[Rhodes22-list] IMF

[Joseph Hadzima]

thanks Jim 

this is helpful

when lubricating ... do you need to disassemble?  Rummy
said "when I get teh opportunity", will my opportunity be
annualy, or just when I don't feel like reading anything
and I'm anchored somewhere and jsut feel like it?


--- Jim Connolly <jbconnolly at comcast.net> wrote:

> I have needed to lubricate the IMF lower bearing once
> mid-season, only
> because I forgot to do it before launching.  The
> mechanism is elegantly
> simple.
> 
> I have also found it helpful to secure the sliding block
> that follows the
> clew back and forth along the boom as far forward as
> possible when leaving
> the boat on the mooring.  It is easy to do with a pair of
> tiny bungee cords
> to the forward end of the boom.  The one time I didn't do
> this, we had two
> days of gale force winds during the week.  The sliding
> block slid aft and
> allowed the clew of the sail to flog in the wind as the
> boat swung on the
> mooring.  The sail wrapped a bit tighter on the furling
> tube and exposed a
> couple of extra inches of sail, and the loosened outhaul
> line flogged and
> chafed a bit.  Easily fixed, but could have damaged the
> sail, too.
> 
> Jim Connolly
> s/v Inisheer
> '85 recycled '03
> 
>  
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org
> [mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org] On Behalf Of
> Arthur H. Czerwonky
> Sent: Saturday, February 17, 2007 11:43 AM
> To: The Rhodes 22 mail list
> Subject: RE: [Rhodes22-list] IMF
> 
> Joe,
> 
> Why does a problem normally occur with the headsail
> furler?  I have usually
> found the problem at the fastening point on the mast.  I
> am going to help
> Luis with his this week.  
> 
> On the IMF it is better to reef on a port tack - look at
> potential friction
> with the sail slot and you see why.  Any other hangups I
> am aware of are
> based on preventative maintenance.  The internal workings
> of Stan's IMF are
> beautifully simple.
> 
> Art
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> >From: Joseph Hadzima <josef508 at yahoo.com>
> >Sent: Feb 17, 2007 11:08 AM
> >To: The Rhodes 22 mail list <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
> >Subject: RE: [Rhodes22-list] IMF "Reefing"
> >
> >Hi Gang:
> >
> >I assume no one on this list has ever had any major
> problems with their 
> >Rhodes IMF. Is there any special maintence required?  I
> was on a boat 
> >where the furling on the head sail failed as the 160 was
> fully out.  I 
> >recall it was a little dicey going foward and fixing the
> problem, under 
> >the no so calm conditions.
> >
> >the down side any time you add complexity to something,
> you introduce 
> >another point of possible failure (plus maintenance
> issues, cost, 
> >etc.).  I'm assuming Stan's choice of materials, and his
> teams' 
> >workmanship minumize risks, but I'd still like to know
> of any sea 
> >stories involving IMF systems.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >--- Jim Connolly <jbconnolly at comcast.net> wrote:
> >
> >> It seems to me that the difference between IMF and
> conventional from 
> >> a weight distribution standpoint is two fold:
> >> 
> >> 1.  The furling tube which is negligible and the
> weight of the mast 
> >> extrusion, heavier than standard.  Both of these are
> fixed weights 
> >> (fixed height above deck with the mast raised in
> sailing
> >> position) and can be
> >> approximated by a weight "x" at the midpoint of the
> mast (i.e., 
> >> center of gravity or CG).
> >> 
> >> 2.  The weight of the sail (less than conventional,
> because it is 
> >> smaller).
> >> Since it reefs and furls on a vertical roller, the CG
> of the sail 
> >> also stays at the same height above the deck.  The
> center of effort
> >> (CE) of the furling
> >> sail will move down and forward as the sail rolls into
> the mast.
> >> 
> >> Net effect, furling the IMF lowers the center of
> effort and not the 
> >> center of gravity of the mast and sail combination,
> while furling the 
> >> conventional sail lowers both the CG and CE.  The CG
> of the 
> >> conventional mast/sail assembly is lowered by the
> weight of the sail, 
> >> which is not likely a significant part of the whole.
> >> 
> >> It seems then to come down to the additional weight of
> the IMF 
> >> assembly with sail vs. the conventional mast and sail.
>  I don't know 
> >> this, but I am sure somebody here does.  Likely
> windage of the 
> >> thicker mast extrusion might be a factor in some wind
> conditions.
> >> 
> >> For me, convenience trumps all.
> >> 
> >> Jim Connolly
> >> s/v Inisheer
> >> '85 recycled '03
> >> 
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org
> >> [mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org] On Behalf
> Of Bill Effros
> >> Sent: Saturday, February 17, 2007 9:55 AM
> >> To: The Rhodes 22 mail list
> >> Subject: [Rhodes22-list] IMF "Reefing"
> >> 
> >> Wally,
> >> 
> >> Comparing "reefing" on standard sails vs. IMF sails is
> very hard to 
> >> do when discussing among sailors some of whom have
> never even seen an 
> >> IMF.
> >> 
> >> "Reef Points" result in noticeable changes in sail
> size.
> >> The IMF is
> >> infinitely adjustable. I often adjust my sail in
> increments of 5% of 
> >> total sail size. I suspect most IMF sailors change the
> size of their 
> >> sails instead of using the traveler. We don't think of
> it as 
> >> "reefing"
> >> -- it is an adjustment the sailor can quickly make in
> response to 
> >> changing conditions.
> >> 
> >> The extra weight of the mast is insignificant.
> Remember that your 
> >> sail is larger, adding weight aloft compared to the
> smaller IMF sail. 
> >> But, since the boat is designed to be sailed upright,
> and can easily 
> >> be trimmed to sail upright, the difference in
> performance due to 
> >> weight is probably no greater in an IMF boat than the
> difference of 
> >> carrying an extra bottle of rum. Or not.
> >> 
> >> I carry my extra sail on the Genoa instead of the main
> sail. Both are 
> >> infinitely adjustable while single handing. When
> conditions change, I 
> >> change the set of my sails, all by myself, so easily
> that even a lazy 
> >> sailor will do it.
> >> 
> >> I think the biggest surprise about the IMF is how well
> it works 
> >> mechanically. The sail and mast are made for each
> other.
> >> There is no
> >> compromise here, and it is easy to extend and retract
> the sail under 
> >> any conditions. My wife enjoys doing it.
> >> 
> >> Our harbor is busy on weekends with a very narrow
> neck, 
=== message truncated ===


HADZ (a.k.a. joe)

"That's what a ship is, you know. It's not just a keel and hull and a deck and sails. That's what a ship needs. But what a ship is... is freedom." 
-- Captain Jack Sparrow