Adding roller furling jib

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sail4fun
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Adding roller furling jib

Post by sail4fun »

We are still on the hunt for a 26S and have yet to find the perfect boat with all of the items on our wish list:

Electric start motor
Roller furling jib
Mast raising system
Bimini

A few questions:

1. How much better/different is life with a roller furler? We don't have one on our current boat and like the ease of sail changing with one.
2. How much is it to add one to a 26s? It looks expensive since we would probably have get both a jib and the roller furler.

Thanks!
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sailboatmike
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Re: Adding roller furling jib

Post by sailboatmike »

You can get your current jib modified for a furler, they just need to sew in a bolt rope.

The roller furler is just one tool for making life a bit easier on the water, we dont have to spend any time on the foredeck, just point into the wind pull the furling line and away goes the sail, when you want sail, just release the furling line and pull on the sheets.

partly furled sails are not as efficient as a full sail of the right size, however you can have any size jib you like with the furler
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Tomfoolery
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Re: Adding roller furling jib

Post by Tomfoolery »

I've had boats with furling, and without. I won't even bother looking at a boat without roller furling at this point. Or factor in the cost of retrofitting, but on a large boat that's a lot of boat bucks. At about $650US (Sailrite) for the FF2, it's not cheap, so that factors into the purchase price of course.

I often sail with just the genoa, especially when I have guests on board, as non-crew makes sailing difficult. There's also no work in packing it away when finished - roll it up, and cleat off the sheets. Done.
sail4fun
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Re: Adding roller furling jib

Post by sail4fun »

That has been our impression so far of a roller furler. With a 5 year old we like to keep things easy and fun. Finding just the right boat is a challenge with our wish list! The good thing is that these options don't really seem to add much to the price of a boat when sold used.

I think my wife will enjoy not having to go on the foredeck to wrestle with the jib as we have to do now.

Thanks for the input!
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Tomfoolery
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Re: Adding roller furling jib

Post by Tomfoolery »

sail4fun wrote:The good thing is that these options don't really seem to add much to the price of a boat when sold used.
This is especially true of electronics and gew-gaws - owners of new boats add electronics, most of which are useful and very nice to have, along with stuff of questionable utility (but may still be nice to have), but once a boat has some years on it, that stuff doesn't seem to add to the sale price. The owners seem to think it should, and the asking reflects that, but in the end, the selling price doesn't seem much influenced. My FIL told me that decades ago, and it seems to hold true. Or it's confirmation bias. :|

I should also add that if I get another big boat, it will also have a furling main. No more sail flaking, wrapping with sail ties, lazy jacks, sail covers, and climbing around on the cabin roof to button it up when done. As much as I like sailing, the work on the front- and back-end is getting old. Like me. :P
sail4fun
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Re: Adding roller furling jib

Post by sail4fun »

I agree about the furling main, except when it jams. I have seen too many of those broken and a main that is stuck. Maybe the newer designs are better. Simple and easy is what I like. Our current boat does not even have a motor. Of course it is only 19 feet and I can skull it slowly if there is no headwind.
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Russ
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Re: Adding roller furling jib

Post by Russ »

I would never own a boat withOUT a furling jib. Bouncing on the foredeck is no fun. Plus the ease and convenience that Tom mentioned. And you can reef your genny (I do all the time). Who cares about performance, we're out to have fun not race. If you want pure performance, then keep your hank on.

Roller furling will probably set you back $1200 which is well worth keeping you off the deck.
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Sumner
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Re: Adding roller furling jib

Post by Sumner »

sail4fun wrote:... yet to find the perfect boat with all of the items on our wish list:

Electric start motor
Roller furling jib
Mast raising system
Bimini...
Depending on the purchase price you can fairly easily add any of those to a less expensive boat. The outboard would be the highest in cost obviously with the roller furler second, but If the boat cost less you might still be ahead having to buy them. A mast raising system could be put together for $100 or less and a Bimini is not a real high dollar item either.

Waiting to find a boat with all of those might mean giving up some good times on a boat and that also has value. We had the mast raising system at time of purchase and added the rest over time and always enjoyed the boat :)

Sumner

============================
1300 miles to the Bahamas and back -- 2015

The MacGregor 26-S

The Endeavour 37

Trips to Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Canada, Florida

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sail4fun
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Re: Adding roller furling jib

Post by sail4fun »

Thanks for the advice! We are luckily not boatless now and will be out on the water tomorrow. Good points about a cheaper boat that you can add to later. At least around here the offering prices are $5100-$8000, none with all of the options (or at least the 2 expensive ones).

Our season is coming towards the end with school and fall coming shortly. Hopefully prices will come down or more options will show up! Vermont is beautiful, but a short sailing season for sure!
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Highlander
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Re: Adding roller furling jib

Post by Highlander »

A word of note the CDI FF2 furler is not the best for changing sails on the water as it has an internal built-in halyard which is a pita , the more expensive furlers will have one or two foil grove,s , the 2 gove foil,s r nice if u r racing as they allow u to change sail,s on the fly & u can also fly 2 heads sails off them going down wind & they also use an external halyard that can b led back to the cockpit which allow,s u to slack off the halyard in light winds & make ur sail more baggy .
U might b able to pick up a good used one somewhere same as a Bimini good used ones r usually floating around , also check on the net some people buy stuff for there boats never get the time to install them & then for some reason or other sell there boats , but sell the never used new stuff on the net separately as the people who r buying there boat usually want the extra stuff for nothing lol

When I sold my :mac19: nobody want to pay for all the mods & goodies I had installed , so I stripped her down to a bare bones :mac19: sold her for the same price , half of the stuff went on my new :macm: & the rest I sold to some of my other :macm: buddies :wink:

J 8)
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Sumner
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Re: Adding roller furling jib

Post by Sumner »

sail4fun wrote:.... around here the offering prices are $5100-$8000, none with all of the options (or at least the 2 expensive ones)....
I haven't priced 26S's for a number of years but for a basic good boat those seem to be reasonable prices. I've seen a few D's in the $4000 - $5000 range but think the D's and the S's will bottom out about where they are for some time until they aren't in higher demand like they still are. If I remember right we paid about $7500 for ours in Jan '09 and it didn't have any of the items on your list except the mast raising gear. I'd say by now we have put another $9000 plus in the boat with all the upgrades.

I realize I'll never get all that back out and ....

Image

.... look at the expenses compared to say taking a 3 month vacation to the Bahamas, where you wouldn't even have a beach to yourself. Now what would that cost :wink: . The same with all the other trips. 3 months in Florida wouldn't be cheap either and that doesn't count all the other great trips. Still way cheaper than say buying a good RV and going on the road and spending $50-$75 a night just to part it in an RV park. If one stays out of the marinas there are some mighty cheap vacations to be had with a Mac :) ,

Sumner

============================
1300 miles to the Bahamas and back -- 2015

The MacGregor 26-S

The Endeavour 37

Trips to Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Canada, Florida

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