Sometimes I feel like a voice in the wilderness constantly campaigning for simple rigging systems, so it’s nice to read a well-reasoned article from a deeply experienced sailor on the subject.
I spent a bit of time with Pete a few years ago, and he’s worth listening to, even if we disagree on a couple of boats.
Further Reading
And if you are trying to decide whether or not to automate your mainsail, we have a complete buyer’s guide to that decision…and, yes, it includes the advantages of automated systems.
Hey John,
Any suggestions for those of us that already have a boat with a roller furling system. The old Hood main furling system (1988) on our boat was the one big compromise we made and are now realizing how much of a hassle it is to remedy. So far, the consensus from several riggers is a new spar at half the cost of initial boat purchase price. One rigger suggested there might be a way to attach a track over the gap in the mast, and a new boom. But they have never performed that and the cost was still up there. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Hi Christopher,
I fear that the only good option is a new spar. I can’t see using the old spar since those old Hood rigs are horribly heavy.
Hard to swallow, I know, but if the boat is otherwise right for you that might be the best option. Not only would you get rid of the roller furler but you would also have a brand new rig instead of a 35 year old one, which would be good and save you money going forward. You will also be super-pleased by how much better the boat will sail. She will even motor better due to the reduced pitching moment.
The other option would be to sell her and buy a different boat. This might be a less expensive option since the market generally perceives a roller furling mast as a benefit.
What sort of boat is it?
Thanks for the information, it a Sceptre 41. What are your thoughts on a used mast? Or if another scepter owner would be willing to trade spars. This might be a bit out there, but we have met a few in the owners group that wished they had a furling main. This is our first time owning a boat, please excuse our naivete.
Hi Christopher,
Since it’s your first boat, normally I would advise living with the roller mast since many (most?) cruisers end up changing from their first boat within a few years
That said, although I don’t know anything about the Scepter, after a brief look it seems like a nice boat, so maybe worth looking at fixing this.
So the first question to ask yourselves is “if the mast got fixed would this be a boat you will keep for say 20 years?” If the answer is yes, even a new mast amortized over that time is not too horrible.
Definitely stay away from a used mast from a different design of boat. Getting all the pieces to fit right would be both difficult and expensive with all kinds of potential for error.
However, the idea of trading masts with another Scepter 41 owner is worth at least exploring. That said make sure that the chain plates, step, etc, are in the same place on both boats. They almost certainly are but occasionally one sees production boats where things have changed over the build run.