Continuous line furling for CC 45

Boat Systems
1

Hey there just looking for some advice on switching out the camber spar to a continuous line furling system. Has anyone done this? Pros and cons please

Thanks for your input
Cheers
Jason

2

May I ask why you want to do this? You seem to want to do away with one of the wonderful aspects of a Freedom. Running wing-on-wing is absolutely great.

3

[quote=GeoffSchultz post_id=55920 time=1704664580 user_id=53]
May I ask why you want to do this? You seem to want to do away with one of the wonderful aspects of a Freedom. Running wing-on-wing is absolutely great.
[/quote]

I agree with Geoff, I have no opinion on the conversion proposed, but properly set up wing on wing is magic and simple magic at that.

4

I have a difficult time getting the headsail down and up as the camber bracket on the stay gets stuck all the time. I have to go up and physically pull it down.

5

Hi Jason, I had a similar challenge and installed a down haul line that is affixed to the head of the jib and runs freely along the forestay through a block at the tack and then back to the cockpit. I just release the jib halyard and pull in the down haul line and the jib falls nicely onto the camber spar. Works like a charm with little effort.

6

We have experience with Freedoms with camber spar jib and non camber spar jib. Our 1990 45cc is set up with non camber spar self tacking headsail on Seldon furler and our 1990 Freedom 32 (Mull) is set up with original camber spar jib.

Freedom 45 with self tacking non camber spar jib:

  • We shorten (furl) sail easily as winds build
  • Maintains good sail shape up to about 60 deg AWA, then we use barber hauler to rail to manage leech tension/twist/clew hooking
  • Downwind we roll it up and proceed under main, we have a big main, so little performance is lost.
  • We regularly sail into harbors and short tacking is fine with non camber self tacking jib, ours is on curved track just forward of mast.
  • Simple and easy full furling/storing without going forward.
  • We loose some head stay tension as camber spar does tension the head stay as sheet is tightened. We have added running back stays if needed.
  • Our new mainsail design supports the free standing rig well.

Freedom 32 (Mull) camber spar jib:

  • Excellent/best sail shape on all points of sail
  • Easy wing/wing down wind sailing
  • Good self tacking
  • Better rig tensioning
  • Cannot be reefed/shortened in higher winds, cannot balance sail plan in higher winds
  • Requires you to go forward to secure/stowe, needs sail cover
  • Does clutter foredeck, a bit more hazardous for crew on foredeck with swinging boom
  • More moving parts/failure points

Like everything, there are compromises! Tom