I have mixed feelings about mainsail furling systems but the short form is that the cost/utility/performance just does not seem to be there yet. Then again it took a lot of years for the Jib/Genoa furlers to get to the point where one could take the fact that they would work with more or less acceptable performance for granted.
Sadly In mast and boom reefing systems still have a long way to go and when problematic they can ruin your whole day...
...Not to mention your bank account!
I lean towards boom furling systems as being more accessible when things get ugly but the price that the various systems are going for are somewhat silly. Being a cheap bastard I still find a lot of merit in slab reefing. Though I do have some pretty neat drawings from the Gougeon brothers from their wingmast plans on how to build your own roller reefing boom for a couple of hundred bucks which makes a lot more sense than the silly pricing I keep seeing on ready made roller furling booms.
Plans Change, Martinique version
3 days ago
