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Hello Michael,?

I suspect Bernd might tell you that if you want the conventional sloop rig you should build the Eco 5.50. The rig and sails are always going to be one of the major costs in building one of these catamarans. I don't think that the twin furling headsail rig should necessarily cost any more than a conventional sloop rig where there are other expenses with boom and the cost of building the more complex mainsail. The mast for the twin headsail rig should be easy to build yourself, and you can save money by doing your own rigging using dyneema shrouds. If I was doing the rig I would have the smaller sail on a wire luff, DIY furler, and look at doing a luff spar furler for the bigger sail, and once again I would try and find a DIY solution. You could also use small continuous line furlers for the sails, which do not cost so much, but you cannot partially furl the sail with a continuous line furler. I think this twin headrail rig would be ideal for a small catamaran being very easy to handle, and is part of the overall 5.20 package.

Always fun to look at all the options.

David

As far as roller furling sails go, I remember Bernd saying that it is possible to partially furl a head sail with a wire luff (not a stiff extrusion) if the sail is cut flat enough. My understanding is that you can loosen the outhaul or sheet (depending on if you have a boom or not) a little if you want a little more shape to the sail. I think it might work to partially furl a continuous line furler also if you have each side of the loop running through a cam cleat. You just have to keep some tension on both sides of the line when you partially furl. I don’t have personal experience doing that, but I am considering it for our boat.?

Patrick