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Peter Harken, whose company makes headsail furling systems, said “We haven’t gotten into in-boom furlers because we think there’s a better way. “I don’t need a $20,000 sailcover,” he replied.
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We asked the owner of a 73-footer who undertook a complete and costly refit why he hadn’t put a boom furler aboard. Overcoming that friction isn’t easy and it’s certainly not automatic.” Butch Ulmer, veteran sailmaker from City Island, NY, feels cautious about it: “The geometry still needs to be worked out. If all else fails, just drop the sail as you would a normal main and furl it on the boom instead of inside.īut boom furling has plenty of detractors. A jam in the boom can be addressed from on deck. Until then, you’ll be stuck with a hoisted mainsail in what may be exactly the wrong conditions.
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There are other plusses-freedom from reefing-line clutter, variable sizing potential, automatic sail-covering, and the ability to retain your original spar, to name a few-but to us the most telling difference is safety: If an in-mast furler jams it’s probable that someone will need to go aloft to free it. With a boom-furling system you can assure yourself of a powerful modern sailplan with plenty of roach, with the additional bonus of being able to use full-length battens to help control sail shape and reduce flogging. We’ve talked with sailmakers, and most peg the overall performance loss that you’ll pay for the convenience of in-mast furling at 20% or worse. In-mast furlers require roachless, high-aspect triangles, thus reducing mainsail area, distorting ideal shape, and lessening draft control. Probably the most significant selling point of a sail that lives in the boom, however, is its shape. Compared with in-mast furling, the boom-based systems weigh less and keep weight lower. The advantages of in-boom furling that prompted Hood’s “noble experiment” have not disappeared with Stoboom. “However,” says Paul Boyce of Hood Yacht Systems, “we’re still involved in in-boom furling with hydraulic systems fitted to larger boats, most of which are in Europe.” Hood tried education (a special aftermarket owner’s manual) and hand-holding (extensive customer service) before eventually pulling the Stoboom off the market. They were also fickle in terms of boom angle, and costly in terms of luff chafe. For that and several other reasons Stobooms proved jammable. The sail entered and exited the Hood boom through a narrow slot in the top of the tube. It was, according to one owner who sailed a Hunter 42, “the costliest consumer mistake I ever made.” However, the newly-engineered hardware proved to be more complicated and ultimately less convenient than it looked. More affordable and less risky than furling the main inside the mast, these boom furlers were a big hit. In the late ’80s, Hood Systems introduced the Stoboom, and rolling the sail inside the boom became an option. And, as always when we attempt to conquer the considerable forces of wind and wave by mechanical means, we tread a fine line between convenience and chaos. Stowing, furling, and reefing the main is still a sizable chore, especially as the size of your boat increases. Stacking systems, lazy jacks, the Dutchman, in-mast furlers… all contribute their share of convenience and control, but none has proven to be the answer. The recent introduction of Schaefer’s new in-boom system gives us an excuse to revisit the subject and the systems in the field.įrom the outset we’d acknowledge that with each passing year, sailhandling systems get more and more refined and efficient-never mind the days of footropes and gaskets, of one hand for the headsail and one for yourself during routine jib changes.Įven so, the mainsail remains a challenge. Our last good look at in-boom furling systems was in the Augissue, when we liked both ProFurl and Leisure Furl, giving the edge to the latter despite its greater cost.