Jib catches on Profurl section when being raised

[svstrider]

I have noticed on the last 2 occasions that I have hoisted the jib, something I don't do more than once per year, The head of the luff catches at each join of the profurl C420 profile section. It never used to do this. To overcome the problem, I have to lower the jib a little, turn the section and then wind on the halyard.

My thought is that the head swivel has some sort of bur on it that is catching on the section join.

Thoughts, please.
Do I need to take the furler / forstay down? Can the swivel come apart without having to lower the forestay?

[Wavehiker]

Sometimes the little set screws work their way loose and prevent raising or lowering of jib. You need to tighten them using loctite to prevent them loosening again. This has happened to me a couple of times at the end of the season and go to lower jib. Little awkward hanging almost upside down on forestay in a bosun chair.

[um saudade]

I am not sure of your particular system but for Profurl in general there is a set of acetyl bushings inside the swivel and as they get worn the swivel will no longer go up and down smoothly but will cock off at an angle when hoisting a sail. This will cause the bushings to grab into the extrusion and jamb. Often they first start jambing at the joints in the extrusions.


Get the swivel down on deck level and inspect for wear. The swivel should not wobble or wiggle on the extrusions. Try to cock it and see what happens.


On most Profurl systems they are not difficult to replace. You will need one person at the mast head and crew on deck. Keep the halyard attached to the swivel and attach a downhaul to the swivel so the crew on the foredeck can pull it back down the stay when done. Hoist the swivel to the top of the extrusions. At the top of the mast attach spinnaker haylard to the extrusion a couple feet down from the top.(below the swivel) Remove or loosen the wrap stop. Have crew loosen the stay and apply tension to the halyard. Release the pin on the top of the stay fitting and let the top of the stay hang free supported by the spinnaker halyard. Work the swivel up over the stay fittings and take it off the upper end of the stay.


Once it is off you will how the bushing come out and go in. Most I have worked on are pretty easy. Installing is simply reversal of the process.

[svstrider]

Originally Posted by um saudade

At the top of the mast attach spinnaker haylard to the extrusion a couple feet down from the top.(below the swivel)

.............
Once it is off you will how the bushing come out and go in. Most I have worked on are pretty easy. Installing is simply reversal of the process.

Thanks for the experienced advice. A couple of questions
To attach the spare halyard to the extrusion - do I just wrap the halyard around the extrusion. I don't think there is any securing point.

Are the bushings just a spare part? Or do I have to order the whole top swivel assembly? I could not see any bushings on the parts diagram. I have a Profurl C420.

[um saudade]

All of the Profurls I have seen have replaceable bushings at a fraction of the cost of the complete swivel. The last set I bought cost about $25 US.


I will edit my post a little here. I should have written that you want to use one halyard to substitute for the actual forestay. Attach the halyard at the bows and tighten with a winch before loosening the stays. This will keep your perch at the masthead nice and stable! The other halayard attaches to the extrusions below the swivel. Use a rolling hitch. Put just enough tension on this to hold the forestay up when you take out the fitting pin at the mast head.


I should add that you want to make sure that the swivel will actually pass over whatever hardware is on the top end of the stay but usually it is no problem.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Wavehiker

Sometimes the little set screws work their way loose and prevent raising or lowering of jib.

I second this as I've also experienced it.

[svstrider]

Originally Posted by um saudade

I will edit my post a little here. I should have written that you want to use one halyard to substitute for the actual forestay. Attach the halyard at the bows and tighten with a winch before loosening the stays. This will keep your perch at the masthead nice and stable! The other halayard attaches to the extrusions below the swivel. Use a rolling hitch. Put just enough tension on this to hold the forestay up when you take out the fitting pin at the mast head.


I should add that you want to make sure that the swivel will actually pass over whatever hardware is on the top end of the stay but usually it is no problem.

Thanks for the timely advice re making sure I have another halyard in place when I loosen the forestay! I hope I would have included that in the Plan of Action on the day before the Admiral, at the Tool Box Meeting, piped up with "What's holding up the mast, you idiot?:

It's been 8 years since I installed the Profurl and so will need to plan ahead as I need to replace the anchor light while I am up there.

I will enquire with Profurl re the bushings.

[svstrider]

Originally Posted by Wavehiker

Sometimes the little set screws work their way loose and prevent raising or lowering of jib. You need to tighten them using loctite to prevent them loosening again. This has happened to me a couple of times at the end of the season and go to lower jib. Little awkward hanging almost upside down on forestay in a bosun chair.

Thanks, Wavehiker. I will be back from offshore in 3 weeks. I will then haul down the jib (hopefully without too much drama) and check those pesky grubs.

[jpeac2]

Hello!

Thanks for the post and the information as I am also experiencing this issue.

I am curious to see if the bushings helped you. I am planning to check the set screws this week but would like to figure this thing out once and for all as it has lingered for a couple of seasons.

Thanks for the thread!

[Lawrence]

The clue to your problem might lie in your description of the symptoms. You say the luff hangs up at each joint so the common problem of a loose set screw is probably not the cause because that would only occur at one repeatable location. On the Profurl the foil sections are held together, and in alignment by internal fish plates which are locked to the foil by set screws. The holes in the fish plates into which the screws are located can become worn by the stresses on the joints as the foil flexes during use.. To check for this condition look to see if the luff tape is worn in the joint locations and also if there is rotational movement of one foil relative to the next one as you twist them by hand back and forth at each joint.
Checking the joints is never a comfortable operation. I attach my self in a bosun's chair and loop a strap around the foil and have someone haul me up the foil using the halyard. Then I can stop at each section joint and check it for loose screws or loose joints.
To repair a worn fish plate it requires lowering the whole system to the dock. When I removed my system for overhaul I used the spinnaker halyard to support the mast as has been suggested, and I used a 1 inch wide strap attached to the jib halyard to lower the foil. The strap does not slide as easily up the foil as a line does. I attached this strap to a location about one third of the way down the foil from the top so as to minimize the bending as the foil is lowered to the ground. If you support it only at the top this puts a lot of bending stress in the center section as it is raised or lowered. I tried to support the foil at two locations with a bridle attached one quarter and one half way down but I had difficulty controlling the support locations as the angle of the foil changed as it was lowered on the way down.
Once the system is on the dock I repaired the loose joints by drilling extra set screw holes at the loose connections. You can buy the special set screws from a Profurl dealer, (get a few spares) and drill and tap the foil for the extra screws and drill the fish plates to accommodate the locating peg on the set screw. Don't forget the Loctite.
Voila, piece of cake!


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