Roller Main and other stuff

[mikedoz1]

Hi All, I finally scrimped and saved enough to buy the 2001 X that I have wanted for awhile, Yeah! So I was looking at the Macgregor website this afternoon just killing some time and saw a video of a 26M with a roller furling main sail. Do they sell those? does anyone have one and do you like it? Can it be used on an X model? Also, does anyone keep the boom attached when storing the mast? I saw another video (Youtube is slowly killing me) where this guy keeps the boom attached and the mast raising system attached after he sails and stores it all that way. It looks like a great idea, is it practical?

Thanks for all the great tips and knowledge that I have seen on this site, your Mac community spirit is great and I look forward to reading this site everyday.

[sunshinecoasting]

Hi Mike and welcome to the world of ownership, (or is that "own a ship"?), I can't help you with the furling main question but I do have to ask why you would not want to remove the boom? It takes 20 seconds to remove it, it isnt heavy, it stores neatly in the cabin on the V birth and is protected in there. Leaving it on the mast (assuming it is possible?) would make it and the main sail vulnerable to damage during transport and expose both to the elements shortening their lives. Now what we really need is a telescopic mast and boom arrangement that at the touch of a button in the cockpit extends itself up and out and unfurls the sails and weighs the anchors, I'm up for that.

Cheers, Dennis.

[mikedoz1]

Hi Dennis, thanks for the laugh, I like your idea about telescoping mast! I guess my main reason for the boom question is that I find it takes me much longer than 20 seconds to set up the boom Actually I live in the SF Bay Area and I usually go out a few times a week in the summer and fall, so I was thinking that during the season it would make it quicker to get on the water a little faster. If I find myself going out less often, then I would break it down all the way. Plus I'm just lazy

[Russ]

I'm not that impressed with that roller furling main. I did see a mod that allowed the main to be raised AND lowered from the cockpit. It wasa looped halyard. I may do that one.

Also agree that leaving the boom on doesn't buy you much.

Welcome to Mac ownership.

--Russ

[dlandersson]

1. Yes, there are RF main sails.

2. You can leave the boom on the mast over the winter - I do.

3. Newest member has to buy the pizza.

Hi All, I finally scrimped and saved enough to buy the 2001 X that I have wanted for awhile, Yeah! So I was looking at the Macgregor website this afternoon just killing some time and saw a video of a 26M with a roller furling main sail. Do they sell those? does anyone have one and do you like it? Can it be used on an X model? Also, does anyone keep the boom attached when storing the mast? I saw another video (Youtube is slowly killing me) where this guy keeps the boom attached and the mast raising system attached after he sails and stores it all that way. It looks like a great idea, is it practical?

Thanks for all the great tips and knowledge that I have seen on this site, your Mac community spirit is great and I look forward to reading this site everyday.

[Max Entropy]

The only kind of roller furling main that's any good would probably cost almost as much as you paid for the X . Sail Stacking systems are much less complicated and expensive. Blue Water Yachts has a 'Mac Stack' version made just for the Mac you cd ask them about. Here's a quote from another forum discussion on this site with picture URL's that will give you an idea what they look like:

I have just made a new one for my new X, i will psot some pics soon as i have made a few modifications to the original, all i have to do now is get the cord to suspend it from the shrouds and its finished, cost so far £80,

Pics to follow soon

Just thought i would add some pics of my new sail pack that i have just finneshed, done it in Black, as the boat has a black stripe, also had the new 150% genny with a black sun strip, now in the middle of changing the Bimini cover to black as well(you can see a theme building here cant you?)

http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae21 ... M_1445.jpg
http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae21 ... M_1444.jpg
http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae21 ... M_1443.jpg

The next job is to make new cockpit cusions also in black.

Now for a favour? can anyone measure the backrest height and lenght, and base depth and length for me please, i will be going back to my boat at the weekend and want to purchase the foam to take with me so that i can cut it to size when i get there, i dont want to buy a piece of foam that to small.

Boat is a 1995 26X

Thanks in advance.

Madguy

As you can see, a combination of lazyjacks and a sail cradle that zips up to become a sail cover. To raise the main unzip the cover, head into the wind as usual and haul on the halyard. To lower, just release the halyard while headed into the wind, and the sail shd just flake down into the cradle guided by the lazyjacks, then zip it up.

Nick

[mastreb]

The Inmon roller furling main hardware is quite large--it doubles the weight of the boom and it adds about a foot of length to it, putting the furler right above the helm. I bought one (used) but decided it was too large and cumbersome for my rigging needs (we trailer all the time).

Instead, I use a rolling gooseneck that was made by Brian (seahouse) on this forum which allows me to roll up the stock boom. It's not for reefing, only for furling, but it works pretty well. The complication with it is that you have to keep the mast from rotating while you roll the boom up, and the tack ring on the mainsail constantly catches on the U bracket at the gooseneck unless you remembered to fold it in the last time you rolled up the main. Bottom line is it takes two people to roll it up unless you use a topping lift, in which case it can be done with one person at the mast. I use a bolt-roped main and a spinlock mainsail feeder, which makes going up and coming down as easy as slugs but with no gate to worry about.

We REALLY like it for mainsail management. If you trailer mast down, it's by far the simplest and easiest mainsail management I've found as it rolls up tight on the boom and adds no complication.

When we're done rolling it up, I unpin the boom from the gooseneck, leaving the gooseneck on the mast, and lay it onto the mainsail cover which is open on deck. We then toss the mainsheet, vang, and boomkicker into the bag and close it up. We can then open the hatch and walk the bagged boom down onto the cabin sole. the entire assembly fits neatly on the floor with the end of the boom secure between the galley and the companionway ladder. Takes all of five minutes and leaves the boat ready to trailer.

Matt

[Max Entropy]

A recent review of the main boom furling systems is here, & don't even think about in-mast furling.

http://theriggingco.com/2013/05/20/whic ... -the-best/

The advantage of these is that you can reef as well as furl, and reef at any point. But they make more sense on a much larger boat where mainsails can be hard to manage at the best of times, let alone single-handed in tough conditions. But even these systems can often require two people to handle.

Downside is they require precise engineering to work properly and misalignment can make for a miserable situation. The halyard has to kept at the right tension while lowering, you can't just drop the main as you would with lazyjacks. As for misalignment, imagine rolling up toilet paper in a wind. At least with toilet paper you only get a lumpy roll, but if the luff doesn't wind at a right angle into the boom you get a nasty snarl just when you don't have time to deal with it. And they're expensive.

Nick

[mikedoz1]

I would like to thank all of you for the advice, I do like the "Stacking" system that Nick showed me, I might just look into it. You guys Rock! Thanks again. Mike

[ceolwynn]

what I can't understand is, why there are so many OFF TOPIC
responses to roller furling booms ??? its like on every blog I
read to get info on roller furling booms, about 75% of the
replies are non-roller-furling-booms people selling lazy jacks ?

how about I get on all your blogs about lazy jacks, and waste
screen space off topic extolling the benefits of furling booms ?

I will keep looking to gather all available furling boom info
before I choose one, but its such a shame that so many sailors
are unable to avoid topic hijacking when they crusade to sell
their lazy jack choices to people obviously researching furling
booms...

anyways... I have discovered several possibilities for the
mac 26. but would hate to make a choice and investment to
later stumble onto a little known manufacturer of a better one

EasyRoll by ACMO - France http://www.acmo.fr/

http://www.myboatsgear.com/Hi-Low-reefer

http://www.profurl.com/rubrique-In_boom ... me-UK.html

[Tomfoolery]

[kadet]

Because people researching roller booms are 2 years behind people with lazy jacks

[topcat0399]

what I can't understand is, why there are so many OFF TOPIC
responses to roller furling booms ??? its like on every blog I
read to get info on roller furling booms, about 75% of the
replies are non-roller-furling-booms people selling lazy jacks ?

how about I get on all your blogs about lazy jacks, and waste
screen space off topic extolling the benefits of furling booms ?

I will keep looking to gather all available furling boom info
before I choose one, but its such a shame that so many sailors
are unable to avoid topic hijacking when they crusade to sell
their lazy jack choices to people obviously researching furling
booms...

anyways... I have discovered several possibilities for the
mac 26. but would hate to make a choice and investment to
later stumble onto a little known manufacturer of a better one

EasyRoll by ACMO - France http://www.acmo.fr/

http://www.myboatsgear.com/Hi-Low-reefer

http://www.profurl.com/rubrique-In_boom ... me-UK.html

whaaaaaale......

I'd say first off this aint no blog, it be a forumn

Many of us tink roller booms be useless

Some treads occur over the course of years and stop for coffee 'long da way

If 'n you HATE'n on thread drift this prolly aint the place for youuu

an' dat be toooo bad 4 U since this be a great laid back place full of knowleable social and frienly mac boat folks
that always hep an' pass de time an get 'long.

welcome and by pizza pls. meet luvrs tanks

[RobertB]

I think BLUE roller furlers make the boat go faster

[sirlandsalot]

what I can't understand is, why there are so many OFF TOPIC
responses to roller furling booms ??? its like on every blog I
read to get info on roller furling booms, about 75% of the
replies are non-roller-furling-booms people selling lazy jacks ?

how about I get on all your blogs about lazy jacks, and waste
screen space off topic extolling the benefits of furling booms ?

I will keep looking to gather all available furling boom info
before I choose one, but its such a shame that so many sailors
are unable to avoid topic hijacking when they crusade to sell
their lazy jack choices to people obviously researching furling
booms...

anyways... I have discovered several possibilities for the
mac 26. but would hate to make a choice and investment to
later stumble onto a little known manufacturer of a better one

EasyRoll by ACMO - France http://www.acmo.fr/

http://www.myboatsgear.com/Hi-Low-reefer

http://www.profurl.com/rubrique-In_boom ... me-UK.html

How is this for off topic......Are you drunk? maybe sober up, or get drunk..... but for god's sake do somthing! didn't you know only BOAT is alowd to thread/Blog like that by the way, when are you buying pizza?

dude, this is a sailing forum, it is about friends, chatting and relaxing.