Flute Stopper for Hood StoWay In-Mast Furler

[CREOLE-BELLE]

Last year I bought a Gale Force 34 in St. Lucia with a Hood in-mast stowaway furler. It required lots of work and I am getting there. Need to make a "Flute Stopper" so I don't create enemies in cross wind marinas. My limited knowledge I understand it to be two pieces of material ( probable sail cloth) sewn in the center and hoisted in the slot.

Can anyone provide more detail? Also, what would be an economical material choice? My thougth is that one could buy a light- weight, wide nylon webbing and sew it together. I'm in Denver without sail lofts with scrap material to sell. Any ideas?

Many thanks....Bob

[minaret]

I have a much larger Hood Stowaway furler with a factory anti-fluting device. It is pretty simple though not quite as simple as two pieces of cloth sewn together. If you like I'll take some close up pics and post them tomorrow. Basically it needs a stiffener to keep it from coming out of the slot...

[CREOLE-BELLE]

Pictures would be great. Thanks a lot....Bob

[Jim Cate]

Hey,
Good onya for caring! Those masts make wind generators look quiet and neighborly! Hope that your device works for you when it's done.

Cheers,

Jim

[Bash]

In my last marina we had a 60' Bristol ketch that tooted 24/7, one of those boats that never left its slip. Finally, a couple of my neighbors duct-taped the slots of each mast, silencing the tooters permanently.

As far as I know, the owner doesn't realize, to this day, that his slots have been taped.

[minaret]

Here's a couple of close-ups of my anti-fluting device. It consists of a full length nylon webbing with a loop at each end sewn into a doubled dacron strip. It has a length of plastic stiffener at top and bottom to keep it from coming out of the slot, and the stiffener is longer on the bottom end. Hope this helps!
Oh, you can order supplies online from Sailrite, or you can probably have them make one to your specs for cheap...

http://www.sailrite.com/

[CREOLE-BELLE]

MANY...MANY THANKS. With these pictures I can make to Flute Stopper. Have purchased product from Sailrite and will check them out. Not a lot of labor in making one of these if you have all the materials and equipment available. Have logged many sea miles in a Fisher 37 and know the value of a pilot house......Thanks again.....Bob

[minaret]

Anytime! Your name makes me think you could be a Bombigher fan. I certainly am! Here's Belle Creole, a classic maxi design for a 90' schooner from Bombigher...