Buying a furler? Here's my take...

[Jim Cate]

Well, this discussion is very timely for me! We just had a failure in our genoa furler and replaced it here in Tasmania. I'll make a few comments on the process.

First, the failure was identical to the one described in the Ocean Navigator article. A Furlex model C just like that one, and the internal spindle in the lower unit sheared in the same place with similar results. Ours failed at 0-dark thirty in rather lumpy seas off the Eastern end of Banks Strait, with some 25 knots of wind opposing the strong currents coming out of the strait. Despite the failure I was able to manually rotate the foil and rewind the sail. The main difference between the incidents is that our furler was 30 years old and had served for some 140,000 miles. We had serviced the lower unit with new bearings about 5 years earlier and the unit had been working normally. I'll forestall comments about "shoulda replaced it years ago" by agreeing that I should have... but it was still working and "it ain't broke". Lesson perhaps learned...

So, replacement time. While I appreciate the simplicity of the Alado internal halyard type furler, I, like Bilkinny above, simply do not believe that adequate halyard tension can be achieved without a winch on boats of our size (46 ft LOA and ~550 sq ft genoa). I need a winch just to get the sail fully hoisted, let alone providing adequate tension to adjust shape. The 1/4 inch line supplied for the halyard would be hard to grasp and be too stretchy, even if one was strong enough to do the hoist. IMO, simply not a usable method on larger boats that are seriously sailed offshore.

Over the years I've installed 3 different brands of furlers on my own boats (Reef-Rite, Schaefer (sp?), Facnor) and several Pro-Furls on other folks boats, and done major service on Furlex. ALL of the installations have been done with the mast up, and without need of a professional rigger. To say that this isn't feasible is just ridiculous.

So, I did a quick survey of the types easily available here in Tasmania (not wishing to get involved with international shipping to this distant island). All the major marques can be sourced, but the prices were eye-watering. Several local friends recommended I look at one produced by Almast in Launceston, Tasmania... a mere couple of hundred miles distant. I did so, and I was impressed by the design, and found the delivered price was significantly lower than the majors. A phone call to the company was answered not by a salesman or secretary, but the owner and chief designer, and a conversation with him convinced me of the soundness of the design. I won't go through all the factors, but their website includes detailed descriptions for those interested.

The parts, including the wire for a new stay, were delivered as promised, and we installed it a couple of days ago (with the mast erect and without a crane). The whole job, including measuring for and constructing the stay, was done in about 5 hours, with Ann and I plus a local friend (Wotname of CF fame...thanks, Wottie!) providing the labour. I was very impressed with both the quality of the bits and pieces and the clarity of the installation manual... and the simplicity of assembly. Not used in anger as yet, but I'm confident that it will work as planned. Long term... well, we will see! It carries a ten year warranty!

I read the linked articles with interest. My take is that they over stated the real world risks associated with conventional furlers. As full time cruisers, we encounter a large number of folks out cruising themselves. Nearly all have furlers, mostly of the conventional type. The number who have suffered debilitating failures is pretty small, considering how many sea miles are accumulated by the group. In fact, it is rare enough that when it happens, magazine articles or forum reports are written about the event! Can such failures happen? Of course they can, but in fact it is pretty damn rare, and simple maintenance reduces the failure rate even more. The statements involving the difficulty of installation are simply overblown, especially the alleged necessity for doing the install with the mast out and recumbent and with the aid of a professional rigger.

I have no issues with the use of an internal halyard type furler on smaller boats, especially ones only casually sailed by folks who don't know or care about sail shaping... they can serve in this duty and save the owners some cash. But for larger boats and more serious sailing, they don't cut the mustard IMO.

Jim

PS I forgot to mention the statement that furler failures related to conventional design will cause the mast to fall down ("goodbye mast"). This is not a realistic worry IMO. Stay failure can lead to dismasting, but the furler itself would be hard pressed to bring it down.

[JPA Cate]

Just finished reading Jim's post, and would like to add, we had a forestay fail, once, in Vanuatu. We were quick to turn down and did not lose the whole rig, so, in my experience, anyway, loss of the forestay need not necessarily lead to loss of mast, although it might, certainly. We were able to prevent the foil kinking, and were able to have a new wire shipped to us, applied the appropriate Sta-Loks, and re-assembled foil on a resort's lawn, and re-installed the foil. No professional riggers nor crane involved at any time. It is a choice how involved an owner wants to be with the rig.

Ann

[alansmith]

Very interesting read. What I did.

Dynemma is stronger then steal and impervious to corrosion. It is much lighter than stainless. A company in California called Colligo Marine makes a lot of things for the sailors. I bought a synthetic forestay with a continuous line furler. It took less than an hour to remove the ancient Profurl and install the Colligo forestay and furler. I had a new genny made with soft hanks. I can use this sail as a furling sail or as drop and bag it.

I also had some new back stays made out of dynemma and lazy jacks.

Many high performance boats going to these products. Total cost for furler, synthetic forestay, backstays, and lazy jacks ... 3k. You should see the quality of the material... excellent.

[Capn Jimbo]

Alado Nautica USA Reefing and Roller Furling Systems Home Page

For the gentleman who'd like to know more (easily) about how this simple design works, the Alado site should suffice, particularly in that this furler is designed for DIY installation - complete instructions are linked there.

I also took the time to contact the manufacturer and got a very quick reply from the manager:

"Many thanks for your concern regarding that hard words about our ALADO Furler.

Actually, I don’t remember this client but he is “half” right: our furler was design for cruising not offshore, but you can use it there of course. Under bad conditions (I mean, hard winds!) some clients reported single accidents as twisted foils and even broken sheaves. However, it has been a long time since we changed the sheave axle into an aluminum axle. And no more accidents.

If I am not mistaken John Lewis (of Ocean Navigator, for offshore) bought 2 units with us many years ago. He was one who had an accident. Solved! We had another client who had the same problem and we made a stainless steel top terminal because he faced off especially hard winds. Solved!

In the first case, we advised him about sailing offshore and we replaced the top terminal under warranty. Unfortunately, he had a bad experience. But he also had the best service."

Please do take the time to read the Lewis link - he reported numerous failures of big name furlers until he freplaced them with an Alado, which served him well for his extensive offshore usage. I was pleased the manufacturer was so responsive, reading this thread, and honestly addressing the questions raised.

Hope this is of use...


************
Oops...it's Wayne Canning (not Channing, my bad), cruising sailor, author, marine engineer and surveyor. Some additional links of interest:


Maintenance:
Roller furling maintenance - Ocean Navigator - May/June 2014

Canning Video (Furler inspection):
Video - Furling Inspection

It is fair to say that poor installation is all too common, worse yet is the failure of many owners to properly inspect and maintain the swivel tops and their myriad bearings, butt joints, ss/aluminum screws and the like. In my world, I prefer a simpler design, that can easily be installed and/or repaired with the mast up. or even at sea, and which requires much less maintenance, avoids butt joints and SS screws working in aluminum, and which do not support or threaten the mast per se

I liked knowing that Alado can modify the cruising unit for serious, long term offshore sailing...

[jmh2002]

Originally Posted by alansmith

Very interesting read. What I did.

Dynemma is stronger then steal and impervious to corrosion. It is much lighter than stainless. A company in California called Colligo Marine makes a lot of things for the sailors. I bought a synthetic forestay with a continuous line furler. It took less than an hour to remove the ancient Profurl and install the Colligo forestay and furler. I had a new genny made with soft hanks. I can use this sail as a furling sail or as drop and bag it.

I also had some new back stays made out of dynemma and lazy jacks.

Many high performance boats going to these products. Total cost for furler, synthetic forestay, backstays, and lazy jacks ... 3k. You should see the quality of the material... excellent.

This is the general direction that I'm planning to go too, since I don't want to use a partially furled sail - the shape is always terrible.

[donradcliffe]

I have to thank the PO of my boat for installing a Harken 3 furler in 1990. Maintenance for 20 years involved occasional replacement of the furling line and replacement of the torlon bearings after 100,000 miles. No corrosion, no bearing failures, no foil sections pulling out, no dismastings, and no need to replace it. It was one size up from the recommended 2.5, but bigger is better when you are trying to furl in strong winds. We only used one foresail on our entire circumnavigation, a 130% genoa. With a foam padded luff the sail shape was good for going to weather and the furler and jib were strong enough to sail partially furled in the strongest winds we encountered.

[Davo1404]

I can add to Jim's experience with Almasts in Tasmania. In 2018 we made the decision to cross to the dark side & install a furler before our next offshore trip (age related). After 25 years of hanked on & needing to replace the rigging wire, the decision was made. The next step was which type. After many hours of research I consulted a rigger here on the Sunshine Coast. He recommended the Reefit furler made by Almasts in Tasmania. As Jim has said that when you phone them you speak to the designer. We have just completed around 1500 nm coastal with it. Spoke to Almasts yesterday about any spares needed for an offshore voyage this year and he said none.

[Tmint]

I had an Alado furler on my Westerly Centaur 26. I was able to install it in less than two hours which included reading the instructions, gathering the tools I needed, and figuring it out. Easy!

To achieve proper luff tension I applied extra purchase by tying a trucker's hitch at the bottom. I used dyneema for the halyard. I could see how the internal halyard would be a problem with a large sail too heavy to hoist by hand.

I have a Furlex that came on my Dufour which is ok but unlike the Alado it has lots of bearings and other potential failure points. When I replaced the furling line with the recommended size and length it was too much for the reel which sometimes causes sticking when trying to furl the sail.