I don't have a furler, Joe, but I know you can use a drifter anyway. As Don says below, use the old jib halyard to hoist. I have a second hank installed a foot or so down from the head of the sail so I can use my downhaul. I've found that if I try to use the topmost hank, the sail jams when I need to douse it most. I imagine one of those bead loop thingees would work fine over the furled headsail. I just attach the tack of the sail to the bow fitting. My M15 had track installed on the toe rail, so I sheeted aft some distance. Don't remember exactly where, but I can dig up a pic of the setup and send it to you if you wish. And Don's right, you can easily sheet to the stern mooring cleat. You won't get and adjustment on the sheeting angle, but that's not a big deal. My M17 has track on the toe rail, of course, so I sheet it back pretty far as well. I said something about poling the sail out in my previous post on this subject. Probably not necessary, or even that good an idea because even a light pole will drag the drifter down--hand controlling the sail is more fun anyway. Like Don says, the drifter can be a handful. I looked a lot like a circus performer Saturday putting the sail up, and in front of a 40 foot Beneteau, to boot. I had the last laugh of course as I caught and passed the guy in very light air... t On Mon, Jul 4, 2011 at 7:43 AM, Don <sailmonty15@gmail.com> wrote:
Seems like after I bought the drifter for my M15, Jerry or someone else provided the following technique for sail controls. Looked through the archives but didn't find anything.
I have a CDI furler so I hoist the drifter on the old jib halyard. Sail controls are 1/8" line routed outside the shrouds to the back of the boat. I didn't add any special blocks or cleats, just looped the line around the stern mooring cleat. In the light, flukely air on the lake I kept them in hand to try to keep the sail full. When I questioned the size of the control line, whoever it was said "if you can't control the sail comfortably with the 1/8" line its time to drop the sail."
I experimented attaching the tack to the bow fitting, both inside and outside the pulpit and even on top of the pulpit. Occasionally tried running with two head sails. Interesting, but lots of work.
Don M15-248 On 7/4/2011 6:55 AM, Joe Murphy wrote:
Subject: Re: M_Boats: Drifter
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