Cory’s furler sock has a large-enough diameter to fit over the CDI furling drum.

A garden-variety geotextile is a perfect protective sock

Issue 126: May/June 2019

Having spent a substantial sum for a new foam-luff cruising genoa to fit the CDI furler on our Catalina 22, Bright Eyes, I was looking for a way to protect the sail while trailering and while she was parked in the yard between outings.

A trip to a big-box store and $23.51 scored me 100 feet of 4-inch-diameter Drain-Sleeve, a seamless circular-knitted polyester filter “sock” intended to keep sand and sediment from clogging perforated pipe used in French drains. Drain-Sleeve is manufactured by Carriff Engineered Fabrics and is available in black or white and in 3-, 4-, and 6-inch diameters. It is packaged either in rolls or preloaded on a collapsed cardboard tube.

The fabric came preloaded on a cardboard tube, which made it easy to deploy over the furling drum and along the entire length of the furled sail.

I was able to fit the preloaded tube over the furling drum and simply pull the fabric up to the head of the sail. I cut the lower end of the fabric a foot or two past the furling drum and tied it in an overhand knot.

The fabric stretches, and will likely fit over furled sails of diameters larger than its nominal size. Similar products are available from other manufacturers.

Now our furling drum and line, headsail, and sheets are all protected from wind blast while on the road and from the sun’s ultraviolet radiation while parked. The fabric breathes, allowing rain to evaporate and, we hope, prevent mildew from growing on the sail. While the sock itself will probably degrade in the subtropical sun, I still have more than 60 feet of it left over for future seasons.

Cory Carpenter’s uncle taught him to sail when he was in high school. When his family relocated from the Pacific “Northwet,” he left his beloved San Juan 24 behind. He now lives on a subtropical island between the ICW and the Atlantic. There are palm trees but also sand gnats. He writes software for a living, very occasional magazine articles for fun, and is presently refurbishing the latest member of the Free Scottish Navy, Bright Eyes, a 1982 Catalina 22.

 

Thank you to Sailrite Enterprises, Inc., for providing free access to back issues of Good Old Boat through intellectual property rights. Sailrite.com