Furling jib
Posted by Available_Bowler2316@reddit | sailing | View on Reddit | 12 comments
OK this is a dumb question. I've seen furling jibs from a distance, but I can't quite figure out how they work. I mean, you cant just wrap them around the jib halyard... There has to be some "core" that it wraps around.
I get there's a drum at the bottom and a swivel at the top, but how does the jib actually wrap around the halyard? I meah if all you have is a thin stainless rope, you can't really wrap the sail around it. And how does the sail cover work?
Windmill-inn@reddit
It’s crazy how well it works too. It’s also pretty fun. Something about unfurling (and furling, weirdly) is so satisfying
One thing to keep in mind is, you usually hear that you should drop sail going upwind… but if the wind is too strong to furl in your Genoa, you can head downwind instead and the mainsail will block the wind that’s putting pressure on the Genoa plus your apparent wind is less.
dmootzler@reddit
Even for dropping sails, IMO it’s easier to do going downwind with the main eased way out and the jib sheeted in. No flogging and easy to do single handed or without an autopilot or engine to hold you in irons.
zob_mtk@reddit
The forestry has a track the job runs through and the entire forestay rotates with the drum
TenYearHangover@reddit
The forestay doesn’t rotate. It’s fixed. The extrusion rotates around the forestay.
texasrigger@reddit
That's not true of the old hyde streamstays. With those, the furler is the forestay. Rather than floating around a cable its a solid aluminum rod with a groove up the side and a bearing on the top and bottom.
Available_Bowler2316@reddit (OP)
Ah ok..that makes sense. In spite of autocorrect best effort. :)
Nephroidofdoom@reddit
Yes. The forestay is replaced with a rigid plastic track that the jib slides onto. This track is attached to the drum at the bottom and a swivel at the top. Both of which are free to rotate
BigKneesHighSeas@reddit
Yea the jib halyard is up at the top when you pull the headsail up along the extrusion. The luff tape is a sewn area that feeds in the foil and holds it into place. The sail wouldn’t be able to wrap around the halyard for a number of reasons. Namely that you can’t get the headsail up and down without raising/lowering the jib halyard
noj_@reddit
in reference to your sail cover work, a sailmake will sew a strip of UV protectant canvas so when it is fully rolled up all that's open to the elements is the UV cover
Naive_Adeptness6895@reddit
You were right a hollow track surrounds the forestry and it has a groove you slide the jib up. Jib has a rope sewn in instead of hanks. Single best rigging add.
Brokenbowman@reddit
There are some great videos on you tube on assembling and installing roller furlers. So much more explanatory than writing out
dripppydripdrop@reddit
It wraps around the forestay