Submitted on August 6, 2005 by Dale Mukavetz

Question: I was searching the net for information on furling mains. We recently rented a Hunter 33 with such a rig.

In light winds the rig was easy to handle but when heavy winds came up it was not. Initially we found that in wind the sail tended to pull right out of the mast. In heavier weather we found we had to head into the wind and de-power the main to reef it.

After the sail we noted that the furling mechanism had both a "free" setting and a "ratcheting" setting. Ours was set on "free."

I assume there was operator error involved here. Do you have any idea on what errors we made?

Dale Mukavetz

Answer: Hi Dale,

I don't know what type of furling unit you are using. However, it is not unusual to have to head close to the wind and ease the sheet to furl an in-mast mainsail on a windy day. On a small boat like a Hunter 33 the system is probably not powerful enough to furl under a lot of load.

Regards,
Dan Neri

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