MKIV and MKIV Ocean Jib Reefing & Furling

MKIV Furlers are one of the most popular products in the Harken product line for racing. Harken now offers MKIV

OCEAN built with MKIV quality but configured for the cruising sailor. For the occasional racer, the MKIV line is engineered with ease, durability, and winning in mind.

# Multiple rows of Torlon® ball bearings in high-load areas minimize friction.

# Stacked bearing races evenly distribute radial and thrust loads; drum and halyard swivel turn freely under load.

# Foils rotate around headstay so headstay load is isolated from the furling unit for easy furling.

# Large inner spool diameter increases mechanical advantage for powerful reefing and furling.

# Aluminum line guard, torque tube, and swivels deep saturation hardcoat anodized, UV-stabilized for durability.

# Line guard polyurethane coated for wear protection.

# Specially formulated low stretch black line is abrasion and UV resistant; standard on units 0, 1, 2.

# Aerodynamic (MKIV) and round (MKIV Ocean), clearanodized aluminum foils handle extreme reefing loads.

# Triple interlock foil joints withstand years of torque loading: foil connectors geometric shape interlocks with foil; secures with syringe injected adhesive; screws provide final lock.

As sailors go, I’ve never really been a knot guy. I did learn to tie a monkey’s fist when I was a teenager, but I know and use only the tiniest fraction of the vast number of cool, useful, and sophisticated knots that could be available to me. I was reminded of this recently when I was tapped to lead a “Practical Knots for Regular People” session at a staff retreat. It was surprisingly fun, and it led me to a metaphor about getting into boating.

This month, future boaters will be strolling red carpets and docks at the boat shows in Vancouver and Seattle. As we all are, they will be wooed by sexy lines of design, wowed by elegant interiors, and full of wonder about the dreams and possibilities that boats and the boating lifestyle so uniquely inspire.

Many of these new boaters will also be struck by just how much there is to learn. They will be bombarded by all of the nautical language, the lingo of design and construction, the scope of systems, the basic mechanics and safety when using a boat, how to navigate, where to go, and what to do if you get into trouble… It can be extremely daunting and there’s a risk that these someday-boaters could quickly feel that they’ll never get up to speed and don’t belong. Even those who have been boating for a while may be given to imposter syndrome when interacting with the significant amount of expertise on offer at a boat show.

That’s where my knot reflection comes in. The traditional authority for rope-tying enthusiasts is The Ashley Book of Knots, which boasts nearly 3,900 hundred knots between its covers, and those are only the “practical” ones collected and documented by Clifford Ashley. That’s a lot of knots! A person could assume that in order to be an adequate and self-sufficient sailor, you’d better know them all.

Sheesh, for my retreat session, I pulled out all the stops and taught pretty much everything I know. The number of knots was six — bowline, figure-eight, square knot, cleat hitch, clove hitch, round turn and two half-hitches, and a few of their variations (I spared my colleagues the monkey’s fist).

I was anxious in advance of the session, fully aware how little I know about knots. When I began to share the knowledge I did have, though, I found myself encouraging the attendees that if you know these knots, you can adjust them or add to them and get the job done in situations where another knot (that I don’t know) might be ideal. And more importantly, if you know these knots, you can have a lifetime of fun on the water.

I’m living proof. I am proud to be a proficient sailor with decades of experience in my wake. I have cruised quite a lot, captaining boats around the Pacific Northwest and in Europe. I have raced at a respectable level on dinghies, sport boats, and 50-footers. I have taught sailing and coached racing techniques. And through all of that, I have gotten by just fine with six of Ashely’s 3,900 knots.

While I’d love to know more knots and apply them when they provide more perfect or elegant solutions than the handful I use repeatedly, it is important to acknowledge all that one can achieve with limited knowledge. This is possible because the skills I possess are some of the most essential, but also because I’ve learned how to modify and adapt what I know effectively in real-life situations.

No doubt, foundational understandings and skills are necessary to stay safe on the water, and are a real and fair prerequisite. But it is crucial to help those who are new to boating realize that they don’t need to know it all before they begin. And once you know a little, there's a heck of a lot of fun to be had.

Please visit us at the Seattle Boat Show (booth W2)!

Volume XLII, Number 7, February 2023

(206) 789-7350 info@48north.com | www.48north.com

Publisher Northwest Maritime Center

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48° North is published as a project of the Northwest Maritime Center in Port Townsend, WA – a 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose mission is to engage and educate people of all generations in traditional and contemporary maritime life, in a spirit of adventure and discovery.

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