A furling boom is the way to get the ease of a roller mainsail without having to buy a new mast. Several companies make booms that allow a full-batten main to be rolled into the boom. These mains have all the benefits of a standard full-length batten main, yet they can be roller reefed or furled into a specially made boom. Furling booms offer a huge safety benefit over any in-mast furling sail, in that if the furling system jams or fails, you can always drop the sail to the deck and get it down. If an in-mast furler jams, you are stuck with some portion of the sail flapping in the wind. Furling booms work well for large boats where the boom is too high to furl and cover the main. Furling booms can be a retro-fit to an older boat or it can be specified on a new boat.
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