A buddy of mine has a hooter system for his Inter17. We took it out in 16 kts down wind and had a blast. The only problem we had was after winding it up and going back to weather the top of the hooter was loosening up at the top and starting to flap. After several attempts rewinding the hooter it was still coming loose toward the top and flapping even though the bottom was tightly rolled. We eventually lowered it while on the water and put bungees on it to keep it from flapping at the top. The funny thing is that it appears to be wound up pretty good initially and then just works out being loose at the top.
Anyone have the same problem?

Thanks,
Mike

Interesting problem.
When I furl, I have found the best way to do so is to head downwind beyond the 45-degrees to blanket the area of furling (much like blanketing the area where you drop your spinnaker) before furling.
The only time I get a bad furl is when sailing upwind in heavier winds.

However, a couple of questions:
1) Who made the Hooter?
2) Was the sailmaker given exact measurements from the clew to the point of sheeting (tack) and the measurements to the head?

If the sail was made to the wrong dimensions and the top third of the sail is luffing while the bottom is sailing well, that also could cause the problem.

Rick

I had the same problem with mine and if we do not have it set up correctly, it happens. We put a larger furler bail on the bottom which would also allow us to use a little thicker line.

We have found this to have been a common problem with furling head sails for years. Thats why we much prefer to be able to drop a head sail into a "spinnaker" chute rather than furl it, Regardless of what type or cut the sail is (as long as it is a sail that is to be either furled or chuted) A flapping, furled head sail will not only "cost" you a race, but it really annoys the living sh't out of you as well when your sailing.

About the drum size:
There is no need to go to a larger drum size just so you can have bigger, more comfortable line to furl. Simply use the 1:2 ratio which is very easy on the hands and is much faster to furl.

Here is how you do it.
From the furler drum you use very small line. It goes to a turning block (fixed, without a swivel)(for example, look at http://store.catsailor.com/tek9.asp?pg=products&specific=jmmrrmhnp8)
and back to dead end under the furler drum.

From the turning block use a much larger, more comfortable to your hands line and run it to the **** and through a cleat.

Now you will be pulling on easy line and for every foot of comfortable retriever line you pull, you furl 2 feet of small line.

I have never had a problem with the upper section not furling unless it was really howling and I was forced to furl while going upwind.
As for windage there is no more windage in a tightly furled sailed than there is in a big bag hanging out in front of the boat. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Rick

Hi Rick,

Thanks for the tip. I will try it next weekend. I still like the larger drum but I kept the smaller drum.

Rick I'm not referring to a "tightly furled" sail creating unacceptable windage, but a "flapping at the head" furled one, and we never use a "big bag" to chute the sail into but a minimum sized, aerodynamically shaped, light weight carbon fibre chute that is set as low to the water as practicable and at an angle to minimize as much as possible any wind turbulence.

Keep an eye on your mast, I noticed funky beds in mine as the wind got over 8-9 knots. I was thinkin' I needed some rear stays....

I didn't know you put a hooter on that beast....more sheet tension might help your mast and/or keeping the mast rotated such that the major axis is handling the bending load. It's imperitive to maintain sheet tension on some of these spinnaker boats with softer masts.

I'm using one on a Reynolds 21, and it needs to be totally blanketed, under no tension, to furl properly. Otherwise it furls to tightly initially (particularly at the bottom), and doesn't develop a large enough diameter to fully wind up the rest of the sail (often up high). In winds over 12 to 15 kts, reliable furling is questionable, I'm always prepared to drop it if I can't get it in cleanly on a couple of tries.

Dave H16, SC20, R21

Boy, I certainly do not understand how this could be happening. Cripe, I just raced last weekend for 8 hours and 17 minutes in the Round the Bay Race and furled the Hooter at least 50 times (every time I tacked upwind) and not once did it furl wrong.
As I said in previous posts, you must be sheeting too much on the foot and not enough on upper part of the sail to cause such a problem.
Was the sail cut for the boat or did you get it second-handed?
Are you using the 1:2 ratio on the furler line or the 1:1? 1:2 is far superior. (see post above on how to do it.)
Have you been lubing the upper turning swivel? If it drags, that could cause the upper not furling as fast as the lower part of the sail.
Good luck,
Rick