As i was once again folding the No1 hopefully tight enough to get into it sail bag i wondered if anyone has any tricks to make it easier. With two pairs of hands its not so hard to stretch and fold but single handed not so easy.
I have only ever folded my 1 once after raising it to look at it. Haven't used it as yet.
As i lowered it i made sure i flaked the luff. I left it attached to the forestay. Went back to the clew and pulled it back and flaked it. It has a bag with velcro straps along it. So i just laid out the bag under the sail and closed it up.
Hi, thanks BJ. What Im getting at is my No1 is way bigger than the fore deck and trying to organise the mass of Dacron into smooth folds once its been lowered (ie on my boat its not possible to lower bit by bit and fold single handed - it all comes down) that will fit into the sail bag is my first question, difficult because of the lack of space on the deck. Second question making the folds in such a way that when the sail comes out of the bag so its easy to hank directly back on on. So far thats achieved by putting the foot of the sail in the bag first so the head is at the top. I was wondering if anyone had any secret tricks to making folding the sail easier in the confined area and single handed.
we always prefer to fold them on the dock but if folding at sea flake while hanked to the forestay thena roll starting at the foot for hydranett or dacron sails fancy sails need to be flaked into asausage bag
Mine has a rather flat deck which helps, but I pull the head sail between the mast and spreaders, then pull tight on a winch while still attached at the tack. Then I move from bow to stern and back folding with the halyard in my hand (I have a winch on the mast which helps). Doesn't work in a breeze without putting a weight down on each end.
Dinghy sailors are used to rolling from the head of the sail, so in a pinch you could stand in the middle and get it rolled up enough to do it properly somewhere else.
My method when solo is as follows:
Undo lazy sheet and fit temporary lazy sheet to headsail, which you lead back inside the stays (or rerun the permanent sheet that way if you like, but it's more work). Tack (or gybe to be in shadow of main depending on conditions) and lead the clew back with the temporary sheet inside rigging and cleat off. Now you can drop the sail and the rigging will pretty much keep it on board. Do your best to luff-flake it and fit ties so it stays that way, then undo the sheets and roll the sail up starting at then clew. Then do your best to squash it down as it will inevitably be pretty bulky, and squeeze it into the bag. I'm talking well-used long-since-deflowered cruising sails here, not fancy racing stuff.
Depending on conditions I might either run (with a preventer fitted) or motor slowly upwind to do this, ditto for raising.
If you can properly flake on board, I take my hat off to you and would love to know the secret!
Cheers, Graeme
What you need is a several clamps with shock cord and a hook on the end of a shock cord.
www.bunnings.com.au/craftright-assorted-nylon-spring-clamp-16-pack_p5860093
Before I got my furler I could make a reasonable go of folding my No1 foiled Genoa by taking it back over the coach roof to the cockpit inside the shrouds. Clip the clamps on the bow rail and then use them to clamp the first two folds along the luff, then go along the sail arft, straightening out the folds, then move to the bow for them next fold and repeat. Takes about 10 trips back and forth and twice as long as if you had a friend to help.
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This is something I looked at in my Singlehanded tips book. (You can find the free version here: www.sfbaysss.org/resource/doc/SinglehandedTipsThirdEdition2.pdf But this is specifically covered in the published version.) Drop the sail down on the deck. Leave it hanked on. Then stretch the foot as far back as you can, either inside or outside the shrouds. Then work your way forward, flaking the sail back and forth as you move forward. Don't try to flake it along the same folds each time, as this will create wear creases. After it is all flaked, return to the clew (back corner) and fold it over a few times. Then unhank it and put it in your bag from the back. On my sail bag, I always leave the bag's seam on the starboard side, so I know how to dump it back on deck to rehank the sail. To put the sail back on, just dump it out of your bag right at the forestay. All the hanks will be nicely lined up and ready to use. I do this every single time I go sailing.
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One thing I would change there is to fold the sail in half first to have the clew at the top of the bag with the head. This makes hoisting the head sail almost like launching a spinnaker from it's bag.
Recently the sails had to be doused for re-rigging and l was alone.
My main is loose footed and fully battened so that was no issue in the dead calm l waited for, for days. I used a full length bag. It was reasonably easy.
The genoa was a bit more finicky, bringing the foot back next to the mast with the shroud a bit in the way. Letting the halyard down gradually and flaking it, bringing the clew back 1/4 of the way. Had to run to and fro along the sail few times to correct the fall. It was much easier than with a hanked sail, thou. It just fell out of the foil by it's own accord but the last two meters.
Folding and baging it was no great task. It went into a square bag.
I had to do it again, in reverse, just after the rigging has been done and l waited for days before the wind sufficiently abated. I did the job in calm weather in the dark at the light of the new bright l.e.d. deck light.
Then the furler fell apart at the drum, the grab screw decided to leave to the water and it took the sail pre-feeder with it, so it had to come down again. I packed it into the full length bag this time, like an experienced old sea dog, in ten minutes. It was dead calm by the time.
Mine is a smallish yacht, l do not want to contemplate the same job on a much bigger boat. Let alone in a blow! No, thanks.
Jobs like this need at least two people.
My sails are only fairly small, but I have rolled them myself a couple of times. It's exhausting, but doable. I figure it's the price I pay for having a crew free sail 
Concept is the same for both of them - the main just takes longer to do.I stand on one side of the boom with the sail dumped on the other side. Grabbing the head of the sail, I roll it towards the boom (ie, on top of itself). While I do this, I keep the leech straight, so that when the battens are kept straight. As I do more and more, I'll sit down and keep pulling the sail towards myself over the boom, occasionally giving the sails a flick along the boom to get rid of the wrinkles.
