Guidance for replacing a jib furling line fairlead

[silvercreek]

My boat came with a fairlead that pulls the furling line down at a rather steep angle to the furling drum, perhaps as much as 30º (see photos), after coming through the hawsehole. I would like to replace this with a longer line to get as close to 0º as possible to help even the furling line windings on the drum, and also replace the low friction ring with a proper block (likely; not 100% sure about this).

The issue is that it is nearly impossible to furl by hand with the current setup because the angle and ring create so much friction on this 45' boat. It is also chewing up my furling lines. I have already had to replace once this season and will likely have to replace again in the spring.

Any suggestions for best approach?

I measured the length of line to get the ideal 0º entry would be 15". I figure I can ask a rigger to make a dyneema line of that length with an eye at one end and attach it.

However, the stock dyneema line in the photo is rigid, as though it has been dipped in epoxy to make it stiff, even fully unloaded. Not sure how to accomplish that or even if necessary.

[ItDepends]

Originally Posted by silvercreek

My boat came with a fairlead that pulls the furling line down at a rather steep angle to the furling drum, perhaps as much as 30º (see photos), after coming through the hawsehole. I would like to replace this with a longer line to get as close to 0º as possible to help even the furling line windings on the drum, and also replace the low friction ring with a proper block (likely; not 100% sure about this).

The issue is that it is nearly impossible to furl by hand with the current setup because the angle and ring create so much friction on this 45' boat. It is also chewing up my furling lines. I have already had to replace once this season and will likely have to replace again in the spring.

Any suggestions for best approach?

I measured the length of line to get the ideal 0º entry would be 15". I figure I can ask a rigger to make a dyneema line of that length with an eye at one end and attach it.

However, the stock dyneema line in the photo is rigid, as though it has been dipped in epoxy to make it stiff, even fully unloaded. Not sure how to accomplish that or even if necessary.

WOW! That whole approach seems... "suboptimal". (I had lots of other words I put there first, but decided to be polite.)

I am trying to imagine what about this is better than just about ANY of the other ways of doing it... I have never seen this set up before, but I have a guess about who might have built it...

Just spitballing here, without the benefit of long thinking...

I'd glass a wood block to the side of the hull, and screw a pad eye to that, with a ball bearing swivel block at the right height to give a fair lead to the drum. Of course you need a fair lead back out of the locker too... so it's not as simplistic as my first cut might suggest...

Or maybe a spring loaded standup block would be the better choice. (I'm thinking this, now that I have written it.)

Any fixed block would take a bit of care to get in the right place for a good lead to the drum, but ANYTHING you do will be surely better than what you have now!!!

[silvercreek]

Originally Posted by ItDepends

WOW! That whole approach seems... "suboptimal". (I had lots of other words I put there first, but decided to be polite.)

I am trying to imagine what about this is better than just about ANY of the other ways of doing it... I have never seen this set up before, but I have a guess about who might have built it...

Just spitballing here, without the benefit of long thinking...

I'd glass a wood block to the side of the hull, and screw a pad eye to that, with a ball bearing swivel block at the right height to give a fair lead to the drum. Of course you need a fair lead back out of the locker too... so it's not as simplistic as my first cut might suggest...

Or maybe a spring loaded standup block would be the better choice. (I'm thinking this, now that I have written it.)

Any fixed block would take a bit of care to get in the right place for a good lead to the drum, but ANYTHING you do will be surely better than what you have now!!!

Ha, yes, that was about my reaction too when I saw it.

I like the spring loaded standup block idea, the challenge here will be that in order to counteract the hawsehole block, the force from this block would need to be pulling the line directly "down" toward the water. Pulling toward the side of the hull wouldn't work on its own. I can try to get another photo to illustrate the hawsehole side of all this...

So I think in order to use a block as you're suggesting, I would have to glass in an L-shaped bracket or similar, to mount the block at a 90º angle to the hull, which might look kind of funky when it's all said and done.

[fxykty]

Why not just put a longer pennant on the LFR so that it sits higher and leads the line at 90* angle to the furling drum? There should be very little friction in the resulting small angle change. You may need a shock cord pennant from the top to prevent it swinging around and banging when unloaded.

What happens to the rest of the trip back to the cockpit - are there more of these sharp angles? If you have to have sharp angles then that’s when you need ball bearing blocks - otherwise LFRs are just fine.

Stiff line when unloaded means salt-filled and over-used line. Try washing it first. If that doesn’t help enough then swap it out. It looks relatively small (8mm?) and is likely pre-stretched double braid polyester or it may have a Dyneema core.

[leecea]

I can't easily visualize what you need but if you make the right sized and angled block to glass to the hull, can you mount a cheek block on it?

[fxykty]

Originally Posted by fxykty

Why not just put a longer pennant on the LFR so that it sits higher and leads the line at 90* angle to the furling drum? There should be very little friction in the resulting small angle change. You may need a shock cord pennant from the top to prevent it swinging around and banging when unloaded.

What happens to the rest of the trip back to the cockpit - are there more of these sharp angles? If you have to have sharp angles then that’s when you need ball bearing blocks - otherwise LFRs are just fine.

Stiff line when unloaded means salt-filled and over-used line. Try washing it first. If that doesn’t help enough then swap it out. It looks relatively small (8mm?) and is likely pre-stretched double braid polyester or it may have a Dyneema core.

Oops, my mistake, the LFR is set at the right height for angle to the furler drum. Just replace it with a block as that angle change is a bit much for an LFR for non-slippery line. But do clean or replace the furling line first - the reported stiffness is not normal.

[silvercreek]

Originally Posted by leecea

I can't easily visualize what you need but if you make the right sized and angled block to glass to the hull, can you mount a cheek block on it?

It's possible. I will need to go measure, and the block could be as much as 3" wide, but it could likely be done. This is probably the "best" solution.

Originally Posted by fxykty

Oops, my mistake, the LFR is set at the right height for angle to the furler drum. Just replace it with a block as that angle change is a bit much for an LFR for non-slippery line. But do clean or replace the furling line first - the reported stiffness is not normal.

No your first assessment was actually correct – the current angle into the furling drum is about 20º. I could indeed extend the length of this pennant to make the angle 0º, and this was my original idea. I think your suggestion is that if the angle into the drum is 0 and the angle from the hawsehole is only 10º, then the LFR might not really add enough friction to warrant a block. Right?

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by silvercreek

Any suggestions for best approach?

Use dyneema for the forward part of the furling line that goes through the LFR and around the drum, and double braid for the aft portion that you handle. Do this either by purchasing dyneema-core line and stripping the cover from part of it, or by splicing dyneema to double braid.


The dyneema will have far less friction in the LFR and the thimble at the entrance to the furler, and will last longer.

I measured the length of line to get the ideal 0º entry would be 15". I figure I can ask a rigger to make a dyneema line of that length with an eye at one end and attach it.

However, the stock dyneema line in the photo is rigid, as though it has been dipped in epoxy to make it stiff, even fully unloaded. Not sure how to accomplish that or even if necessary.

You can also make one yourself. Probably not necessary. If it is important to keep the LFR up towards the top of the locker you can put some bungee cord around it and fasten it to the top of the locker.

[fxykty]

Originally Posted by silvercreek

It's possible. I will need to go measure, and the block could be as much as 3" wide, but it could likely be done. This is probably the "best" solution.



No your first assessment was actually correct – the current angle into the furling drum is about 20º. I could indeed extend the length of this pennant to make the angle 0º, and this was my original idea. I think your suggestion is that if the angle into the drum is 0 and the angle from the hawsehole is only 10º, then the LFR might not really add enough friction to warrant a block. Right?

Correct if the angle is relatively small.

But again, clean or replace the furling line, it should not be stiff when not loaded.