[Rhodes22-list] IMF

[Joseph Hadzima]

Art 

I was NOT referring to a problem with a Rhodes headsail
furler, my event was on a friends boat.  But I have heard
stories from other people on different boats, so maybe it
could be considered a "common" problem; perhaps rooted in
poor maintence, not pointing the boat to take a load of the
sail.  Maybe they instances were all the same manufacture -
I really don't know.

this is beginning to sound like I'm still at work with Risk
assement, and root causal analysis.  I gotta get out and
away from this computter ... I should be doing real work
this am, but got stuck in email hell-o :-)

happy Saturday y'all


--- "Arthur H. Czerwonky" <czerwonky at earthlink.net> wrote:

> Joe,
> 
> Why does a problem normally occur with the headsail
> furler?  I have usually found the problem at the
> fastening point on the mast.  I am going to help Luis
> with his this week.  
> 
> On the IMF it is better to reef on a port tack - look at
> potential friction with the sail slot and you see why. 
> Any other hangups I am aware of are based on preventative
> maintenance.  The internal workings of Stan's IMF are
> beautifully simple.
> 
> Art
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> >From: Joseph Hadzima <josef508 at yahoo.com>
> >Sent: Feb 17, 2007 11:08 AM
> >To: The Rhodes 22 mail list <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
> >Subject: RE: [Rhodes22-list] IMF "Reefing"
> >
> >Hi Gang:
> >
> >I assume no one on this list has ever had any major
> >problems with their Rhodes IMF. Is there any special
> >maintence required?  I was on a boat where the furling
> on
> >the head sail failed as the 160 was fully out.  I recall
> it
> >was a little dicey going foward and fixing the problem,
> >under the no so calm conditions.
> >
> >the down side any time you add complexity to something,
> you
> >introduce another point of possible failure (plus
> >maintenance issues, cost, etc.).  I'm assuming Stan's
> >choice of materials, and his teams' workmanship minumize
> >risks, but I'd still like to know of any sea stories
> >involving IMF systems.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >--- Jim Connolly <jbconnolly at comcast.net> wrote:
> >
> >> It seems to me that the difference between IMF and
> >> conventional from a
> >> weight distribution standpoint is two fold:
> >> 
> >> 1.  The furling tube which is negligible and the
> weight
> >> of the mast
> >> extrusion, heavier than standard.  Both of these are
> >> fixed weights (fixed
> >> height above deck with the mast raised in sailing
> >> position) and can be
> >> approximated by a weight "x" at the midpoint of the
> mast
> >> (i.e., center of
> >> gravity or CG).
> >> 
> >> 2.  The weight of the sail (less than conventional,
> >> because it is smaller).
> >> Since it reefs and furls on a vertical roller, the CG
> of
> >> the sail also stays
> >> at the same height above the deck.  The center of
> effort
> >> (CE) of the furling
> >> sail will move down and forward as the sail rolls into
> >> the mast.
> >> 
> >> Net effect, furling the IMF lowers the center of
> effort
> >> and not the center
> >> of gravity of the mast and sail combination, while
> >> furling the conventional
> >> sail lowers both the CG and CE.  The CG of the
> >> conventional mast/sail
> >> assembly is lowered by the weight of the sail, which
> is
> >> not likely a
> >> significant part of the whole.  
> >> 
> >> It seems then to come down to the additional weight of
> >> the IMF assembly with
> >> sail vs. the conventional mast and sail.  I don't know
> >> this, but I am sure
> >> somebody here does.  Likely windage of the thicker
> mast
> >> extrusion might be a
> >> factor in some wind conditions.
> >> 
> >> For me, convenience trumps all.
> >> 
> >> Jim Connolly
> >> s/v Inisheer
> >> '85 recycled '03 
> >> 
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org
> >> [mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org] On Behalf
> Of
> >> Bill Effros
> >> Sent: Saturday, February 17, 2007 9:55 AM
> >> To: The Rhodes 22 mail list
> >> Subject: [Rhodes22-list] IMF "Reefing"
> >> 
> >> Wally,
> >> 
> >> Comparing "reefing" on standard sails vs. IMF sails is
> >> very hard to do when
> >> discussing among sailors some of whom have never even
> >> seen an IMF.
> >> 
> >> "Reef Points" result in noticeable changes in sail
> size.
> >> The IMF is
> >> infinitely adjustable. I often adjust my sail in
> >> increments of 5% of total
> >> sail size. I suspect most IMF sailors change the size
> of
> >> their sails instead
> >> of using the traveler. We don't think of it as
> "reefing" 
> >> -- it is an adjustment the sailor can quickly make in
> >> response to changing
> >> conditions.
> >> 
> >> The extra weight of the mast is insignificant.
> Remember
> >> that your sail is
> >> larger, adding weight aloft compared to the smaller
> IMF
> >> sail. But, since the
> >> boat is designed to be sailed upright, and can easily
> be
> >> trimmed to sail
> >> upright, the difference in performance due to weight
> is
> >> probably no greater
> >> in an IMF boat than the difference of carrying an
> extra
> >> bottle of rum. Or
> >> not.
> >> 
> >> I carry my extra sail on the Genoa instead of the main
> >> sail. Both are
> >> infinitely adjustable while single handing. When
> >> conditions change, I change
> >> the set of my sails, all by myself, so easily that
> even a
> >> lazy sailor will
> >> do it.
> >> 
> >> I think the biggest surprise about the IMF is how well
> it
> >> works
> >> mechanically. The sail and mast are made for each
> other.
> >> There is no
> >> compromise here, and it is easy to extend and retract
> the
> >> sail under any
> >> conditions. My wife enjoys doing it.
> >> 
> >> Our harbor is busy on weekends with a very narrow
> neck,
> >> rocks all over the
> >> place, and a 10 foot tidal variation every 6 hours. It
> is
> >> irresponsible to
> >> sail into the harbor if you've got a motor, and most
> >> experienced larger boat
> >> sailors take their sails down just outside the neck,
> and
> >> motor to their
> >> moorings. We turn on the motor and don't even stop
> while
> >> we retract our
> >> sails. When my wife sees other wives trying to control
> >> flopping sails inside
> >> lazy jacks she shakes her head in disbelief. When
> other
> >> wives see my wife
> >> roll up our sail they ask their husbands why they
> don't
> >> have sails like
> >> ours.
> >> 
> >> Bill Effros
> >> 
> >> 
> >> 
> >> 
> >> 
> >> TN Rhodey wrote:
> >> > Bill,
> >> >
> >> > Well I may be wrong here .....I guess it would
> depend
> 
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