General sailing articles

Understanding Roller Furling Systems

The use of  headsail Roller Furling and reefing systems on sailboats has increased dramatically over the past fifteen years.  When they first became available, they were viewed as a novelty by most of the sailing community.  Today however, almost every cruising boat, and even many racing boats are equipped with roller furling. There are may […]

Trouble Shooting Your Roller Furling System

If you are having problems with your furling system, first try to isolate the problem.  Ideally, this should be done on the dock or at the mooring, not in a panic underway. Step 1 – Remove the sail. Step 2 – Grab the extrusion above the drum and turn the system (make sure you have […]

Rig Preparation and Tuning

The basic goals of rig preparation and tuning is the same on all boats, whether racing or cruising;  that the rig is safe and strong enough not to fail, and the rig is set up to ensure maximum performance. Before stepping the mast:  (or check each spring by going aloft in a bos’ns chair) Check […]

How to fly an Asymmetrical Spinnaker

The “Flasher” and “Gennaker” are their trade names for an asymmetrical cruising spinnaker.   We used to call ours a “reachaway”.   I now use the more generic “asymmetrical” term because since they were used in the America’s Cup a few years back, most people are now familiar with what they are. Although there are differences in […]