Changing from stand alone furling gear to headstay

[allene]

I have had my boat for 19 years and had a furling setup for 17 of them. I removed it two years ago because it was old and became a safety issue. Perhaps I can add some comment on sailing with the two set-ups. My setup was a little unusual in that the sails were hanked on even when furled. That said, it was much easier to go out and sail and put the boat away with the furling system. However, it was much harder to change sails with the furling setup. This was especially true if the sail was too large as you have to put it out all the way to take it down, and then you have too much sail up. All in all, if I were in your situation, I would keep the furling setup until I got more comfortable with the boat, perhaps a couple of seasons.

Another thing to consider is a new sail made for furling. They make improvements all the time. A fellow with a boat near mine has a sail cut with multiple cloth weights so that the sail keeps its shape under various conditions.