Roller Furling

[b-rad]

My boat has roller furling for the headsail. (first boat I have ever sailed with furling) works great I have no complaints. But I havent taken it apart yet so Im not really sure how it all works.
I cant find a name on the furler so I cant look up instructions.
Heres a picture




The boat came with 3 head sails, a 110 that was on the furler and a 135 and 150 in bags. We have had some weak wind the last few weekends and the 110 isnt cutting it, I would really like to change it out this weekend.
Im guessin its going to be self explanitory once I do it.
But let me see if I have this right.
Un furled, drop the halyard, pull sail down, should come out of track. Install in reverse?
(please excuse the clutter on deck, was our first time out before the sun was up couldnt see and didng have a lot of time to stow every thing before we were drifting and the admiral was requesting my presence at the helm)

[Meridian]

Yep, pretty straight forward. Pay particular attention to which way the furling line wraps on the drum (clockwise or CC). Mouse the shackles that attach to the head and tack, and make sure that the aluminum extrusions are aligned on the headstay, and that their set-screws (found at the seems between 2 extrusions) are in and tight.
Also, when the sail is furled, there should be a few extra wraps remaining on the drum. If you are going to put on a larger headsail, you will want to be sure you have several extra wraps, as you will be pulling a longer-length of furling line to roll up the larger sail.
Hope it made sense...
John

[delmarrey]

Ditto on what Meridian posted.

Here is a brake down of my system. Although, probably different, this should give you an idea of how they are put together. http://www.seldenmast.com/_download....=595-105-E.pdf, </title> <link rel="STYLESHEET" type="text/css" href="_styles/selden.css"> <script language="javascript"> var openwindow = null; function showLoginForm() { openwindow = document.getElementById("loginForm"); openwindow.style.display = "block"; } funct

Your picture is barely visible, so if you post a bright close-up of the drum and foil someone here can probably ID it.

[gulfstar37]

As stated above the photo is a little hard to see, but I tried to zoom in on it. The stem head looks similiar to the one we have on ours. It may be an old Hood sea furl mark II. Does it have a flat foil with sail slots 180 deg apart from each other?

[Ziggy]

Originally Posted by b-rad

I cant find a name on the furler so I cant look up instructions.

If you really want help in identifying the furler, you need to post a better photo. From what I can see, it seems like it might be an older Profurl model. The yearly maintenance varies among manufacturers, so you really should identify what you have.

As far as sail change instructions, you got good advice in the preceding posts.

[b-rad]

Well I didnt change it today, I actually had a lot of problems unfuring the sail today, could not get the sail to unrap with out going on deck and pulling on the sail it self. I think some thing was binding somewhere it furls up with 2 fingers though. Ill take some good pictures tomorrow .
Idiot question for the day. The jib haylard should be tied to the furller ? The only line I have from up the sail is tied off at the base of the furler but Theres no way To release it, I have about 8 inchs of bitter end.

[Bloodhound]

Can't tell from the photo whether it even has foils or is for hanked-on sails. Could be a Mariner? Since it's referred to as a furler (versus reefer), could be either.

[Meridian]

b-rad...I'm not following your last post. A good picture, or descriptive summary, will help.
BUT, usually the jib halyard attaches to a "drum swivel" that then attaches to the head of the sail. The swivel allows the sail to wrap while preventing the halyard from wrapping around the stay.
HIH
John

[Bloodhound]

I have Mariners that I use for the hanked-on headsails, but the principles are the same regardless. I have found that the swivel at the top of each stay needs lubricating once in awhile, otherwise they can get quite stiff and can make the sails a bugger to unfurl, although interestingly, furling has never been compromised.

[Blue Stocking]

Is this the type where the jib halyard turns over a sheave which is part of the foil, and then returns to the drum, and is tightened by a purchase, or small chain and key?

[Bloodhound]

Originally Posted by Blue Stocking

Is this the type where the jib halyard turns over a sheave which is part of the foil, and then returns to the drum, and is tightened by a purchase, or small chain and key?

No, there is no foil. This is a setup where the swivel at the head is attached to the head of the sail and as you haul up the sail you simply hank it onto the forestay. When the swivel reaches the top it locks over a male hexagonal piece at the top of the stay. The luff of the sail is tensioned via a short bit of chain between the sail and the drum. The sails rolls over the forestay, hanks and all, so cannot be used for reefing. It is strictly a furler. But this approach makes it dead easy and pretty fast to change sails. The units are approaching 30 years old but are still working like a charm. My only complaint is that the bearings in the drum are sealed inside the drum and are quite inaccessible so cannot be lubricated.

[b-rad]

Heres the pictures, any help apreicated

[Meridian]

OK, so it LOOKS like you can swap out the headsails, IF the tack of the new sail can receive the cotter pin I see in the pics (the one at the top of the small block-and-tackle). More than likely, your other headsails will accommodate this pin.
Here's how it looks to me...
1) unroll the sail fully
2) release the tension on the small tackle
3) lower the halyard while someone pulls the sail down.
4) remove head and tack attachment points, transfer sheets to new sail
5) make sure you have enough wraps of the furling line on the drum to roll up a bigger sail (see my first post above)
6) attach halyard to head of new sail,start the new sail up the slot in the foil (you may want to lube the luff rope of the sail as it travels up, with a dry-lubricant like Sail Kote, etc). Have someone CAREFULLY feed the luff of the sail into the feeder/ track, while you gently pull up the halyard. If the sail binds in the feeder, and you pull too hard on the halyard, you could tear the sail. Attach to small tackle to the tack.
7) tension the halyard 'til the luff has no "wrinkles"
8) tension the small tackle as it was before
9) roll up the sail

Remember, because a bigger headsail will change your sheeting angles, you may need to change the position of the sheet-cars on their tracks (if they are adjustable).

While the sail is down, try to lube the drum, the foil, basically everything you can. Also, mouse (safety-wire) the shackles that probably attach to the head and tack.

John

[Ziggy]

Well, it's not Profurl. I'm stumped.

[Connemara]

Originally Posted by b-rad

I think some thing was binding somewhere it furls up with 2 fingers though. .

Check to make sure the furling line is coming straight off the roll. Sometimes that first turn gets twisted a bit and then things bind.

Connemara