MorningBird said.. Chris 249 said.. If I thought I was risking life and limb when I went on the foredeck, I wouldn't go offshore. And when did the last person lose their life or a limb while changing a sail on the foredeck?
If and when we move to a long-range cruiser, it will probably have a roller furler, but there are people who have cruised for eons without them who are neither strange or broke. Here's a well-argued case;
www.morganscloud.com/2012/03/08/hank-on-sails/ Chris, if you haven't been knocked around and bruised on the foredeck of a small yacht you haven't been on the foredeck of a small yacht in high winds and seas. The step from battered and bruised to injured ain't far. A broken finger or deep laceration can ruin everything on a short handed yacht.
Sectorsteve, that sail changing process that works really well in sheltered waters is a whole different ball game in 5 metre+ seas and 35 kts. MB can have 2 or more ft of solid water trying to stop you doing whatever it is you want to do. A 25 footer???
The argument for not having a good furler and sail on a cruising boat boils down to cost and/or prejudice. Cost is a very valid argument but the only one that is valid. They make cruising safer and more comfortable, they don't slow the boat down in cruising mode and good ones jam very rarely and usually due to lack of care. When they do jam, freeing the jam is usually far simpler than changing a sail.
MB, a quick Google shows that there are plenty of people out there who prefer hanks who show no sign whatsoever of being prejudiced or being concerned about cost. To insinuate that such people are deluded or dishonest when they publicly state the reasons they sometimes prefer hanks seems rather unfair.
Where is your evidence that Larry Fane, who wrote the piece I linked to earlier, is prejudiced or worried about cost? Do you know him? Do you know his financial status? If not, where is your evidence for such a blanket claim?
Where is the evidence that this guy (
www.riggingdoctor.com/life-aboard/2015/9/1/hank-on-vs-furling ) is worried about cost? He's got two boats so it doesn't seem he's broke. Where is the evidence that he is prejudiced? He has roller furling on one boat and hanks on another boat, so it doesn't seem that he's prejudiced. He just has sound logical reasons as to why it works for him. You are making blanket statements about people you don't know.
Are you seriously claiming that these people have publicly put the case for hanks out of prejudice? Surely you would need some pretty good evidence for that claim.
I have already noted that my next boat may have roller furling, so I am not prejudiced. I like my brother's cutter rig, which has a roller furler. It works very well for his boat. Nor is my preference for not having roller furling for coastal cruising in a small boat due to lack of money. It is because of a significant amount of experience and personal preferences. This is cruising. Surely no one has the right lay down the law and tell everyone what they must do and what reasons for their choice is valid or not. Personally I would rather run around on the bow changing sails so that the boat goes faster on coastal passages, because in a boat around Top Hat pace passages along the NSW coast can get uncomfortably long if you are going slowly. If you prefer roller furling for your situation that's fine, but last time I looked, people were allowed to have different views, tastes and priorities.
Re your my experience on the foredeck of a small yacht in high winds and seas. I've done five Hobarts (on 30-43 footers), plus other races (Sydney-Noumeas, etc). Several of them were rated as tough events by people like Lou Abrahams (the most experienced Hobart skipper) or the Sunstoners (four times British offshore yacht of the year, 7 Fastnet class wins, Royal Cruising Club trophy winners with 200,000 miles of cruising experience). I've run bow offshore at night in high winds on boats from 20 to 73 feet, in heavy conditions. So overall, I think it can safely be said that I have actually "been on the foredeck of a small yacht in high seas and winds". By the way, I like running bow and I often do it even at night offshore on my own boat. Yes, I've copped a bruise or two, but far fewer than I have doing something like Laser sailing, which is rarely rated as "dangerous" or "a risk to life and limb". I also get to my destination earlier and get to relax while a boat with furling may still be bouncing its crew around.
Please note that I have NEVER attacked your experience, knowledge or preferences. All I have stated is that there are people who have lots of experience who have other preferences about whether furlers are needed or preferable in some situations.
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