Furling sails

“A better sailor thee shall be, furl from windward, loose from lee.”

Squares

The leech is initially brought inboard and on top of the yard so that hands can lean over and temporarily secure it under their stomachs. On the course, lower tops’l and t’gallant, the clew is captured and lifted up to the yardarm temporarily, using the outboard gasket. The foot boltrope is then brought up on top of the yard, again being secured by as many stomachs as possible. Hands then reach down and gather up a couple of feet of sail at a time eventually coming to the last half metre: the skin that will cover the sail as it is rolled on top of the yard. Sail that has been flaked up is dropped and pummelled inside the skin and the taut “sausage” is rolled up on top of the yard ready for gasketing. If the sail is furled tightly, there will be less of a ‘bundle’ on top of the yard and it will be easier for hands to move along the footropes. To the trained eye, it will also look much smarter.

Many gaskets can be done single-handed but the yardarm hand benefits greatly with assistance for the outboard gasket. This one is always difficult due either to heavy clews (see above paragraph) or in the case of the upper tops’l, the taut foot boltrope not wanting to lay up along the yard.

NB: Before hands lay out to furl the lower tops’l yard, it should be adjusted so that it is parallel to the upper tops’l yard. Also note that if the yards are braced sharp-up, the ‘sausaged’ fore and main course sails will not clear the fore and main stays when attempting to roll the sails on top of the yards.

Heads’ls

The sheets should be cast off. Hands on the downhauls should take up slack as the furling hands work the hanks down to the base of the stay.

Once taut the downhaul should be made fast. The furling hands then identify the mitre seam (or a fold that runs perpendicularly out from the leading edge to the clew). A half fathom of sailcloth either side of this seam will form the skin that covers the sail as it is gasketed. The sail is gathered as well as possible, wrapped inside the skin and a marling hitch (blanket hitch) run down the sail from the head to the clew. The final hitch is made through the clew cringle (eye) then the furled sail is made fast. Heads’ls are made fast aftwards curving out to the jib boom outer guys.

Fore/aft sails aloft

Hoist the excess bunt of the sail upwards and within the mass of sail hanging from hanks. Find the dirty outer skin and working from high to low, work the mass of the sail into the skin. Pass your marling hitches as you work downwards and secure the furl by belaying the gasket tail to the mast.

Spanker

The brails form the uppermost gaskets, with a spare length of line forming a temporary gasket capturing the bunt of the sail, just above the spanker boom.

Gaff tops’l

This sail is difficult to furl due to limited working space and lack of handholds at the mizzen mast doubling. Confident climbers are required to furl it.

A short line (3-4 fathoms), is cow-hitched around the lowermost bunt of the sail as it hangs in its gear. This captured bunt is then hauled upwards and inside and belayed so that this lower part of the sail can be captured inside the skin. Find the fathom-wide dirty skin among the outer aftmost folds of hanging sail. This captures the rest of the sail, which is folded and punched in as well as possible.

wind

Fig 65. In moderate to windy weather, do not furl sail from leeward.

This creates a dangerous flogging parachute.