Furling Gennaker

[Bolo]

Watched a very informative YouTube video on the three types of downwind sails which featured a furling gennaker as one of them. Got me to thinking if I can use one on my E32-3 without to much of an effort rigging and using. I use to have a gennaker with a sock but it’s tuff to use one when solo sailing and even with my “first mate” at the helm. Seeing me bounce around the foredeck always made her (and me!) a bit nervous. I even had a stainless “U” fitting (upside down) welded onto the end of the anchor roller for the tack of the gennaker. So, does anyone use a furling gennaker on their boat and especially on a E32? I think they’d be great for those light summer breezes on the Chesapeake Bay.

 

[bgary]

"Finally Free" (E32 out of Olympia, WA) had one set up on a "top-down" furler. Never saw it used, so not sure I can add any details about how (or how well) it worked. They've since sold the boat but I think it is still around on Puget Sound - maybe the new owners will chime in.

 

[Bolo]

"Finally Free" (E32 out of Olympia, WA) had one set up on a "top-down" furler. Never saw it used, so not sure I can add any details about how (or how well) it worked. They've since sold the boat but I think it is still around on Puget Sound - maybe the new owners will chime in.

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Thanks for the photo. I was wondering how it would be rigged on my boat but more importantly how I could "screw it up"! First thing I noticed in this image is how high off the deck and above the bow pulpit the gennaker fuller is located which makes sense. I have a spinnaker halyard which I imagine can be used at the mast. Looks like all I'd need too do would be to size it up and pay for it. Still mulling it over in my head as to how advantageous it would be to install one.

 

[bgary]

I have a spinnaker halyard which I imagine can be used at the mast.

yeah.... in my experience, the top-down furlers work best when the furling cable (the "anti-torsion" cable) is loaded up enough to be effectively straight. May not be an issue in light airs, but if the cable can bend appreciably, it can make it so the system doesn't cleanly furl the sail (it may bunch up and/or not smoothly furl). It's a problem we don't generally have with traditional rotating-headfoil furlers

So when you're sizing things up, make sure you're considering the amount of load you'll need to be able to apply at top and bottom (tack fitting, spinnaker halyard) to be able to ensure it works smoothly.

 

[Christian Williams]

The furler seems attached to some sort of sprit?