[alberg30] Furling

Peter,

I'm not sure that a furler is worth the tradeoffs on a boat of this size.
My wife disagrees, but she doesn't have experience with them.  In any 
event, having a separate luff wire for the roller furling is bound to
cause you grief.  It sounds good in theory, but you just can't get enough
tension on it to give easy handling.

As to a furling sail in general, I know many people with them.  The
limitations: you can only reef about 30% before you lose all the
shape.  You lose light-air performance.  It's a nuisance to change sails
when you need to.

My compromise:  When I think it might get hairy on the foredeck, I often
rig a downhaul on the genoa.  This way I can get it under control from 
the cockpit.  To do this, I run a line up, crossing between the sail
luff and the forestay about every third hank.  I tie this line on the
top hank (not the head, that will jam the sail every time).  At the 
stem fitting, I put a block which I use to lead the downhaul back to
the cockput.  To strike the sail, I let go the halyard (also in the
cockpit) and pull on the downhaul.  I generally do this when close-
hauled, anyway, so the sail is held by the head and tack at one end
and the sheet at the other.  It can flop around on the foredeck, but
it can't go overboard.

 - George

> Peter/Michael Hay said:
> 
> As some of you may recall I purchased #384 last October.  Since then I have
> been wondering about the furling.  All of the Alberg 30's I have seen either
> have no furling or have the original forestay and a separate furler (sail
> mounted on wire) that can be raised or lowered.  

-- 
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------
  George Dinwiddie                                  gdinwiddie at min.net
  The gods do not deduct from man's allotted span those hours spent in
  sailing.          http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Alberg30/
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------