Articles on Roller Furling and Hank On head sails

[w00dy]

I know this subject has been beaten to death, but I thought these articles were well presented and insightful.
This article is entitled "A different view", though I imagine that around these parts, the consensus is in favor of hanked on sails.

http://www.morganscloud.com/2012/03/08/hank-on-sails/

As counterpoint, a more favorable look at roller furling:

http://www.morganscloud.com/2012/03/23/handling-roller-furling-sails/

[w00dy]

Just want to add that there is as much (if not more) valuable insight and information in the comments below the articles.

[Adodero]

In my newbie mind, this has been a major point of contention. We don't have roller furling and I've been debating lately whether it's worth the investment on our boat. I can't decide what I want to do.

Our boat is pretty small, the sails are easily pulled down (we even have a block that can be used as a downhaul) and managed, but at the same time, headsail changes can be really tricky with the bow bobbing up and down. With the newer furlers being more reliable and most people using them, it's REALLY tempting to put the investment into having one installed. OTOH, hank on sails allow us to have a wider inventory of sails for the boat at a lower cost (the only problem is storing them!).

I doubt we'd ever go to roller furling as our only option, I like the idea of having a movable inner stay to use hank on sails when necessary, so that would definitely be something we did if we installed a furler. I just can't decide if the added complexity and expense outweighs the benefits of furling or if there isn't an easier way to accomplish what we want to do. 

I also wonder if, for our situation, just installing an inner stay would suffice. We could keep a smaller sail hanked on and bagged to the inner stay, attach our second jib halyard to the smaller sail, then keep the inner stay further aft towards the mast and out of the way until needed. When we needed to change headsails, drop the sail attached to the forestay, lash it down, then deploy the inner stay and attached sail (not necessarily in that order). This could save time in hanking on the sail and allow what I assume to be quick changes. I also wonder if this couldn't be done from the cockpit if the inner stay was deployed prior (although I assume this would cause issues tacking).

Maybe I'm overthinking it? I like the idea of being able to make quick headsail adjustments via the furler, but I like having the shape of the sail and options available with hanked on sails.

[CharlieJ]

I have hank-on's on Tehani, and like them a lot. My jib has reef points for reducing it to storm jib size, and I've sailed that way. I like it.

I've sailed with roller furlers on delivery boats, and it's really nice. And on Tehani, there's been a few times I wished I DID have a roller furler. Mostly when motoring single hand in restricted waters, when I COULD have carried a jib, had I dared leave the helm long enough to set it. But not often.

I have two jibs on Tehani. and seldom use other than the working jib, where I sail. It has the reef points and has suited me just fine. I MAY install a downhaul so I can get rid of the jib easily, but otherwise, I'll stay hanks. Had that on my 21 footer, and it worked well

Roller furlers are nice, and convenient, but they aren't the end all some folks think. and the one thing about them that keeps me from even looking- if I want that sail DOWN and below,  off the stay, the hank on lets me do that, without fail.

[rorik]

FWIW.... ;D
I view roller furlers as sort of a "one size fits all" situation.
It's like buying a set of All Season radials for your Toyota Camry and then using them on your Ford F150 when you go camping/snowshoeing and then using them on your MINI for the local Saturday autocross race.
Sure, they'll work.....
But what you probably really want is a set of high mileage M+S All Seasons for the Camry, maybe BF Goodrich All Terrains for the F150 and Goodyear Eagle F1's for the MINI.
It's why chisels make poor screwdrivers.

There are two instances that stand out in my mind that make me favor hanks:

Many years ago I sailed from Southampton to LeHavre in what became a gale shortly after passing the Isle  of Wight. The 36 foot, 9 tonne sloop made hull speed for 19 hours straight under a fully reefed main and storm jib. We started out with two reefs in the main and a hanked on working jib. Changing to the storm jib in 8 - 10 foot seas really wasn't that hard. It was wet - OK - very wet, and slippery, but that's why you wear a harness.
In contrast, I sailed once on a reasonably maintained Lapworth in about a 10 knot breeze and had the roller furling jam twice due to a slightly chafed furling line. It wasn't a big deal, just an irritating hassle - in about 10 knots of breeze.

Mathilda has a 6.8oz 97% jib with a reef point, a 3.3oz 105% jib and a 130% Code Zero and a storm jib that is such a bright orange that when I folded it up on the dock when it was delivered, I looked away from it and it took a minute for my eyes to adjust.

[Captain Smollett]

headsail changes can be really tricky with the bow bobbing up and down.

So can trying to fix a malfunctioning furler.

I also wonder if this couldn't be done from the cockpit

To my mind, trying to plan sailing around staying in the cockpit is a risky gamble.

The gamble is that one truly NEVER, without ANY exception, has to leave the cockpit.  There are several reasons why for us, on our boat, this is a gamble not taken.

(1) The psychology of fear can be very dangerous in an emergency.

If we approach "going forward" as something we don't want to do, then that "don't do this" thought is in there somewhere if we ever do HAVE to go forward for the survival of the boat.

(2) Moving around forward under way takes practice.  If we don't routinely go forward, we don't get that practice and if an emergency arises, the physical hazard is increased.

So, we choose to train our minds and bodies along the lines of "going forward is normal, not something to be feared or avoided for any reason."

Each of us has our own ways of assessing acceptable risk and from that framework building in 'margin of safety.'  For me, as skipper of a boat with three other souls aboard, I view margin of safety as being largely a matter of mental training. 

However, your boat = your choices.

I will throw this out there, too.  I've been YELLED at in a marina for being so foolish as to not have roller furling on my boat...by the same fellow who NEVER raised a sail in the 3 years I knew him and who admitted that "I don't sail, I motor everywhere" because sailing is just too slow. 

Further, I see a LOT of boats with furlers in this area motoring with no sail out on beautiful sailing days, so the "convenience" argument is, to me at least, rather specious as well.

I believe that those with furlers that unroll their sails to go sailing would also hoist them if they had hanks....furling does not make one a "sailor."

Hope that last bit makes sense for how I meant it...

[Frank]

Too funny...we have often watched boats motoring DOWNWIND on nice days with sails furled and wondered WTH??? Trawler people in denial!!!
I've long been a hank-on guy with reef points on the jib. BUT...BUT I gotta admit the furling on the 23 is SOOoooo nice    :o  there...I admitted it!!!

[Adodero]

To my mind, trying to plan sailing around staying in the cockpit is a risky gamble.

The gamble is that one truly NEVER, without ANY exception, has to leave the cockpit.  There are several reasons why for us, on our boat, this is a gamble not taken.

Good advice, thanks.

I try to evaluate myself when making changes like this to the boat and determine if I am making the change out of laziness or doing it because it will truly optimize our efficiency. I'm a software engineer, so I am always trying to make optimizations ;) it's a character flaw.

If I'm honest with myself, most of my desire for adding furling stems from laziness (this is a personal evaluation and not a judgement on people with furlers), but I do like the idea of being able to make quick adjustments efficiently. I can deal with my lazy tendency, but I still wonder how we can most efficiently make headsail changes or adjustments. Maybe I just need to ignore my desire to optimize everything and not worry about it, I often find myself spending more time trying to optimize my task than it would have taken from the start.

As for people motoring, I saw a guy being towed downwind by Sea Tow with his sails furled. He was sitting in the cockpit drinking beer with his feet up while getting towed along.

[marujo_sortudo]

I've got on furler on the end of our 6' bowsprit with a genny on it.  It's nice and so far has only once tangled up and left me unable to furl/drop the sail once in 5 years.  If you like or expect to sail in high winds, being able to not have that extra weight/windage there and being able to switch in a storm jib is great.  Right now I'm disappointed at my windward performance at about 20-25 kts true wind.  Next summer I might try picking up a used hank on sail and leaving the furler off to try it out and see what I think.  I don't think I would purchase a furler for sailfar sized boat or replace mine if it busted.  Ymmv, but I think the best bit of furlers is making a large rig easier to handle short-handed...not a concern for most sailfarers!  I was just reading a blog the other day where some folks were waiting in port 5 days for a 30 knot blow to calm down so they could take their rolled jib down and repair a tear.  Not a problem with a banked on sail.  Otoh, I've had days where the wind speed fluctuated widely every 15 minutes.  Good days for a furler.  Get it if you want it, but think about where you want you boat bucks to go, and don't hold up a cruise to get one!

[Godot]

I kinda like the way the roller furling is set up on "Seeker."  The Bayfield 29 is cutter rigged, and neither headsail is very large. I don't really see the need to reef. They are either in or out. Too much sail? Roll one in. Still too much? Roll the other in. In a little more than thirty knots I had one reef in the main and the staysail deployed with the jib rolled in. I was a little overpowered and really should have had the second reef in the main; but it wasn't that big a deal. I might be less comfortable with a single large roller genoa, although I've not spent any time sailing in that configuration so it is hard to say.

I also have a storm jib aboard; but it is a hank on so currently I have no easy way to deploy it.