Furler

[Roy 845]

Hey Everyone,
Last season was my first season on Long Island Sound with a 1977 O'Day 22 MH and it seems as if I may want to invest in a Furler but have little experience with how or what to buy and what to stay away from. I don't think I need or want anything fancy I'm mainly interested in simplicity and reliability. I haven't learned all the terminology yet so if responses can be kept basic I would appreciate it. I have done most of my shopping with Defender and have found them to be reasonable and close by. What information do I need to gather to know what to order?
Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[Dave Groshong]

The CDI FF2 Flexible furler is the most popular one we sell for boats that size:
https://shop.odayowners.com/cu/detail-cdi.php

 

[Sunbird22358]

For simplicity, you can't beat the CDI (Cruising Design) Flexible-Furler and cost is low as well. Defender may have a good price, but it would be worth checking with Rudy at D&R Marine as well as he has very good prices on the CDI units. You will need to have a #6 bolt-rope added to the luff (leading edge) of your jib or buy a new jib (which could be made especially for furling and limited reefing). We had the FF2 on our old CAL 21 and installed it ourselves. The CDI has the halyard built in, so no worries about the upper halyard swivel, and tension on the jib luff is independent of forestay tension (sail is only attached to furler extrusion, no halyard connection to mast). Whatever you decide on, DO NOT settle for an old-fashioned wire-luff type furler! They only work for furling, not reefing and even then do not set as well as the furlers that slide over the forestay, like the CDI. The CDI is not perfect, changing the sail is easy but not something you want to do often, and it may wear out sooner than a more expensive furler, the Scheafer Snap-Furl is not significantly more $$ and is probably more durable, but it does use the original jib halyard on the mast (with an upper swivel for the halyard) which may complicate trailering if you intend to keep the sail on the furler while trailering (CDI, being self-contained, will be easier to trailer). For simplicity and low-cost, I recommend the CDI. The Schaefer Snap-Furl would be a close second, and at only slightly more $$ (CDI is around $600, Snap-furl, around $900 if I recall correct?) D&R or Defender may be lower on either one? There is also a big advantage to buying a furler from the sailmaker that you buy a new jib from..... if you are planning to replace the jib.

 

[Justin_NSA]

Another vote for the CDI based on your request. You can download the manual for instructions on modifying your headstay. It tells how the sail should be altered as well. Then you'll need a fairlead for the deck and blocks to lead the furling line aft.

 

[Roy 845]

Thank you Sunbird, Dave and Justin,
There are only 2 occasions for Trailering her, beginning and end of season, otherwise she is secured to her slip in Bridgeport, CT.
I think I have 2 questions and I hope I'm not making things more complicated then they need to be.
1. The CDI FF2 was recommended by Dave, Is there a difference in Furlers between a Masthead rig and a Fractional rig?
2. My Genoa has Brass Grommets where the Hanks secure the Sail to the Headstay, Will these Grommets interfere with the operation of the Furler or the installation of a " #6Bolt Rope? " ?

My decision to buy a Furler was motivated by the difficulties encountered while sailing single handed especially when the seas began to pick up while at anchor and raising the Foresail on a pitching deck to say the least was exciting if not foolishly dangerous. While at anchor I had the Genoa secured to the lifeline with bungee cords and it was certainly an adventure setting sail for the return to the Club docks. I suppose I could of motored back but my thoughts are I should be able to Sail because the engine option may not always be available. Other questions may come to mind but my daughter is bothering me to take her Skiing.

 

[Sunbird22358]

Basically, masthead rig or fractional rig use the same types of furlers, the extrusion will be cut to the length needed for either. So, yes, the length will be different, but the basic operation of the furler is the same. As to the brass (I suspect they are really bronze?) grommets, along the luff of your current jib/genoa, they will most likely need to be removed as part of the conversion, the sailmaker will do that while adding the bolt-rope to the luff. A "sun cover" also needs to be added, this is a thin layer of ultra-violet resistant fabic added to the leech and foot of the jib that will protect the part exposed to the sun while furled, often Sunbrella fabric is used or sometimes just a layer of UV-protected Dacron sailcloth.

Your reasons for buying a furler are exactly why many of us have added jib furlers to similar sized boats! Also, it is nice to be able to almost instantly set and douse the jib while sailing, great for those days when the wind keeps changing strength. Here is how they adapt a sail to roller furling.

 

[Pat]

We've had a CDI furler since we bought the boat new in 1986.....It is a simple but capable design and one of the beautiful
things about it is if you have an overwrap or something on a breezy day, you can go forward carefully and take care of it while out instead of ending your sail......the ability to clear an over-wrap on the drum is a serious asset to the single handed
sailor or new sailor...actually anyone...a lot of off-shore sailors use them because of the simplicity of the design...good luck!... Patrick in Wichita

 

[Pat]

Hi! Let's launch your boat and go sailing....we're having a heat wave....it's up to 22 degrees on the Volvo temp. guage...
Patrick

 

[Sunbird22358]

To reduce the chances of an overlap in the furling line, always keep a little tension on the furling line as you unroll the jib, and we always kept a little tension on the jib as we furled to get a tighter wrap on the rolled jib and reduce the chance of it unrolling while moored, we also always kept the furling line and jibsheets tied off while moored, which keeps the furler from turning either direction. (have enough length to the jibsheets so that you can roll a couple of turns over the furled jib)

 

[LeeandRick]

At our marina the Schaefer Snap furl rules. 80% of the boats. I have the CF500 on my 23 and fellows just installed the CF700 this winter season. The CDIs that are left are just waiting for them to fail so they can replace them. Trouble is they probably won't fail but eventually wear out like all things. The CDI that Dave mentioned is about $30 more than the best price I'm aware of but shipping and supporting this site might make the difference. The Schaefer CF500 is $599 vs $505 for the CDI almost 20% more, but you have to pay more for CDI ball bearing upgrade, probably close to $100. Schaefer has balls to start with. The biggest reason we dislike the CDI is the halyard design. The internal halyard puts all of the luff tension down a plastic tube around the headstay. Think standing on top of a 20' plastic pipe. Luff tension is more difficult (almost impossible while sailing) to control. I release my luff tension after each sailing day. Having a piece of cloth in tension all the time just doesn't work for me. I trailer close to 5000 miles a year and launch and setup close to 20 times a year and the Schaefer is no different than the CDI would be. But they sell a lot of CDIs.

Think about the cost of converting an old sail to roller furling vs buy a new sail when you make the change. Sail makers charge a lot for a conversion and you still have an old sail.

Another thing for all of you guys freezing your burros off, we went sailing yesterday, in shorts and t-shirt. Pat it was 23° here, Celsius

 

[Roy 845]

Thank you all for the feedback. So it seems to me that if I want a Furler it's going to be the cost of the Furler hardware and the cost of a new Genoa. If I was to order a new Genoa upon placing the order will I be asked if I want it with grommets or set up for a furler? Maybe grommets are standard and there's an additional charge for having it ready for a furler.

 

[LeeandRick]

The luff tape for furler does not cost more normally but the sacrificial cover they stitch on to protect the sail from the elements will cost around an additional $100+ on a sail your size. Visit a sail makers web site and you can build your sail on-line to determine a cost.

 

[Justin_NSA]

Do you not already have a good genoa? It can be modified from hank on to furled.

 

[Jackdaw]

The luff length of a furling genoa will be 1-2 feet shorter than that of a hank-on. If the luff is too long, the sail will have to be modified, typically be removing sailcloth from the foot. This can be a expensive mod done to a used sail.

 

[Justin_NSA]

We had to have the foot cut out to accommodate the drum on the CDI. Nice thing was we were able to take the sail with us on vacation at Ft Walton Beach, drop it off at the local loft and pick it up when they were done. Back then it didn't cost for the extra 'bag' on the flight. The work didn't seem expensive, but it was our first boat. Our sail was in good shape still.

 

[Roy 845]

Do you not already have a good genoa? It can be modified from hank on to furled.

A couple of members have pointed out the wisdom of modifying an old sail instead of starting new with the proper sail. There have been other times in my past that I thought do things on the "Cheap" and it wound costing more in the long run.
Slightly off topic here, When I joined my club an "old timer" 83 to be exact offered his opinion and advice a couple of times and he never steered me wrong. He always let me make my own final decision and he has saved me countless hours of wasted time not to mention a few $$$ as well so I am really taking in all of the comments I read on this forum and weighing them all to help guide me along. I'm no Dummy but sometimes I can suffer from tunnel vision.

 

[Justin_NSA]

Of course you don't want to spend $$ modifying a worn out sail, but if yours is in good shape and it's the size you want to sail with, it's cheaper than buying new.

 

[Pat]

I envy you in Lake Havsau, Arizona......it is frigid in Wichita today....maybe 12 or 14 above....

 

[mm2347]

Alado has a best $ buy rating from Practical Sailer. It might be worth a look at their web site.

 

[mm2347]

I would like to add also: Try a "down haul" on your jib before going to a furler. Cost is very little and some of us (especially if lines are lead back to cockpit) prefer over a furler.