Furling the A18 Jib

A flogging jib results in stress on the sail and can cause damage to the rigging and associated blocks and cleats. When not in use It needs to be fully furled and tied in place.

Have you noticed how it sometimes seems to be impossible to fully furl the American 18 jib sail?

The faster and harder you pull the furling line the tighter the jib wraps, resulting in more wraps around the headstay-luff. Each wrap swallows about six inches of furling line, and sometimes the jib gets wound so tightly that you run out of furling line before the jib is fully wrapped. If this happens unfurl the jib and start the furling again, maybe pulling with a little less vigor.

Here’s a way to furl the jib:

• Bear away to a reach/broad reach and uncleat the jib sheets to release the pressure on the jib sail.
• Hold both jib sheets just enough to take out the slack – no tension on the jib.
• Slowly and steadily pull the furling line while keeping the slack out of jib sheets until the jib is fully furled and it is wrapped by at least one full turn of the jib sheets.
• Tie off/cleat the furling line.
• Cleat the jib sheets with just enough tension to take out the slack.