Jeff, no more building. I'm getting old and need to do some sailing while I can.

Another pic.

Another

Bump with another.

what is that line on the end of the sprit going to the top of the mast? A top-down furler on the spinnaker?

Jay,
Yes that is the torque rope for the top down furler for the masthead kite.

Another

I would be very interested in the effectiveness of that top-down furler.

Does it reduce the "cluster" takedown at C-gate? Can it be operated short-handed?

I often sail with noob or non-sailing crew (to get more folk on the water) and if that top-down furler helps I think it might be nice to add to my F-24

Jay,
The big advantage of the top down furler is the spi deployment at the top mark. The spi can already be hoisted and start unfurling it before you are round the mark such that by the time the rounding is complete you are off and running. This can amount to big gains against someone who has to wait until they have rounded to hoist.

At the bottom mark you need someone to load up the torque rope by pulling on the furling line well before the mark.
When you want to furl, let the sheet off and pull like crazy on the furling line, the sail starts furling at the top first and works its way down. When it gets to the bottom it needs some light pressure on the sheet to get a good tight furl.

I think 3 would be the ideal number of crew however it could be done with two (ie. skipper + 1) if the skipper controlled the sheet while the crew pulled like crazy on the furling line.

It probably gets more down to how energetic the crew is rather than how knowledgeable they are provided the person (skipper) controlling the sheet knows what they need to do.

You can leave the sail up and furled, but it is slower. We bring the furled sail down once we have rounded the bottom mark as the wind brings the sail back to the crew on the nets that can direct its drop as someone else controls the drop with the halyard. (If you tacked and then dropped you probably wouldn't need the crew on the net to catch it as the breeze would blow it more toward the mast and may come down on the cabin.) I have made my pulpit split at the front and the crew just flicks the furled sail inside the pulpit and then ties it down to the tramp so it does not go overboard on the upwind leg. This furler system is safer and ensures the spi does not become a sea anchor because of a bad drop. The attached pic shows the screecher in the dropped position. You can't see it but on the port side the spi is the same. Flicking it into the pulpit won't be such an issue when I get the forward nets on. I'll be fitting velcro straps each side on the main nets to hold down the head of the sails. Quick attach and release and keeps the sail on the nets and the swinging spi halyard away from the cabin top winches.
I hope this run down helps.

as you alluded to, you could move the spin from one side to the other (furled) slightly easier than moving a spin bag and all the lines...

I can somewhat handle the screecher on a roller furler by myself (tiller brake and good timing for halyard drop), so this spin furler sounds a great deal better than trying to douse a spin shorthanded

Jay,
There is velcro sewn around the reinforcing for the clew of the spinnaker. When its furled the velcro holds it furled and you can bring it down either side by pulling lightly on the appropriate sheet as it comes down. So if you wanted to change sides after a drop you would be best pulling it up sufficiently to pull it over the other side with the sheet.
I keep the spi one side and screecher the other side just to try and keep the tie down of the head to the nets simple.

that concept sounds better every time you post

"There is no such thing as a free lunch". Furling is hard work, but it is a neat way of handling the sail.

I still need to order my 3/4 spinnaker and tempted to get it without the furler (given the cost) but probably won't.
Below is another pic.



BTW:- A company down the road from me makes shirts locally. My better half is concerned regarding the harmful affects of the sun and ordered 5 for the boat.
I was impressed. They look even better in real life but all I can post is a pic.

I have a list of project to make the boat easier to handle with limited crew.
I'm currently working on roller furling my main sail around the 50x150mm boom.Rather than a hole through the mast with a handle I have a fitting on the rear of the boom that can be driven by the tool that does up the beam bolts. I had to make my own goose neck fitting to suit the carbon fitting on the mast. I need to get some pics.

sounds neat. I was thinking some sort of continuous line furler at the gooseneck with the lines led back to the **** to avoid having to go up there to reef..

But my rope clutches are mounted on the mast, so I'd have to relocate the halyard clutch...

Jay,
If you have the room on the mast you could just replace the standard halyard clutch with a constrictor clutch and run the trigger line back to the ****. I have 5 constrictor clutches on my mast (main, jib, screecher, 3/4 spi and masthead spi)and plan on running the trigger lines back.
The constrictor clutch won't slip under extreme load and will release as easily under extreme load as it will under light load. They take a bit of tuning at first but they would negate the need to leave the **** to operate.



In the pic the blue is the 2:1 main halyard, red is masthead spi and the green is 3/4 but I haven't got that one yet so the turning has not yet been installed.

very nice. I will give that some serious thought...

Something to watch. I have never raised or lowered the mast with the trailer winch,only cabin top winch.
In the pic the mast has just been raised. You can see the ginny pole needs to be around 300mm longer to make sure the raising line always goes in when lowering. If it does not go in when lowering, the mast will come down much quicker than expected.
In my case I use the extra fitting I have put in the foredeck to attach my cruising jib furler to pull on to raise the mast. This fitting is 250mm behind the forestay attachment point. Others may need the ginny pole even longer as they will be pulling from further fwd. In the pic the crusing jib is rolled up on the fore deck without the furler. I like the cruising jib on a continuous line furler but it does tend to pull the forestay in when furling. I have a plan to stop this which I will post once tested.

I purchased the carbon Ginny pole with the mast. It is already too long to easily store on the boat. So the process of lengthening it by 300mm will involve making it a two piece pole.I'll use the pole as a mould to make the needed sleeve.

I'd be interested to hear from F82 or F28 owners regarding where they have installed their toilet. Any pics would be good too.