Good morning sailors, this John McNally from McNallyyachts.com, bringing you great techniques to successfully furl your sails.

Mainsail, In-mast Furling

Here we are at the marina and it’s a beautiful day with some wind. Great time to test your sail to make sure it working properly. At the dock it works best when there is no wind, or any direction from dead upwind to a beam reach (90 degrees). Never unfurl when the wind is coming from the stern.

Step 1

Check the mainsail Halyard and make sure its tight. You can tell if its tight if in front of the line clutch the line is taught. You may notice the Tack’s first 12” where the shackle is loose. Go ahead and tighten the halyard some. Good idea to label the clutches so no one uses them by mistake. The Luff of the sail is the name for the leading edge of a sail. (On a Mainsail, you will have luff tape usually # 6 size but not always, this will fit into the grooved foil that goes all the way up to the top) Luffing is when the sail back winds from not being trimmed right or the need to steer down. The Tack is the bottom corner where the foot meets the luff. The Head is the top corner where the Luff meets the trailing edge of the sail, this is call the Leech. The Head is where the halyard is attached to pull the,sail up. On an IN-MAST furling main, the sail is already up and is tightly furled inside the mast.

Step 2

To deploy you will release the furling line so it runs free from the winch and line clutch. You will hold pressure and let slide out of your hand. If windy, you leave one wrap on the winch.

Step 3

You will put the outhaul line on the winch, this line is attached tothe Clew. The clew is where the foot of the sail meets the Leech of the sail in the back corner of the sail. OUTHAUL FOR THE MAIN SAIL If testing the sail at the dock, make sure the boat is tied up tight so it does not sail into what-ever is in front of you! And don’t have anyonestanding next to the boom. It will go back and forth a little. Never pull the sail out if the wind is coming from the stern!

Step 4

Make sure the Main sheet line is not tight. Ease Main out 3”to 6”. The Vang is the line under the middle of the boom that holds the boom from going up and down. Topping lift holds the boom up when sail is not in use. This should be set to just barely hold the boom up, not letting boom rub on the Bimini Top. The Vang should be just snug, not pulling the boom down any.

Step 5

Wrap the outhaul line around the winch 3 to 4 wraps. And slowly start to crank the Outhaul out and keep your eye on the Clew as it moves back on the boom. You can go faster once you see it working. If it’s not working you can feel the handle getting hard to crank, or if it’s a winch the winch will change sound and you can tell something is holding it up. Check if furling line is released and not fowled on anything. Remember keep tension on the inhaul line as you pull the sail out with the outhaul line. Nice smooth and clean! You will bring the Clew back until you see the foot get tight and you will see a black line on the end of the boom as a reference to stop there. The Main will be luffing, so now you can trim the main sheet in some and take look at how the Main looks. Notice how the luff looks from bottom to top, You want it not to have a bunch of wrinkles. If it does, you need to tighten the main halyard some. What I like to do now is use a magic marker and mark reference points. For example, where the furling out line stops make a mark an inch or so behind the Clutch. So, when you see the mark you know to stop. Or you can say to your crew all the way out until you see the mark.

Furling your Mainsail back in.

How to furl the furling main back in when sailing or when you at the dock.

Step 1

To furl your sail back into the mast, notice the direction of the wind. It is best when you are not heading straight into the wind. Check if your main halyard is still tight.
Release the Main so the sail luffs a little (at the dock).

Step 2

Put furling in line on a winch 3 wraps, get ready to furl the sail back in. The snugger and clean you furl the sail in, the better it will come out next
time! Release the outhaul line clutch but continue hold pressure. Take one wrap off and continue to hold easing it as you crank the furling in line. Easing the outhaul trimming the inhaul. If you are sailing, Steer and Trim the main in like you are going up wind. Now steer the boat up until the sail just barely starts to luff. Do not go dead into the wind. You like to have some pressure on the sail as you furl. If you are using an electric winch you can hear the winch load up higher pitch you need to ease the outhaul more as you go. If you let go of the outhaul furling line to much, the sail will furl inside the mast not tight enough. Not Good! Keep an eye on everything you are doing especially when using a electric winch. Once the Clew cover just starts to go inside the mast you
stop! If you notice the sail is not furling tight enough you can hold the outhaul line tight not moving and pull on the furling line. Once you get comfortable you can do this in and out tightening the furl technique anytime you think the sail is not furling tight enough. Remember the Vang is on but not drum tight. Main halyard is loose just. enough to make the main sail start to luff. You know when the sail is in far enough stop and snug up all the lines. You can see on the Clew there is a UV cover on the sail. Once you see that none of the white sail is not showing, that’s how you want it to be. Another good idea is to make a mark with the magic marker on the main halyard right where it comes out of the back of the line clutch so you know the sail is all the way up where you want it to be. You can mark where the in haul line should be. And where the outhaul line should be. Remember that the marks are your reference and halyards and sails stretch!

Furling Jib technique

Get your crew ready and walk them through your procedure. Preparing to unfurl to use the Jib.

Step 1

Sail off the wind 45 to 90 degrees Leeward sheet ready on winch to trim. Windward sheet loose.

Step 2

Make the furling in-line ready to release clean. Sometimes there is a line clutch to release or just a cleat. It’s good to hold pressure on the jib furling line but not bare handed, if it windy put around a winch.

Step 3

Start to trim leeward sheet and the drum will spin as the sail comes out. Once you have the sail out all the way, you can trim and go as you please.

Furling jib in.

Start by telling your crew get ready to furl.

Step 1

Take the sheet line off winch that’s holding the sail out. Maybe leave 1 wrap or 2 if it’s windier. Keep pressure on sheet as you pull furling line in. This will make it furl nice.

Step 2

Put furling line on winch or pull by hand if its light wind. Pull furling / release sheet all the way until the sheets wrap around sail. If the sail has white showing you need to furl tighter so only the UV cover is showing.

Step 3

Secure the furling line on the cleat or line clutch. And snug up both sheets on the winches.

How to take the Mainsails and the jib down let say to repair or clean is
very easy.

Step 1

Find the halyard, have it ready to loose line clutch. Unfurl the mainsail and ease the main sheet. Best to do when not that windy. Never unfurl mainsail when wind is from the stern. You may have to spin your boat around? Now release main halyard clutch and pull along the front of sail down releasing the halyard as you go. Gather up on the deck, release outhaul, release head shackle, and
release tack shackle or sometimes it’s a hook. Complete.

Taking Furling Jib down

Step 1

Find the jib halyard and make ready to use.

Step 2

Unfurl the jib sail all the way, keep jib sheet a little snug not to flog the sail too much.

Step 3

Quickly Release Halyard clutch, holding the jib up and pull down along the luff easing the halyard as you go. Gather up the sail on the deck, take off head halyard shackle and secure to the bow pulpit or rail. Release tack shackle and remove sheets.

Putting the Furling Jib Up

Step 1

For the main or jib unroll the sail with tack forward. And attach head halyard shackle, put on jib sheets or out haul for the main.

Step 2

One person feeds the sail into the tiny track foil at the headstay or inside the mast. Slowly, the other person cranks the halyard up as you keep pulling the sail down below the groove opening to line it up as the halyard goes up. If you come out of the groove you must go down until you can get it lined up again.

Step 3

Put the tack shackle back on and you are ready to furl the sails back up.