Furler opinion

Posted By: Ashley - R23 #639, Pearl, SF Bay
Date: 10/15/08 11:57a.m.

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My opinion for a 15' boat is that it's not worth it. The headsail is so small and you can rig a simple down haul by running a line from the head of the sail down to a block on the stem and back to the cockpit. When you release the Jib halyard just give a yank on the downhaul in heavy winds and it will douse in two seconds. You have slop on the foredeck of course but by keeping a leeward sheet tight you can take a quick step from the cabin and lean forward to tie off with a single bungee cord if conditions are that serious. I had the downhaul arrangement on my Montgomery 15 and it worked just fine. A furler is expensive; more complicated to set up, and limits the ability to have a tight head stay. IMHO and everyone sails differently. But the investment into 20’ of ¼” line to see if that setup works fine for you might be a good way to go before purchasing a CDI.