Joel,
Dennis puts it very well. I can't improve on what he's said. I heartily agree with the proper use of a pre-feeder. Jake From: CnC-List [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Dennis C. Sent: Wednesday, April 02, 2014 9:48 PM To: CnClist Subject: Re: Stus-List Pre-feeder for jib (and folding a headsail properly) Joel, Not sure what you have, furler, Tuff-Luff, etc., but here's my take on pre-feeders. First, highly recommended. They will greatly reduce the potential for ripping a luff tape. (more on that at the bottom). I have the Schaefer 1205-01 roller pre-feeder and love it. Second, attach it with 6-12 inches of line. Third, position it so it is 6-12 inches below the feeder. Cut your sails' luff tapes so the pre-feeder will fall off when the sail is fully hoisted. Make sure the pre-feeder doesn't flop over the side of the boat. So, that means you usually attach it to the Tuff Luff or furler. Mine is attached to the furler right at the top of the torque tube about 6-8 inches below the feeder. It drops off the tape and hangs free when the sail is hoisted. Now, the more on not ripping a luff tape. Nice for those listers that read this far and didn't hit the delete key. It is important, repeat, important, the the sail be folded correctly for hoisting. The luff tape must be folded on top of itself under the pre-feeder. When dropping a sail, the foredeck person should pull the luff tape directly down into the bow pulpit. The mast man should pull the leech downward and forward (not aft) and should work his/her way forward as the sail is dropped. The leech should NOT be pulled aft but should be pulled straight down. If the tape is pulled aft, it will force a sharp bend in the tape as it is fed through the pre-feeder and re-hoisted. (Please note that I have 20+ years of doing foredeck on several successful racing boats.) Sails that are in a sausage bag should be folded so the tape is on top of itself. To do that, the person at the luff makes a single fold while the person at the leech does nothing. This cocks the sail and will allow the tape to align. After that first luff fold, the two folders match folds with the leech folder working his/her way to the luff. The luff folder ensures that the luff tape folds back and forth on top of itself. This way the luff tape will be positioned in the bow pulpit directly under the pre-feeder. We have one race boat on my pier which always folds their headsail in a "cruiser" fold. That is, both folders work their way to the middle. The luff tape will have to come from the shrouds forward to the pre-feeder and then make a sharp bend to the feeder. This is a recipe for a ripped luff tape. I cannot stress how much sailmakers would love for sailors to rip luff tapes. It's $$$ for them. I also cannot tell you how nice it is for a sail to hoist easily because it was folded correctly for hoisting. On the other hand, try hoisting an improperly folded sail at 2 in the morning in 20+ knots and 4-6 foot seas and you'll curse the guy that folded it! Dennis C. Touche' 35-1 #83 Mandeville, LA
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