Sailing Catalpa · video

What this video covers

The crew of the Catalpa struggles with an in-boom furling mainsail system while transiting the Baja coast of Mexico.1:00 During a 180-nautical-mile passage, the battens frequently exit the sail track, causing the sail to bunch and making it difficult to furl.1:17 The owners note that unlike traditional slab reefing, which allows for reefing while running downwind, the in-boom system requires taking the wind out of the sail by steering a close reach.6:59 They consider replacing the system with a standard boom and slab reefing if performance does not improve.5:00 During the same passage, the captain rigs a custom fishing rod using a donated Penn Senator reel and a Ronston guide.2:11 The crew maintains speeds of 7 to 11 knots while sailing wing-on-wing with a spinnaker pole deployed on the headsail to stabilize the rig in 2-meter swells.10:02 They eventually reach their destination after a 24-hour run, noting that the in-boom furling system requires precise wind management to operate effectively.16:29

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