Furlex furling backwards

[iansan5653]

I'm slowly getting familiar with all the systems on my new (to me) boat. I've got a Furlex type B headsail furler and when reading through the manual it says in all caps that the line must enter the furling drum on the port side.

My furling line enters the drum on the starboard side. And fixing it is not simple, since I'd need to take the sail to a loft and get the UV cover moved to the other side of the sail. I'm planning to replace the headsail in a few months anyway so that feels like a waste.

This doesn't seem to have caused any issues so far, and who knows how many years it's been like this. But I'm still nervous because I'd hate to permanently damage a nice furler - how urgent is this problem? What are the risks of sailing it like this? Is it just a matter of a better lead, or is it a structural issue?

[GordMay]

Page 29, of this Manual, says:
➥ https://support.seldenmast.com/files.../595-104-E.pdf

Originally Posted by Selden

“...
If the sail is to be fitted with UV protection, this is best placed on the starboard side. The tack of the sail will then be in line with the luff grooves of the luff section when unrolled (see Chapter 12, ”Reefing”).
If the sail already has UV protection on the port side, the tack will be turned slightly to starboard. The free turn of the tack ring will function equally well.
...”

[Dockhead]

Can we see photos?


I have two Furlex furlers, one for jib and one for staysail, on my cutter-rigged boat. One furling line goes to starboard, the other to port.



I have had them apart many times over the years and never saw anything inside which would care which way you furled it. There are no gears.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by iansan5653

I'm slowly getting familiar with all the systems on my new (to me) boat. I've got a Furlex type B headsail furler and when reading through the manual it says in all caps that the line must enter the furling drum on the port side.

My furling line enters the drum on the starboard side. And fixing it is not simple, since I'd need to take the sail to a loft and get the UV cover moved to the other side of the sail. I'm planning to replace the headsail in a few months anyway so that feels like a waste.

This doesn't seem to have caused any issues so far, and who knows how many years it's been like this. But I'm still nervous because I'd hate to permanently damage a nice furler - how urgent is this problem? What are the risks of sailing it like this? Is it just a matter of a better lead, or is it a structural issue?

Do they mean the port side of the boat or around the port side of the drum (in other words, clockwise)? I think it is the latter. In this way, the drum turns anticlockwise when you pull, which is what you want and have if the cover is on starboard. Clockwise unfurls, counter clockwise furls. You do not want the rope feeding to the starboard side of the drum.



I think this may be unclear writing in a manual. That would not be the first time!


In fact, some furlers do feed better from port (less chafe). But that is a matter of lead blocks.

[NorthCoastJoe]

Why should it matter? My furlers are one port and one starboard on my 44' boat. When I put a furler on my Pearson 30 It did not matter what side the line was on. Just match the sail sun protection wrap.

[Calif.Ted]

As others note which way it furls is a function of how it is wrapped on the drum not which side of the boat the furling line is on. If it works fine it's probably ok. Here's an example of completely wrong. Not only wrapped the wrong direction but the furling line is on the drum with the sail furled. Can't work that way, I can't even figure out how it was possible.

[nigel1]

I took a look at the Selden Furlex Type B Mk2 Furler manual.

So, it definitely says to make sure the furling lijne comes off the port side of the drum. But, there seems to be a design reason for this. It appears that the tack attachment point is on a ring wich is designed to rotate by one revolution around the furler drum. In other words, when the sail starts to furl, the foil makes one revolution before the tack connection starts to rotate.



it would seem that the reason for this is to achieve a tighter furl





but then it goes on to say that this feature was not used on furlers for the UK or US markets due to risk of patent infringement





To the OP, it may well be that your furler does not have this rotating tack ring, so no problem about the line coming off the starboard side.
Even if you do have the rotating tack, it's no biggy having the line on the starboard side, as I think this type of furler is the only one with this feature, and Selden seemed to have dropped the idea with later furlers.

[iansan5653]

Aha, that explains it. I saw the note on the tack ring but didnt fully understand what they were saying.

I'll look for that feature and if I've got it I'll make sure to get the next sail set up in the right direction. And not worry about it for now.

[deblen]

Originally Posted by nigel1

I took a look at the Selden Furlex Type B Mk2 Furler manual.

So, it definitely says to make sure the furling lijne comes off the port side of the drum. But, there seems to be a design reason for this. It appears that the tack attachment point is on a ring wich is designed to rotate by one revolution around the furler drum. In other words, when the sail starts to furl, the foil makes one revolution before the tack connection starts to rotate.
Attachment 293103


it would seem that the reason for this is to achieve a tighter furl


Attachment 293104


but then it goes on to say that this feature was not used on furlers for the UK or US markets due to risk of patent infringement


Attachment 293105


To the OP, it may well be that your furler does not have this rotating tack ring, so no problem about the line coming off the starboard side.
Even if you do have the rotating tack, it's no biggy having the line on the starboard side, as I think this type of furler is the only one with this feature, and Selden seemed to have dropped the idea with later furlers.

Nigel hàs the answer imho.
I remember reading my mk4 manual about this extra turn function. This function only works in 1 direction.It is fesigned to take belly out of sail if I remember.My boat came from Denmark with this feature.Beauiful furler--Never jams due to the long rope guide arm I think.