A Stiff Roller Furler

[Steven]

I've just purchased a '76 Hunter 27 and the jib furling system is VERY stiff..I also find that re-furling the sail is extremely difficult unless i head into the wind...any suggestions?Thanks!

 

[red coles]

stiff furler

If your furler is a continous line type made by Hood,I had same problem. I found that the top drum was out of adjustment .It needs to be raised slightly. That fixed mine. Good luck red

 

[Jim Oursler in Rockwall]

New life for old Furler

Cure for stiff furler may be new bearings. My Hood 810, 1983 model was painfully sluggish until I sent it to the factory for refurbish of drum bearings and head stay swivel bearings. My wife wouldn't touch it and I got sore arm muscles from wrenching it in. Now, for 10% of the price of a new one, every wear part has been replaced and it spins when I roll or unroll. WOW.Application is a H34.. which has a very tall rig and a heavy 150. The guys at Hood turned it in 24 hours, as promised. Best part is that by sticking with the old furler.. nothing exotic to fit or install. It was a one man job. Previously I have installed a Schaeffer furler on a 30 foot Catalina and inspite of the nice literature.. it was not a fun job for three of us... agonizing over every part, swedge and forestay cut. So, refurbish the old.

 

[Jim Oursler]

Raising the Hood furler drum to fix stiffness

Another writer says that he raised his drum to fix his stiff furler. What he is referring to is to reposition the hocky puck disk at the base of the drum. To see the disk, fix a jib halyard to the drum where you would normally conect the sail, hoist tight, and now look under drum just above forestay attachment at bow. You will see the black disk, which has two screws that can be loosed, disk moved up the forestay a bit and retightened. . This may cure your problem.. or maybe the disk has broken and needs replacement. the disk is just a large surface plate to hold the drum up off of forestay attachment. It is no really a bearing surface, so don't expect the drum to free spin on the disk. The drum rests on the disk and the drum has 2 sets of bearings (zillions of little balls.. like in a bicycle bearing). If the disk is okay, then look to the bearings and call Hood.