opinions on the "screecher"

Don · Post by **Don** » Fri Feb 26, 2010 9:00 am

So here I sit peering out the window at the snow covering every thing.. the boat included... I am thinking about purchasing a screecher to boost my sail repertoire, what are your thoughts ?? roller furling for sure... has any one had any experience with the continuous roller furlers like the Selden Code X? Thanks for your thoughts.... Don

Post by **Ron** » Fri Feb 26, 2010 9:21 am

You'll get more performance out of an asymmetrical spinnaker, but the roller based screecher is easier to handle, especially single handed. I usually rig the screecher for a week or two of sailing before I take it down. Have absolutely no problems working that sail single handed. Although I've raised the spinnaker by myself (in light air), that practice is somewhat questionable. It's big enough to cause real problems if something goes wrong or you get caught napping. You're choice.

Don · Post by **Don** » Sun Feb 28, 2010 9:53 am

Ron, Thanks for your thoughts. i don't know if I want to spend the $ for a couple of weeks of sailing.. yet the ease of setting and furling has it's benefits. hmmmm. what do you think about the roller furler... drum or continuous line?

Post by **Ron** » Sun Feb 28, 2010 10:09 am

Don -

I would think about the screecher if I spent a lot time reaching - say in a bay that runs north-south with prevailing winds out of the east or west. If you spend most of your time close hauled or running some of it's appeal may go away. Drum or continuous both work, but the endless loop probably means running both sides of it back to the cockpit. I like all 3 head sails and each has it's own advantages. But note that I have gone faster with the kevlar 150 genoa than either of the others.

Don · Post by **Don** » Tue Mar 02, 2010 4:54 pm

Ron,
Again, thanks for your help! Yep the bay is pretty much where we are... the Great South Bay off Long Island NY ... and yep we do alot of reaching I have the Genoa( not Kevlar) and an asymmetrical spinnaker.. on occasion the wind blows straight down the bay and flying the spinnaker was a blast! of course we had to motor back ... any way I am going to look into the screecher... Bierig would be the best eh? Thanks again ....Don

Post by **Ron** » Tue Mar 02, 2010 7:50 pm

Bierig knows the boat and makes a decent sail, but there are many others around as well. I'd lean towards someone with multihull experience. Because of the big shift in apparent wind on a reaching multihull, it should probably be on the flatter side. Imagine the shift forward on USA-17 when it was doing 33 knots in an 8 knot breeze on a reach.

Don · Post by **Don** » Thu Mar 04, 2010 5:32 pm

Thanks again Ron, I am going to look around and see what I find... Don

Don · Post by **Don** » Tue Mar 09, 2010 6:55 pm

OK I went with the sail from Bierig, now I need to put together a roller furler /reefer and my fore stay is taken by the genny does the furler come with a second stay? any suggestions? many thanks and pardon my ignorance...Don

Dan · Post by **Dan** » Tue Mar 09, 2010 7:49 pm

It is a wire luff sail. It doesn't need a stay. It is hoisted up on the spinnaker halyard. IIRC, the screacher comes with a Schaefer drum furling unit. The drum mounts to the bail on the bowsprit....

Don wrote:OK I went with the sail from Bierig, now I need to put together a roller furler /reefer and my fore stay is taken by the genny does the furler come with a second stay? any suggestions? many thanks and pardon my ignorance...Don

Post by **Ron** » Tue Mar 09, 2010 8:16 pm

Dan -

The drum definitely comes with the factory screecher option. Not sure if Bierig includes it when you buy the sail from him.

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