Did this come out of my furler ?

[Dave_S]

My furler started making unhappy noises and stopped running smoothly. It seems to load up then jump which brings me to part B of the issue, I found this on deck. It looks like it is made from black acetal and could be one half of a bearing surface for the furler. If so it will explain everything except how it got out.

Without removing the furler I can't see where it has come from and it was too windy for me to drop the jib by myself this afternoon so I'll have a go tomorrow.

I've never dropped the jib before, do I unfurl the jib loosen the stay slide the jib down. Can I leave the stay up and just remove the furler.

Oh oh oh..... I should have the Genoa up and tight first.... Yes ?

[44'cruisingcat]

Don't loosen the stay! That's your forestay, it helps hold the mast up!

To remove the jib, you just unfurl it and release the halyard. The top bearing of the furler will come down with the sail. When you unshackle the sail, make sure you secure that top bearing so it can't go back up the foil without the sail attached.

Getting the furler off the forestay is more complicated. First you'll need to set up an alternate forestay. A couple of halyards would do, as long as they're in good condition.

But if you're not sure what you're doing, getting a rigger in to help would be a good idea.

[captain465]

Before doing anything, take the part you found on deck and take that to a rigger that is familiar with the Hood furling system that you have. He will know what that part is, and where it came from in the system. It looks to me that it might be, as you suspect, a half of a bearing surface, but the size of it looks like it might be a bearing for the upper swivel.
Good luck!

[Ahquabi]

Yes, it came from the furler



https://www.mauriprosailing.com/us/c...are-Parts.html


Check out diagram for parts 00051


https://www.wichardamerica.com/part_...r/nc32-qa.html

[guyrj33]

it looks like that piece is a bearing form inside the foil.
Is there a gap in the foil?
I think it may be wise to hire a rigger if you don't have experience with installing a furler.

[Elie]

This part is a guide that is normaly installed between each section of the Profurl furler . I believe that is must be the lower link (it would not pass the other links otherwise!) . The solution is to disconnect your headstay, after you have secured the mast with all the halyard you have to avoid any risk of loosing your mast. You shall find the place of this link quikly close to the furler base.

[JC Reefer]

Not a bearing per say. Those parts are installed in pairs in the foil sections. Your forestry is made of tough steal but the foil is made of aluminum. Those little plastic spacers allow the foil to turn smoothly. More importantly, without it your foil will be damaged from grinding against the forestay.

Get a Rigger. Bad things happen if the mast takes a dive off the deck.

[JC Reefer]

Also a good opportunity the change the actually seals and bearings. And for sure use a rigger for that.

You’ll see people doing it themselves on YouTube. Without a press you likely to scratch the cylinder and ruin the seal. Profurl uses steel bearings, not stainless, so a water tight seal is important

[Dsanduril]

As noted many times above, the black plastic item is one half of a pair of sleeves. There is one pair under every joint in your furler, as well as pairs at top and bottom. Amazing that it came out whole.

But also as noted above, it could be a bearing problem that actually got things locked up and then caused whatever happened so the sleeve came out. The bearings used by ProFurl are industry standard bearings, absolutely no need to go to ProFurl for them, once you (or a rigger) have the furler apart you can take them over to the nearest bearing shop and they'll be able to sort you out.

The sleeves are another matter, someone up above linked to MauriPro, they were the only reliable source I found for the sleeves when I rebuilt a similar furler in NZ last year.

If you do have to take the furler down it is a bit tricky, if you've never done it before it would help a lot to have someone who has done it. Once you have the mast supported alternately (halyards, static lines, ...) you remove the stay and furler as one piece. Two tricks; you have to keep the sections from bending, so as you lower things down you need to keep a nice smooth curve going by pulling the base away from the boat. And 2, you have to keep the furler from sliding off the stay - you'll lose all those internal parts if the furler extrusions come rocketing off the stay with the help of gravity.

[Rigger Bruce]

I believe that your bottom bearing holder is missing which is the same color of your drum mechanism that green color. What you have is a profurl n 52 or possibly a nc42. If you undo the screws in the green unit there are a few above the plastic drum and they use a Allen head tool to get out, and if you look at the plastic drum take a flat head screwdriver and there are 2 screws in the middle of the drum, undo them. But first with your jib off the foils tie your halyard tightly to the foils and snug it up. When you have all the screws out crank the halyard slowly and the foil should come out of the drum mechanism. It will show you the missing pieces at the end of the foils. One of your bottom bearing holder will have dropped out. You may be lucky and find it inside the body of the drum. It holds the black bearing you took the picture of. If not you can get one from a rigger.

[roverhi]

Undoing the forestay is no big thing. Use one halyard to an anchor point on the bow and snug it up. The mast won't fall down with the halyard in place. Might want to release some tension on the backstay before undoing the forestay.

Have done this a few times including installing a new headstay with only a halyard temporarily replacing the fore stay as I climbed to the masthead to effect the removal and replacement. Actually took the boat out in the ocean with a halyard replacing the headstay when I had to leave the harbor because of the Japanese earthquake. Cruised around in the ocean under power for 18 hours until the surges from the Tsunami quieted down and I could get back in the slip.

Way easier to have a rigger do it but if you want/need to save money replacing the furler isn't that hard to do. You'll need a way to get to the masthead ATN Mastclimber | Single Handed Bosun Chair | Climbing the Mast. One of the end fittings will have to be removed. I've done it by cutting the Norseman fitting off and refitting after rerunning the wire inside the furler. Had enought take up room in the turnbuckle so shortening the stay didn't necessitate replacing the wire. Haven't disassembled the furler. If you can get the bottom bearing off without cutting the stay you won't have to mess witht he wire.

[Dave_S]

The bearing had failed due to the set screw coming loose.

Replaced bearings and sleeves, good to go.

Thanks all