Furler Headsail without furler

[Loefflerh]

That might be a stupid idea / question but anyhow: Did anybody fly a jib / genoa like a spinnaker, I mean without attaching it to the forestay? What would be the result?
The reason for asking: I plan to trailer my boat in the summer 650miles to Lake Hartwell, and do not like to carry that big roller furler neither on deck nor stow it inside. I have a spare forestay, but only a jib and genoa for the furler.
Of course I can just use the mainsail only, and still have a spinnaker - anybody some ideas about it?

Hans

[tangentair]

I have a drifter from another one of our boats, that is sort of a asymetrical wannabee. It is a 120 Jib of very light cloth that will fly in anything under 5K. Last year there were very few days that Chicago had that kind of winds when I could go out on that boat so I can not comment on how much it helps. Make a whisker pole and fly the hanked on genoa wing to wing, and you probably will be satisfied with the result. At least it will be a sight to see.

[Trouts Dream]

If I were in your shoes I would give it a try while at home. As long as the leach can be pulled tight enough I would think you could even point to some degree.
As for the furler when travelling, I use bungees to attach to the mast and use the boat hook, slightly extended, to extend the mast and support the furler end. No extra parts needed except maybe bungees. But you can never have too many bungees.

[mikelinmon]

I have tried something similar. For our Wed night races, we have a non-spinnaker segment in the channel which can become downwind. It is for this segment,I got a loose luffed lightweight 155% genoa. The idea being that we'd slightly loosen the luff for deeper sailing. It did not work! Wound up putting hanks on the sail and picked up a good deal of speed.
Mike Inmon

[Grey Beard]

I'm just a newbie, but my solution to what you are saying was to disconnect the furler from the top of the mast and use the main halyard to pull the furler luff tight against the mast. The roller portion I used a clevis to attach the roller to the boom vang dog at the bottom of the mast (now at the bow). Just to make sure it was all secure and couldn't move around I used the spinnaker halyard to wrap around the mast and furler the length of the mast.

The PO had left the furler tied crooked around the mast and the heat over a period of time deformed the plastic. I had to take a heat gun and warm it up and straighten so I could get the genoa to slide in.

Hope this helps, and sorry for being long winded...

Steve

[Loefflerh]

ok - convinced, next question: is it possible to convert a sail so it has dual purpose: for rollerfurling and hank on? I have to confess, I have never seen and I am not familiar with those hank-ons...
Hans

[Frank C]

Not really possible. The furling sails have a luff tape. Hank-on sails have hanks that are twisted to grab the forestay wire. There are no in-betweens.

• As a novice, the furler is clearly not rigging-friendly.
• Further, hank-on sails are also not so user-friendly when winds stiffen.
• OTOH, the furling sails are a novice's best friends.

Since you're dead-set against the furler hassles, you're not gonna be happy in the trailing & rigging. Maybe you should try shopping on Minney's Yacht Surplus for a used Mac jib, hank-on version. Remove the furler and use just the forestay that's inside the plastic foil.

Learn about using the hank-on jib (easier to handle than a genoa) 'on-the-fly' and you'll be a happier cruiser. Cost of the test should be about $300 for the used jib. If you fly it and then don't like it, return it to Minney's. They make that offer right up front. I've purchased a used sail (non-Mac) from them, and didn't like the fit. They took it back a month later, no questions asked.

Minney's Yacht Surplus
You need to look for "headsails under 25'" and look for those clearly identified for a Mac26.