Converting a gennaker sock to furling

[canuck]

I have the factory Elvstron gennaker on my 2017 37 cruiser, and have got into trouble twice already with the sail getting tangled up in the lines for the sock, and not being able to drop the sail. THe first time resulted in a serious broach and significant damage to the sail.   I am considering converting to a top down furler, and wondering if anyone has done this conversion on this model.  My particular concerns are if there is enough room at the masthead between the halyard and the forestay extrusion (they seem to be one fitting and very little clearance), and also if the clews of the sail are too heavy to furl properly.  Appreciate any advice anyone has.

[Symphony]

There should be enough room at the top. I have just had a furling chute made for my 2015 33 using the Selden furling gear. The mast is essentially the same, although of course shorter.

You don't say where you are located, but I suggest you take your sail to a good sailmaker and ask their advice. Mine was made by Kemps and has a conventional top down torque rope. Also worth talking to Elvestrom as I know they use the Selden furler for their furling sails.

[Mirror45184]

Hi Symphony,

Have used a Profurl Spinex top down furler on a 2009 B40 Cruiser, I have experienced the head snagging against the forestay on one or two occasions but generally trouble free operation. Clew patch is not an issue either. I am assuming that you are flying the gennaker off a bowsprit. this does improve the clearance between the furling cable and the forestay by a whisker!
Cheers

[grossifs]

Hi, I have just updated from a sock (same problems you had) to a topdown facnor furler on my Bavaria Farr 2012.
You need tu move the Spi halyard up at least 50 cm from the foresail halyard otherwise you'll have problems during furling.
Having done that...life changes... you can hoist furl and unfurl directly from the helmsman seat....

[felixshmak]

Hi, I am in the process of converting our cruising chute into top-down furling as well.

What I noticed is the normal head of asymertic gennaker is too hard to furl into a compact size to fit into the gap between the forestay and anti-torsion rope. So we send the gennaker for modification by the sail maker. We could take the alternative route - shorten the anti-torsion rope and let the head had more room.

Good sailing

[ANTREVELL]

Hi . I see that symphony has installed a top down furler on a cruiser 33 . The same boat that I own. I have no knowledge of these top down furlers .
Can I be rude and ask the cost of the gennaker and top down furler.
I have a bowsprit  is it possible to install the furler and sail prior to going sailing and go to windward,  tack etc with the gennaker in place rather like a furling genoa .  Or do you have to install while sailing and remove once the course is altered .
I have a spinnaker halyard  can I assume this would be suitable for the top down furler or do you need  something special.

Thank you in anticipation of your help.

Regards Tony Revell    Pegatha  Cruiser 33

[Kibo]

Hi Tony,

Not sure about cost on a 33. I think I paid about $2000 for the torsion rope plus furler assembly in 2014 but that was on a Vision 46. (I think that was the price - I paid for the sail, the bowsprit and the furler in one go so I'm struggling to remember he exact split)

You can certainly put it up on the bowsprit at the dock and keep it furled just like a Genoa. Sail upwind, tack etc. Downwind....Deploy as needed, refurl and leave it up on the furler. Only issue for longish term is that there is no UV strip on the assym so I don't leave mine up indefinitely when cruising.

Deploy/furl while off the wind and blanket with the main is what I have found as the best technique.

I like it over the sock system I had on previous boats. Much easier to control and all lines back to the cockpit so basically no foredeck work.

[grossifs]

Hi, regarding costs on my 40 footer with 16.5 Ispin I spent roughly 1800 euro with the best (to my knowledge) furle on the market the Winderfurl, made in Italy that you can find on line searching for "goldrigging" or "winderfurl"

[Symphony]

A Selden GX10 furling system is approx £1600, but worth also having the stanchion fairleads and twin jamming block (rather than just a single block) which is an extra £350 or so. This is suitable for a sail up to 80 sqm which is more than enough for a 33. My sail is approx 65 sqm radial cut in 1.5oz DP ripstop nylon - pretty standard stuff for a cruising chute and retail was just over £1300. So total around £3300. It was made by Kemps, but I had quotes from 2 other similar sailmakers which were in the same ball park.

I modified the strut from the forestay fitting to the pulpit by having it welded solid. It is one tube inside another as standard with the smaller upper tube part of the pulpit. I cut this off (horrible job!) and had 2 stainless steel ears welded on to provide a saddle for the pulpit to sit in and an M10 U bolt goes through the wood platform and the ears. The tack of the sail attaches to the U bolt and loads go straight down to the stemhead fitting. All becomes clear if you look at your stemhead /pulpit. It is still possible to remove the pulpit if needed.

This is an alternative to the bowsprit and puts the tack and drum, and therefore the torque rope just far enough forward of the Furlex. Not ideal as it does not get the chute in the clearer air as with a bow sprit and limits the ability to gybe easily. However I wanted to avoid a bow sprit partly cost and partly because I sail single handed most of the time.

Yes, you can set it up in advance. A good idea as it is much easier than doing it on the move unless you have a strong and willing crew. However, I would only do it if the forecast was F4 or below and there was chance of good offwind sailing in the passage plan.

I have used it twice, once on its own in 12-15 knots with wind at roughly 120 degrees and it really does pull. The second was in lighter winds with the mainsail up and showed that it does work in the range of 70-150 degrees. Getting it back in I think will need more practice. Seems better to go into wind so it is not filling, but it takes a lot of winding at first to get the thin part of the sail round the rope, but once you get to the fat middle bit it comes in quickly.

Hope this helps.