(Full disclosure; I am a new owner so may just be complicating by bad usage practices)

My wife and I double hand our new 348 as we had done with our prior (bigger) boat. Love the hands off tacking from the helm, but when reefing/furling, it appears to have unnessary drag with all that sheet running through blocks and seems to put significant pressure on roller furler (resulting in VERY tightly wound furled jib).

Thoughts? suggestions

Hi, When I got my 315 I took off the block on Jib clew and run single sheet, on my previous Hanse 301 I did the same. Works well Both these yachts in my opinion are better with normal single sheeting of jib.  As the sheet comes back to a wimch for trimming I cannot see the sense of doubling up and having a block flailing about on the clew of such a relatively small jib.  Your 348 has aslightly larger jib but I would expect it could be improved by going single sheet; try it?

I conclude when I see most all Hanse owners using double jib sheet they  think that as the yacht comes that way it must be right?

Me?  well as a retired R&D Eng. I see no reason not to improve on anyones design, and if its not an improvement change it.

Perry

East Cowes

Isle ofWight

Yacht Bloto-4 H315 [2007]

Removing the block on the jib increases the load on the pulley in the mast & the pulley at deck level. Perhaps it would be better to look for better pullies by the jib clew & on the traveller.

Whilst I only have a 311 & not the larger jib of the OP's 34 I never sail with a reefed ST jib. I would rather furl it completely.

The boat carries it quite well if the mainsail is reefed up to F8. My older dacron STs could just about be carried unfurled in F8 off the wind.  I do not know about my current laminated one. This being a more powerful sail. But so far I have not had to try to sail in more than F7 with it. But I have never part furled that either.

People have experimented with a block somewhere forward on the deck instead. You'll have almost the same resistance, though, and the foredeck more clogged.

If you have 12 or 14mm sheet diameter, you could go to a 10mm. Smaller diameter gives less resistance. Oh, yeah, and as Samuel says, replace the blocks.

Next time you furl the jib, go forward and pull the rope direct from the drum.  If it is a lot easier, then you need to look at the furling line route.  I replaced various stanchion bullseyes with pulleys and then replaced the plastic pulleys with alloy ones turned by my elder brother.  (Sometimes they do have a use!) The final turn to the cockpit definitely should be from a pulley.

Just before furling, ease the jib halyard by 5cm and see if this makes a difference.  Yes, I know some furler manufacturers say do not ease the halyard as you risk a jib halyard wrap, but 5 cms should not cause a problem. If it does, then it suggests the angle between the jib halyard and the forestay is too small.  It should be over 10deg and if it is not, then consider putting some shackles at the head of the jib to change the angle.

Actually this is good practice as it means the jib is stored with no tension in the luff cloth.

If you have powered up the backstay in strong winds, then ease it slightly before furling the jib.

Top furlers being stiff is a well known problem.  See what maintenance you can do .  For some you can only flush them with water, whilst you can open some up and give them a squirt of silicone. (That is on my job list for tomorrow.) 

As others have said good pulleys and thinner dyneema sheets are a big help.  We have kept ours with a pulley on the jib clew, so that makes it easy for my wife to sheet the jib. 

As others have said, you put a 3rd reef into the main to reduce the sail, rather than reefing the jib.  The yachts are quite happy downwind with the jib completely furled.

Here is how I set up a single line 3rd reefing system.

https://www.myhanse.com/single-line-3rd-" rel="nofollow - https://www.myhanse.com/single-line-3rd- reefing-setup_topic10548_post96364.html?KW=reefing#96364%C2%A0 

 

   

Neil