Roller Furling and Reefing

There was a time when serious sailors frowned on using furling gear: the sacrifice in performance was deemed too much for the convenience offered. Early furling systems didn't help themselves much either, being weighty, awkward, and unreliable. But times change. Advances in design mean that today's sailors can take advantage of roller furling systems without losing out in the quest for speed. And what of the detractors? Well, a lot of our Members and customers are older and consequently find the new systems more to their liking. Others like the convenience of modern furling gear. We think that anything that gets you out on the water more regularly has to be worthwhile.

All this is well and good, but is the expense justified? Harken suggests nine more reasons to go with furling gear:

1. Larger Boats with Smaller Crews

With a furler, the genoa can be reefed or stowed from the safety of the cockpit without the physical effort of dragging sails onto the foredeck, so a small crew can sail a large boat, or a moderate size boat can be single- handed. If you cruise as a couple, consider how much time you take turns single-handing; roller furling would be like having another crew member.

2. Larger Headsails

Some sailors choose a relatively small headsail as their primary genoa, because the difficulty of changing down in heavy air does not justify the light air performance. With an efficient reefing system, you can choose a primary genoa that allows the boat to sail efficiently in light air.

3. Larger Genoas for Night Sailing

Single-handed or short-handed boats typically reduce sail before nightfall, because approaching weather changes may not be visible and because sail changes are more difficult in the dark and often require waking the off-watch crew. With a furling system, you can leave the full-sized genoa up when the wind is light, and when the wind comes up, a headsail reduction becomes a simple, one-person operation from the cockpit.

4. Storage

Few cruising boats offer convenient storage for bagged or unbagged sails. No one likes to fill the cabin with a sea of wet cloth that can't be properly stowed until the boat is back in port, where the sail can be dried and folded.

5. Flexibility

All-purpose reefing genoas cover the middle of the wind range very well, but there are times that specialty sails are required for enhanced performance. Spinnakers and Gennakers(r) are easy to set with a furling system. After they're flying, the genoa is rolled out of the way, ready to reset before the spinnaker is struck. Every boat needs a heavy air jib for extreme conditions. Most boats, particularly coastal cruisers, will reef the all-purpose genoa when the wind strengthens, but the heavy air genoa is necessary because it offers efficiency in the upper end of the wind range that an all-purpose genoa cannot. Usually it will be set before the boat leaves the mooring. When the wind is already very high, start with the heavy air jib and reef it if conditions deteriorate further.

6. Better Visibility

Efficient genoas are cut close to the deck, where they obscure visibility ahead and to leeward. Since most sailing takes place within a few miles of a harbor, visibility is important for safety and peace of mind. Resist the temptation to permanently reduce your sail area by cutting the clew high to gain visibility. By reefing the genoa a few turns when you're near a harbor, sailing at night or approaching an area with navigational hazards, you'll gain visibility. Visibility windows are also a help, but the more you can see in potentially dangerous situations the better. Even if you have windows in your sails, roller reefing is still useful.

7. More Sailing

Did you do more motoring than sailing on your last cruise? A furling system can't guarantee wind, but it makes it easy to take advantage of whatever wind there is. Frequent raising and lowering of the headsail to meet variable conditions becomes tedious. With a furling system, there's no big investment in labor to set or lower the genoa. The helmsman can usually set the sail single-handedly.

8. Improved Boat Handling Skills

Instead of performing crucial maneuvers like docking, mooring, and anchoring under power, you can use a furling system like an automatic transmission to make slowing down and stopping much easier. This allows you to practice your boat handling skills under sail, which becomes invaluable when your motor fails.

9. Slowing Down

The ability to reef the genoa means that you can slow the boat easily, yet retain the ability to accelerate instantly when conditions change.

In or near a harbor or channel, you can use the reefed genoa to slow the boat and improve your visibility. Then, as you clear the harbor, you are instantly ready to roll out the genoa and accelerate away.

When sailing offshore at night, reefing allows you to tailor your ETA for a landfall after sunrise. You simply take a knot or two off your speed throughout the night to make daylight landfall and avoid parking in an uncomfortable seaway for a few hours waiting for sunrise.

This article, "Living with Roller Reefing", first appeared in Sailing Magazine's April 1991 issue, and is excerpted here with permission.

Harken and Hood Systems

We carry excellent jib furling systems from Harken and Hood. Both feature high-strength Torlon® ball bearings which don't need lubricants or seals to roll freely with minimum maintenance. Hardcote anodized, aluminum components provide years of corrosion-resistant service. In both systems, the headstay handles the load, maintaining the structural integrity of your rig. You can reuse your wire or rod headstay to save the expense of a new stay. Harken and Hood furling systems feature split drums which allow you to remove the drum without removing the headstay. You are left with a clean, aerodynamic double luff groove foil for quick sail changes and sails that tack to the deck so you can use full-hoist racing genoas.

These furling systems are designed for owner installation with simple hand tools, and come complete with fully-illustrated instructions. Swage, Norseman, Sta-Lok, or rod fittings may be used. Norseman and Sta-Lok studs can be owner-installed; swage studs require a professional rigger. If you change sails frequently, you might consider adding a snap shackle at the tack for convenience. You'll also need a furling line fairlead kit for running the furling lines to the cockpit.

Our Custom Rigging Service has fitted hundreds of furling systems. If you need assistance in selecting the proper components for your boat, fitting, or general information contact our rigging experts at 800-398-0112.