[Public-List] Roller Reefing

[Gordon Laco]

Hello Winslow,

That’s not really an inner forestay... what you are seeing is the luff of a spinnaker staysail.  This sail, which has gone out of fashion, was intended to be set inside the foretriangle for use when the yacht was reaching under spinnaker in lighter air.  

It’s out of fashion because while it seems like a useful idea, in practice it tends to irritate the spinnaker and provides negligible benefit.  The disruption of setting and trimming it isn’t worth the trouble.

That’s not to say that there isn’t some use for it...  I got my hands on a small genoa (from a Tanzer 17 I think).   I rescued it from the garbage bin and announced to my friends at the club that I’d obtained a spinnaker staysail.  There was much muttering about the legality of the sail (it’s legal).   I started calling it ‘the weapon’ the heighten apprehension.  

The sail was of most use causing speculation because in practice, it wasn’t worth the trouble of setting it...  so it went back into the bin after a couple of seasons.  Part of the trouble was the very narrow range of apparent wind it tolerated, and as written above, it tended to bother the spinnaker.

Gord
#426 Surprise

On 2017-10-04, 6:33 AM, "Public-List on behalf of Winslow Ayer via Public-List" <public-list-bounces at lists.alberg30.org on behalf of public-list at lists.alberg30.org> wrote:

    I have noticed on the original drawings that there appears to be a inner forestay. Does anyone use this or am I just imagining it on the drawing. I have a furling headsail and at times I would like to have a smaller sail in strong winds.
    
    Winslow
    
    > On Oct 4, 2017, at 5:30 AM, Jonathan Bresler via Public-List <public-list at lists.alberg30.org> wrote:
    > 
    > "the convenience (of roller furling) still cant be beat"
    > 
    > You can say that again!   I also single hand the vast majority of the
    > time.  Flaking and folding the genoa, at the end of the seaons for
    > instance, takes me about 15 minutes, I guess, on the dock.  Spend nearly
    > the whole time going back and forth from luff to leech matching the folds.
    > If I had to do that every time, my guess is that I would sail less often.
    > If not less often, then for shorter periods.
    > 
    > Charles, what do you to keep the body of the sail on the boat when changing
    > to a smaller headsail in significant wind?   Once the sail is out of the
    > furler, only the tack, head and clew are attached to the boat.  Seems to me
    > that the body of the sail could go over the side, in the wind, quite easily.
    > 
    > Jonathan
    > 
    > On Tue, Oct 3, 2017 at 4:49 PM, charles pleisse via Public-List <
    > public-list at lists.alberg30.org> wrote:
    > 
    >> My furler is one of the early examples from Harkin.  If I recall correctly
    >> the reciept for it is dated 1983 or 84.  The literature does talk about
    >> reefing.  I don't use it in that way.  Way too much stress on the sail if
    >> reefed enough to make a difference and the sail becomes far less
    >> efficient.  I just go forward and change the sail.  I believe even that
    >> process is made simpler with the furler as you don't have to fiddle with
    >> the hanks.
    >> All of our boats are/have been equipped with a boom that does the same
    >> thing.  I've been around Albergs for the better part of a decade now and
    >> have yet to see on reefing the main on the boom.  Roller reefing just
    >> doesn't work.  Too many compromises.
    >> As a person who singlhands 90% of the time, the convenience still cant be
    >> beat. I can go to the boat and sail off the hook under headsail without
    >> leaving the cockpit, save for letting go of the mooring.
    >> 
    >> Charles Pleisse
    >> College Park Bicycles
    >> ( <http://www.bike123.com>301)864-2211
    >> 
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    > 
    > 
    > -- 
    > Jonathan M Bresler
    > S/V Constance Alberg 30 #262
    > Annapolis/Eastport MD
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