New Mac 26 Roller Furling for Main

[BOAT]

I had a rotating thingy on my topping lift that had a tang for the mainsheet block to attach to so that when you wanted to roll up the main you moved the mainsheet to the end of the boom where that tang thing was and started cranking to roll up the sail..

It rolled up okay but the rotating gooseneck was not strong enough to support the boom. In the end it bent.

My invention did not work.

[Jimmyt]

So you couldn't Reef and attach the main near the traveler?

[BOAT]

So you couldn't Reef and attach the main near the traveler?

Nope - it was just for furling - no reefing. I don't even know if you can sheet the boom on the M boat from the end of the boom - I think it might break? I dunno - need to ask Tom on that one.

The angle is way too steep to sheet from the traveler to the end of the boom - it will not work. If you wanted to reef like that the sheet block would need to be moved back - probably to the genoa tracks (a loop from one side to the boom to the other like a lot of other boats have - my old A23 was like that). Nut I would be afraid of breaking the boom unless Tom said it was okay.

[Jimmyt]

You're pretty tricky. I thought it would be difficult to rig that way. But I figured if anybody could do it, you probably could.

Sheeting at the boom end would likely put less stress on the boom than sheeting in the middle IF you weren't trying to use the traveler and were sheeting from the transom area/close to the boom end. As you state, sheeting from traveler to boom end would be bad. Maybe not alcohol stove, we are all gonna die bad, but bad.

[BOAT]

Yeah - the way to do it from the end in my book is with dual sheet blocks - that's something that has been discussed before - there are a LOT of advantages to dual sheet blocks but a downside also - I will get into that on this link here because there is a D pilot that wants to know about this:

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=27610&p=341258#p341258

[Jimmyt]

I had a rotating thingy on my topping lift that had a tang for the mainsheet block to attach to so that when you wanted to roll up the main you moved the mainsheet to the end of the boom where that tang thing was and started cranking to roll up the sail..

It rolled up okay but the rotating gooseneck was not strong enough to support the boom. In the end it bent.

My invention did not work.

Actually, your invention was fine. Your gooseneck/bearing just wasn't strong enough. That is easily fixed with the right machine shop and a wad of cash. Or, possibly, a grainger or McMaster shopping spree. Or a friend who does machine work for a hobby. I probably would have used a shaft and bushing, with the shaft serving as the connection to the mast; and the busing inserted several inches into the boom/drum. If I had to make it, I'd use a stainless shaft and bronze bushing. That way you could work in several different metals (aluminum, bronze, and stainless) to give you a future corrosion project... If your boom diameter was large enough, you could bolt the bushing in - through the boom threaded into the bushing (if the bushing is thick enough).

Actually, I might build the prototype shaft out of carbon steel just in case I had to do a few before I got it right...

Sheeting at the traveler and being able to Reef... I might try a wire rope bridle with a loop or eye at the traveler, from a tang at the back of the boom to a tang at the front of the boom. The front tang could be mounted to the gooseneck (shaft), and the rear tang would be an extension of the tang you used for the topping lift. This would put a compression load on the boom which it should be able to easily handle. Down-side, we just put a thrust load on our bushing. A collar on the shaft or step on the shaft at the front of the bushing would take care of that, and a collar on the bushing to take the boom thrust instead of depending on the bushing mounting bolts.

Now all you have to do is solve how you're gong to furl and hold the drum in a partially furled condition (how to stop it from rotating...).

[BOAT]

I don't know how to weld and stuff. My dad made a furling boom way back in the 1970's that worked but it used the end of the boom and his boat had the mainsheet off the gunnels like a lot of other boats back in the day. His boat also had a backstay which is great for hanging stuff.

[Russ]

I don't know how to weld and stuff. My dad made a furling boom way back in the 1970's that worked but it used the end of the boom and his boat had the mainsheet off the gunnels like a lot of other boats back in the day. His boat also had a backstay which is great for hanging stuff.

BOAT, are we related and don't know it with the same father?

My dad also had a boat in the 70's with a roller reefing main. I seem to remember a crank handle or something. It was only for reefing. Nobody thought of rolling a main when not in use back then that I knew of. I remember seeing roller furling jibs and being in awe.

One day I was at the helm and my dad was hanking on the jib as we were coming out of Manasquan Inlet. When the tide is going out it often creates a big wave that crests just at the end. We weren't expecting it and one of those waves crashed over the bow and on top of him. He came back to the cockpit drenched and said: "Why didn't you warn me?" After that, he got a furling jib.

[BOAT]

I don't know how to weld and stuff. My dad made a furling boom way back in the 1970's that worked but it used the end of the boom and his boat had the mainsheet off the gunnels like a lot of other boats back in the day. His boat also had a backstay which is great for hanging stuff.

BOAT, are we related and don't know it with the same father?

My dad also had a boat in the 70's with a roller reefing main. I seem to remember a crank handle or something. It was only for reefing. Nobody thought of rolling a main when not in use back then that I knew of. I remember seeing roller furling jibs and being in awe.

One day I was at the helm and my dad was hanking on the jib as we were coming out of Manasquan Inlet. When the tide is going out it often creates a big wave that crests just at the end. We weren't expecting it and one of those waves crashed over the bow and on top of him. He came back to the cockpit drenched and said: "Why didn't you warn me?" After that, he got a furling jib.

Rolling booms were common back in the day but fell out of favor as sails became more complicated with a lot mor geometry and battens and stuff. People wanted performance. As I recall they were never used as a way to reef - only as a main sail handling method. Very common.

It's easy to find pictures from back then of boats with rolling booms but what's hard is finding boats from back then with rolling booms AND the sail rolled up on the boom:



Here you can see the A23 with the mainsail rolled onto the boom - as you can see the front of the sail bunches up. Next to the A23 is a smaller boat with the main rolled up - that boat is not even an Aquarius so it shows how many boats used them back long ago. There is a very rare bird parked just in front of of the A23 - A 26 foot Balboa - I sailed that Balboa in the picture many times. Nice boat.

[DownSouth]

Just sold a Hartley TS21 built 1974 had roller furling around boom like that but it had slab reeefing for actually reducing sail.

DownSouth

[Jimmyt]

Just sold a Hartley TS21 built 1974 had roller furling around boom like that but it had slab reeefing for actually reducing sail.

DownSouth

Cool! Got any pics?

We are now under a stay at home order in our state, with city curfew from 10pm to 5am. Only allowed out for critical supplies or work in an essential business. We can go out and walk as long as we don't congregate with groups over 10.

Cleaning my shop and trying to recondition some tools that were damaged in my house fire a few years back.

All that to say, pics of anything sailboat related is pretty good entertainment!

Hope you guys are well downsouth!

[Jimmyt]

Hey BOAT,

Got a couple of these lying around if you want one for continued roller boom experimentation. Not stainless, but would work for a prototype bearing if you want something that won't break... You might have to get Tomfoolery to tell you how to drill it, or cut it...

[DownSouth]

rolled up and ready for bed.....

[Jimmyt]

rolled up and ready for bed.....

Very cool!

Thanks for the pic!

[smartcubic]

It was my first time, so I was clumsy and made a mistake. I re-posted.