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In this huge sea of Masts,

            IMF  is such a sensational sailing innovation,  I would buy this option even if I did not buy the boat!   Well, maybe that is a bit of an exaggeration,  but it speaks for how enthusiastic we are about this feature.

          I have always been a lazy sailor and lately I've been getting lazier.  The urge to go for a sail was there,  but the thought of undoing the sail cover,  folding it up and stowing it away,  untying the wrapped sail's shock cords, putting in the battens and hoisting the sail,  sometimes modified the urge.

          And if the urge survived the work at the starting end,  it still had to pass the thought of all that work at the ending end:   Down with the sail.  Out with the battens.  Fold and hold the sail neatly on the boom while getting on the ties so the whole mess fitted under the sail cover, etc.

          If the weakening urge persisted,  there were other urge blocks to face.   Do I raise sail slipside while tied up, or raise sail in open water while the boat is freely bobbing?  Do I go with full sail, start off reefed, reef later while under way when the wind picks up?  Or, maybe I should wait 'til someone else has the urge too, and signs on to crew.

          Once out there, basking in the joy of slicing through growing waves, facing the eventual task of shortening sail in growing winds,  any further contemplation of whether you should have gone with, or killed  the "urge",  is too late and merely academic.

          Giving up on single-handed urges is not the answer either.  There was the time I took along 10 good deck hands (5 helpers).  But it rained something awful and lowering that pocket full of rain main,  over that cockpit of soggy humanity,  put a wet blanket overall.

          So it is without reservation that I would hock all for a truly good furling main.  And it is with much enthusiasm that I recommend "Innermast Furling",  since on most Rhodes Packages you need hock nothing.   Just ask and IMF  is included at no additional cost !

          Like the throttle on your car,  you simply set sail area to any comfortable size (speed).   Easily worked from the cockpit, sail-size-control is ideal for single handed sailing.  The sail completely stores inside the mast.  No more sail handling, batten fumbling, sail cover tying.  Sails stay neater and cleaner and live much longer.   For those who insist on sailing when there is no wind,  there is an unexpected plus; sail shaping.  i.e., draft on loose footed sails can be set fuller for more light air power than can be managed on conventionally footed sails.

          Putting the sail away for the day takes less time than it took to read this last sentence of my praise of the Rhodes 22 Innermast Furling System.  And docking a boat with IMF  is exceptional fun for exceptional show-offs.

 Note:  "Furling" is the ability to put a sail away.  "Reefing" is the ability to use a sail at different sizes.  "Sally" is "the sudden bursting forth out of doors in bright witticism for a besieging jaunt" (Webster).   The Rhodes IMF  Main Sail System brings all of this to your finger tips.