing. In mast is easier to use so mains will be used more & reefed easier. The 1 thing I found on boats that sail with the main reefed for long period that the sails wear out because there are no reinforcement patches at reef points. I did have a torn sail at a point were a charter captian always reefed @ the same place. This can be avoided by altering reefing locations. You also sacrifice windward performance with in mast. The only ones I've seen converted had been very custom boats that owners became more & more intrested in speed after a couple of burmuda races. So if your crusing go with a in mast if your a racer or performance crazed go with the slab. Finnaly recently priced a change on a 47ft cruiser from furling to slab in carbon fiber. It was right @ 100K complete. A aluminum section would probably be 40k less. So make your choice and get what fits your style in the first place.


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## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

[email protected] said:


> Having sailed both systems in mast & slab for 1000's of offshore miles on boats form 40 to 85ft. I've only had 1 furling issue and when I reviewed the problem it was do to inproper out haul tension. The older I get the more I appreciate in mast furling. I have had a # of clients ask or want to change systems when they are buying boats. I always answer if they buy a boat with in mast to sail it at least a year before changing. In mast is easier to use so mains will be used more & reefed easier. The 1 thing I found on boats that sail with the main reefed for long period that the sails wear out because there are no reinforcement patches at reef points. I did have a torn sail at a point were a charter captian always reefed @ the same place. This can be avoided by altering reefing locations. You also sacrifice windward performance with in mast. The only ones I've seen converted had been very custom boats that owners became more & more intrested in speed after a couple of burmuda races. So if your crusing go with a in mast if your a racer or performance crazed go with the slab. Finnaly recently priced a change on a 47ft cruiser from furling to slab in carbon fiber. It was right @ 100K complete. A aluminum section would probably be 40k less. So make your choice and get what fits your style in the first place.


Good post. My experience exactly.

Brian


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## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

tdw said:


> My only problem with in mast furling has been controlling the outhaul as you release it to reef or furl. Takes practice particularly if you are doing it single handed.


My outhaul is on the port clutch, my reef to the stbd. Ever tried wrapping the winch backwards? Just a half turn or maybe one turn. Give it a shot. If not, head up enough to control the reef (or buy a c400... snicker). Biggest issue is when you head up too much and the clew "yanks" in the wind up and down the boom track. At that point, ease off and head up again. That's what works for us anyways.

Brian


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## MedSailor (Mar 30, 2008)

tdw said:


> David,
> 
> I found a TideSlide but they seem to only do mooring systems.
> 
> ...


Or it might be "Tides Marine" the makers of the famous (and lusted after by yours truly) strongtrack(TM).

https://www.tidesmarine.com/?page_id=61

By the way, if you haven't seen strongtrack in action, you might just want to install that instead of a furling mast. It's so slippery that it makes Teflon look like sandpaper. Uncleat the halyard and the sail DROPS suddenly in a heap into your stackpack or lazyjacks.

I've seen it in use by a catamaran that did afternoon sails for tourists. The singlehanding captain furled the headesail, then walked up to the mast, uncleated the halyard and within 2 seconds the sail had plopped down into the stackpack. Here is their video: https://www.tidesmarine.com/?page_id=1276 Truely awesome....

Enough about Strong Track though, the company produces other stuff and they might be the ones that make what you're after.


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## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

Med,
I've seen that system, or one very similar before. Was about ready to use it on old girl but changed rides first, Looks marvellous quite frankly.

The problem with fitting to a one time furling mast is the slot in the mast. In reality this has to be sealed up first. 

I reckon that a new mast is either unavoidable or at least desirable.

Hey CD .... nice idea. Hadn't thought of that. Thanks.


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## SimonV (Jul 6, 2006)

sailortrash said:


> Lack of maintaining being the primary cause. Every time this happened The boat had been sitting for over 3 years with no use and during a squall (over 60 knots) . That plus my bad luck which i seem to have a knack for attracting. Live and learn I guess these days if a in mas furler has not been used in oiver 3 years on it being completely serviced by someone better experienced than me or I will walk away.


Please tell us how you cut the sail away during the squall, we may be in that position soon and some detail would be helpful.


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## worldcruiser63 (Jan 1, 2013)

HOOD SAILS make a full vertical battened main sail with roach for in mast furling systems round vertical linked carbon and vinylester resin full length battens, which are linked together with varying stiffness, designed especially for the furling function. The benefit extends to the maintained boat speed through improved aerodynamics and more controllable sail shape through reefing. This furling mainsail will point higher and perform with increased boat speed off wind and provide an improved reefing technique. The additional sail area on the roach makes the mainsail up to 20% larger than a hollow leech in-mast furling mainsail, thereby negating the majority of the cons listed in these posts ... for me personally in mast furling mains are the best option, their ease of operation in heavy sea's is a godsend especially for fifty yo sailors like myself


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## Sea Dawg (Jun 26, 2012)

You don't see these often so I'm posting this for those looking. No affiliation, just looked like one of you would be interested.

Furling mast beneteau 361 with rigging - $995 (norfolk craigslist) 
<http://norfolk.craigslist.org/boa/3508412808.html]Furling mast beneteau 361 with rigging>


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