Best Cruising Furler

[Talbot]

Originally Posted by JiffyLube

Thank you for that explaination, but exactly how do you reef this sail? Is it reefed like a mainsail?

If it is a furler only, then it is not intended to be reefed - you might get away with it in light airs, but you might not!

With a pure furler, the way to reef is to change sails!

That is why they have been out of fashion. However, furlers are returning to fashion for the big downwind sails as an alternative to the snuffer.

[Jim Cate]

My favorite cruising furler is the Kiwi made Reef-Rite. Designed and manufactured by Bob Graham of Dove Bay in the Bay of Islands, NZ, it incorporates several features that set it apart from its competitors:

1. It uses one or more standard automotive bearings and seals in each load bearing location. These can be replaced inexpensively anywhere in the world without waiting for expensive specialty bits to be shipped in from "civilization".

2. The foil extrusion is extremely robust, and the joiners are even more so. Includes full length sleeve bearings between the foil and the stay.

3. The lower furling drum incorporates a set of pawls (similar to those in a winch) which take the torque loads when the sail is reefed. This relieves the furling line from the heavy loads imparted by a reefed sail in storm conditions and will prevent accidental unrolling when fully furled (something that has destroyed many a sail).

The only drawbacks that I have noted are slightly more weight aloft and a steep price tag. An apparent but actually insignificant flaw is higher unloaded friction, due to the seals used. Under load the system exhibits low friction losses.

I have no connection with this firm, and do not even currently own a Reef-Rite furler. Had one on Insatiable I, wish that one was on I-two!

Cheers,

[JiffyLube]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

3. The lower furling drum incorporates a set of pawls (similar to those in a winch) which take the torque loads when the sail is reefed. This relieves the furling line from the heavy loads imparted by a reefed sail in storm conditions and will prevent accidental unrolling when fully furled (something that has destroyed many a sail).

The pawls tells me a lot now on how the sail reefs...thanks for that info.

[Caribsurf]

Originally Posted by Lancerbye

CDI. This might explain a bit. I have the CDI on both the Foresail and Main. They came with the boat and work well so I haven't changed it. The fact that I don't need a dedicated halyard for either since the halyard is built into the reefer has a certain appeal to me. I cruise in among islands and coastal waters alot with often fickle winds. Having systems that alow easy deploment of sails for an old fart that doesn't have a crew is also important since I try to use any small amount of wind available.( hate burning fuel)(cheap) LOL

How is the CDI to reef? I get a feeling that whey might twist that flexible luff.
I like the ide that you don't have to have an dedicated halyard to it and that the luff is plastic so no corrosion. And the price.

[Sandero]

I have had a ProFurl with about 20 years of trouble free use. Can't comment on any others, but can recommend this one. I can and often winch in the furling line with a secondary which in the cockpit. And you can "reef" with it.

Profurl LCI-32 - Classic Cruising Furling System w/ Turnbuckle Cylinder for Boats 28 to 36 ft.: Mauri Pro Sailing

[clockwork orange]

I bought an aloha 8.2 last fall that has a Famet furler which has some damaged sections due to the mast falling,now when i looked at it it looks like the first furler ever built and assumed i would not be able to buy parts but after searching the web i find that not only are parts available but they are very highly regarded by people that actually have experience with them,so thats good enough for me,i will replace 3 sections and see if i agreeI have seen a lot of seized bearings on customers Profurls and wrapped halyards on Harkens so im very interested in the simple plain bearing types with an integral halyard such as the Famet,Alado and Spin-tec units. I have installed an Alado on a 26ft boat(customers) and have to say while its not the prettiest out there the Quality of the foil extrusions are as good as any and the way they go together with an alternating 30" overlap is by far the best way of transfering torque of any furler i have ever seen regardless of price or brand.The customer seems very happy with it and i would certainly like to hear from more owners of their experiences with this unit as it seems to me to offer exceptional value for the money, incidently we had the Alado in hand 3 days after ordering it and it was shipped direct from Brazil to northern Minnesota.Another unit i would like hear personal experiences about is the spin tec.its a lot more expensive but looks like a nice unit,again,no bearings to seize and an integral halyard so no possibiliy for a halyard wrap.
Steve.

[Celestialsailor]

I had Harken and although the enclosed drum made me nervous, I had not trouble with it. My next boat, an Ingrid 38, I installed a Pro-furl and loved it. My new to me boat is a Furlex. Unfortunately the idiot trucker moving the boat bent the damn thing, so i have not tried it yet.

[Lancerbye]

How is the CDI to reef? I get a feeling that whey might twist that flexible luff.
I like the ide that you don't have to have an dedicated halyard to it and that the luff is plastic so no corrosion. And the price.

The CDI reefer is the old style that still had the solid aluminum extruded luff with the torsion torque linking inserts so there is no twisting or halyard wrap. The new stuff looks very light compared to these. Probably costs too much to make nowadays and would end up priced out of the market. They do make a new style replacement drum which can be used with the old aluminum luff if a person needs to look more modern.