Furlers

[Kapena]

Needing to replace my profurl furler...Never buy a furler with carbon steel bearings! I have installed a delron bushing in place of the bearings after having to replace them every year. This furler sucks for a cruising boat.

Considering Spin-tec because of cost but not crazy about not having the halyard up. Why make a problem inevitably happen at the worst time? Any comments from users?

A Harken mkiv unit 2 is also under consideration. Also shaefer but this maybe cost prohibitive.

Boat is a Lagoon 37 Catamaran, cruised extensively in the Pacific. Any input on furlers appropriate or otherwise is appreciated.

[NCountry]

Alado! I bought and installed one about 5 years ago. Sold the boat last year but it's just 2 slips down from me now. The furler has been trouble free for at least 5 years.
I was able to install it my self. It has it's own halyard which freed up and halyard on the mast. Very simple construction and fairly easy to deal with.
I've seen them on several cruising boats and have yet to hear any complaints about them. I'm sure that will probably change after this post but I've been impressed with them. When the ProFurl on my current boat takes a dump I'll put one on it....

[Weyalan]

I just installed a Furlex furler on our boat. So far we are very happy with it.

[roverhi]

Your seals on the bearing races are NFG on the ProFurl. Have you replaced the seals as well as the bearings on the rebuild. Also understand that the race can get corroded when water gets in. Believe there is a company in California that remachines these furlers so they don't leak,

My ProFurl of unqestionable age, probably 10 years or so, is doing just fine with no sign of seal leaks.

[Ziggy]

I had a ProFurl for about 10 years and found it problem free, until it was lost in a boat yard fire. Now I have had Furlex for 10 years. It is also problem free, but the bearings need to be greased once a year (takes 1-2 hours). Harken, Schaeffer, and Alado all have good reputations.

[Mainebristol]

Originally Posted by Weyalan

I just installed a Furlex furler on our boat. So far we are very happy with it.

I also have the Furlex. Mostly very good. The furling line can jam by sliding under an internal "spacer" that seems to have little function, but that has happened only once. A correct lead is essential. Mine is five years old, gets lubricated yearly, and seems to work fine. Of course, all my other stuff is junk, so the comparison works in its favor.

[zeehag]

my ericson has harken and my formosa has north sails.. ?? like both. in gulf last yr we used CDI--liked it--was simple enough to repair underway when needed.

[callmecrazy]

FYI: The "north sails" furler is probably an older Harken. I found one on a boat I was looking at and had to look it up.

[SV Demeter]

Dont forget to look at the Cruising Unit furlers from Harken. Cheaper than an Mk IV and very well made IMHO. That being so it is my belief that Furlex is the best furler out there for cruising boats.

[tartansail]

Originally Posted by Weyalan

I just installed a Furlex furler on our boat. So far we are very happy with it.

+1 on the Furlex. We installed it in 2003 and have been very happy with it. Agree that a fair lead is important, but we've never had problems. IIRC, the Furlex required replacing the headstay which is part of the purchase cost.

[beetle]

I had a Harken furler on my previous boat, it worked great.

I have a Schaefer furler on my current boat, it works great. I suspect that Schaefer weighs slightly more than the equivalent Harken units, uses a round foil rather than elliptical. I went with Schaefer on the new boat as Schaefer allows you to put the furling line on a winch if necessary, and Harken specifically says not to do that.

I avoided ProFurl specifically due to the steel ball bearings.

I have a couple of comments regarding the Spin-Tec furler; this furler design works by having you go to the masthead and shackle the head of the sail to the furler top bail, or, you can monkey around with the 'halyard accessory' to hook the sail onto the furler top bail - neither is easy when the boat is bouncing around the ocean.

If you DO use the 'halyard accessory', the top of the jib is attached to the furler top bail with a simple hook (has no positive engagement) - this is problematic as the sail is free to fall off the furler top bail.

I would not recommend a spin-tec for anything offshore that could conceivably require changing out a headsail. If your boat has one and only one headsail then the spin-tec makes sense, as you'd never take the sail down (unless there was a hurricane coming in, in which case you go to the masthead to get the sail down).

- rob/beetle

[Boracay]

I've never used one, but the Hutton Arco Furlers don't look too bad.

I've had a look at their factory (Western Sydney) and have a boat load of Arco winches that all work.

Hopefully the furler is as good as their winches.

[Brent Swain]

I built my own , the one in my book, for $80. No serious problems in 28 years, and 6 Pacific crossings.