What this sprig doing here?

[Island Time O25]

I have unstepped the mast to work on the sticky old furler. Right now dont have $$ to get a new furler so trying to extend the life of this dino for coupla more seasons. Am baffled by this spring. There is also a retainer at the top of it just below the eye of the end fitting but I took it off before snapping this pic. And there 2 washer at 'bottom of the spring resting tightly against the foil. The foil itself seems to be 2" shorter then seems it needs to be.

Surprisingly my 2 time circumnav buddy 2 has no idea.

Thanks in advance for your input.

[Island Time O25]

Spring

[KeelMe]

How about some useful information??

Like maybe...what brand is the furler?

Maybe the spring isn't really there but aliens are controlling your mind to make you think it is there. I personally don't see a spring in the picture but if there was one I'd be willing to bet that spring was put there because the furler is too short.

[Island Time O25]

It's an old Hood Seafurl 2535.

I don' see a reason why brand makes any difference. The original Hood manual which came with the boat makes no mention of this spring nor is it pictured in otherwise pretty descriptive how-to drawings.

[KeelMe]

Brand makes a huge difference. It could be some fancy French crap and that "spring" you keep referring to might make the boat turn left faster.

[Island Time O25]

Originally Posted by KeelMe

Brand makes a huge difference. It could be some fancy French crap and that "spring" you keep referring to might make the boat turn left faster.

Thanks for your snarky input. You remind me of the guy who is asking where to buy Hunter port cleat for his 1982 Hunter 33. ))

[Calif.Ted]

I'd assume it's purpose is to prevent the furling foil from riding up the forestay but I don't understand the need and have not seen it before.

[Island Time O25]

Originally Posted by Calif.Ted

I'd assume it's purpose is to prevent the furling foil from riding up the forestay but I don't understand the need and have not seen it before.

My thought also but at the yard none of the unstepped masts with furlers have such springs. Even though some seem to have foils a few inches short of the eye of the fitting.

Hopefully I'll catch a rigger or two at the yard over the weekend for an explanation.

[Franziska]

The spring is possibly meant as a flexible spacer, to keep the profile located.
Washers to prevent the spring from riding into the profile.

Looks like a retrofit by someone who had to fix the issue with the short profile to me.

[roverhi]

If it was retrofit had to be done before the swaged eye was done. As others have said, it must be a flexible spacer to keep the foil from reeming its way over the swage eye and turn buckle an probably binding up. If a mechanical terminal like a Norseman was used, it could be there to keep the extrusion from unscrewing the terminal. That's been reported with some mechanical terminals on furlers. Believe StaLok recommends red LocTite when their terminals are used on furlers.

All furlers are not constructed the same. Knowing the type of furler might jog the memory of someone familiar with the hood furlers whether that spring was common to that brand or an after market install Kluge. Nothing like trying to fix a Chevy with Ford parts and manual. When asking for help always best to include all the possibly pertinant info up front.

[thunderhoof]

I think the reason for the spring is to keep the luff foil from getting too close to the head fitting, possibly jamming it. On some furlers the spring is replace by a tube to serve the spacer function. I like that better because if the jib luff snags in the foil the spring could be compressed, causing the foil to jam near the head when furling.

[hzcruiser]

Originally Posted by Franziska

The spring is possibly meant as a flexible spacer, to keep the profile located.
Washers to prevent the spring from riding into the profile.

Concurring with Franziska. The foil usually comes in segments which are held together with links secured by grub screws to prevent the segments from riding up with the swivel when you hoist the headsail. If they came apart the top slider at the headboard of the sail would likely bind against the next segment and you'd be stuck.
I sometimes have the opposite problem on my Profurl 42 when those grub screws work loose (even with red Loctite applied) during the furling/unfurling motion. They then stick their little head out and prevent the top swivel to come down.

Hence the spring might be there to keep the foil segments together under light pressure.

As a longer shot, it might also protect the forestay by preventing the halyard from seizing onto the exposed forestay cable if there is not enough tension on the halyard during the furler action. Also happened to me a few years ago. Now I got a new forestay and will never put too much tension on the furling line again...