My experience with roller furling is it jams. It will not work with a big headsail unless the jib is blanketed by the full main... if that is hard for you, and conditions deteriorating, world of hurt. Even with a 100%, furling mine (Harken Mk IV v 1 furler) is not easy and leaves one with the distinct impression it is only a matter of time before something in that furler pops, leaving you in 20+ kts unable to furl. Christian, if I remember the videos/book, has had roller furler line failures on 2 of 3 Hawaii trips -- did I remember right?
Twice the furler control line chafed through by bearing on the drum--but only only when the wrap had nonstandard line buildup. The issue turned out to be an incorrectly located first block--the block that sets the angle to the furler drum. But of course this is over 10,000 miles offshore in which the furler is adjusted 10 times a day.
Roller furlers are proven reliable, that's really not in dispute.
Twice the furler control line chafed through by bearing on the drum--but only only when the wrap had nonstandard line buildup. The issue turned out to be an incorrectly located first block--the block that sets the angle to the furler drum. But of course this is over 10,000 miles offshore in which the furler is adjusted 10 times a day.
Roller furlers are proven reliable, that's really not in dispute.
; I would like to keep this thread about the sails, rather than the furling…