Buying 2006 350, Need Advice on In-Mast Furling

[Mark Sutherland]

I'm looking at buying a near perfect, 2006 350 to replace my 1986 C34'.  The only item of question for me is the in-mast furling.  I've read many of the posts about a modest performance loss, which I'm okay with it if it is indeed modest.  I'm most concerned about the occasional "jamming" of the main and the consequential inability to furl it in, especially if the conditions are adverse.  What is the likelihood of a jam, and what do these jamming scenarios look like, worst case?  There's no way I'm going up the mast to cut the main down, I'm too old for that.  The only solution I can envision is trying to roll the main vertically, from the clue towards the mast, then wrapping the spinnaker halyard around the mast like a maypole, essentially vertically slabbing the main against the mast????  There are no battens in the existing main.  I've gotta resolve this scenario in my head before I buy this boat.  Would very much appreciate your great counsel on this one!  Thanks.

Clarification: I may not have been concise enough with my question which is, what are the best options for dealing with a main sail that has become jammed and won't furl back into the mast, especially under adverse weather conditions?  Thanks.

[Jim Hardesty]

Mark,
Shamrock is a 2001 with inmast furling.  I've had her for 10 seasons, never had a jam.  Just follow the same rules as the Jib furler. No slack in the halyard, don't force it, if it's real hard to furl, look, something is wrong.  Did have a new sail made with vertical battens, like the book says not to, and the sail sets much better, and the boat balances better. 
If you want to make your sailing easier, I'd recommend inmast furling.  FWIW I'm 70 and have no problem single handing.
Jim

[tonywright]

If you follow the instructions for using the furling main, you are unlikely to experience a problem. Like Jim (knock on wood) we have had no problems in 10 seasons of sailing, and really enjoy the convenience. We have the original sail with no battens. It is important to have the luff tape inspected and if necessary repaired annually.

That being said, if you cannot furl it in for any reason and the sail is all the way out, you can just let go the main halyard while head to wind and haul the sail down. Gravity will do most of the job if you keep the sail and slot well maintained. The key to success is doing all hoisting, lowering, furling and unfurling while head to wind. Also, avoid over-tensioning the vang when furling or unfurling.

Tony

[Stu Jackson]

Good advice.  And in everything I've eve read on the subject, there seems to be a favored"tack" or side in which to furl the main - the wind just a tad to one side or the other.

Good luck.

[Jim Hardesty]

Mark,
I want to add more of my thoughts on jamming.  Main furling is little different than jib furling.  The difference is that the main sail is furled into a confined tube (mast section).  If you don't force it in you won't have to force it out.  We've all seen poorly furled jibs on other boats that are loose and twice the size they should be.  A main is furled like that is asking for trouble.
I almost passed on buying Shamrock due to the in-mast furling.  After living with it for a while I now like it a lot for cruising.  More advantages than disadvantages.
Good luck,
Jim

[Bill Asbury]

Mark, I just want to second Jim's positive comments re in-mast furling.  We've had our '05 C34 with in-mast furling for seven years
and other than a bit of a learning curve on how to deploy and stow the sail efficiently the system has worked well for us.
You'll appreciate the convenience of not having to use a conventional mainsail cover and all the other features and benefits of the '06 C350
compared to your present boat.  True, not as much power versus a conventional main so that's a factor to consider if you do any racing.
Good luck!
Bill

[Steve_in_lex]

I agree with all the comments above.  I love not having to leave the cockpit to set or furl the sail, and the performance difference isn't noticeable (we don't race).  One suggestion: be sure to test the furling and unfurling on the boat, though.  The sail itself can play a big role in how well it works.

Our PO had a new mainsail made for better performance, with 3 vertical battens.  It's a nice sail and we used it for a season, but 75% of the time I had to stand on top of the cabin and yank the sail out in order to set it.  Not good in a sea.  The battens kept getting stuck in the slot when unfurling.  Then we tried the original sail -- no battens -- and it works like a charm. 

I'm not sure if the problems with the new sail are due to the patterns or stiffness of the sail, but a local sailmaker suspects it's the battens.  Overall point, though, is to test the furler on the boat you're looking at with the sail you'd be using.  It should go out smoothly.

[Stu Jackson]

The issue is vertical battens or not, PLUS how the battens are made and their thicknesses compared to the slot.

"Who would have known it was so hard?"

[Dave DeAre]

I have sailed my 2002 with in mast furling for the past 10 years. No jamming, no winches needed. First year with the original Catalina sail was not good. Sail was baggy and boat would not point well. Had a new Doyle vertical batten sail made. Works perfectly, no problems.
I had the chance to buy a C-28 to keep in Florida, but passed because it was not in mast furling. Others may disagree, but I would not have a boat for cruising the was not in mast.

[Wayne]

I too have a newish main with vertical battens; mine is made by Hood Sails.  I have no problems with my in mast furler.  Having some roach and being able to have twist in my main again is great!  I don't know about others, but my original in mast main needed to have the leech fully closed--tightened down like a drum--or my speed dropped noticeably.  The down side to my battens is that the main is really a pain to lower.  My battens are full length, and so the foot of the sail needs to be laid down along the side deck and coaming as the sail is brought down.