Great information DrJudyB! I'll take a closer look at the top of my furler to see what I have. I struggle with raising the jib especially the last few feet. This could make a big difference.
Hi Fred,
YOu have an FF2 on your H26?
Inspect the top cap for obvious wear from the halyard. If the halyard has started to cut through the plastic, replace the top cap. If it's not badly worn, through, I wouldn't bother to replace it, because you've got a problem somewhere else.
It sounds to me like the problem may also have a different cause of excessive friction, not due to the top cap. ontribute to the friction. If the friction increases as you hoist the sail, it could be due to dirt in the groove or a problem with the luff tape.
Inspect the extrusion for damage up near the top.
Clean the extrusion and lube it with MacLube.
Also spray the luff tape generously with MacLube.
Don't use a pretroleum or oil based lube like WD40 on the luff tape. It leaves an oily residue that holds dirt. MacLube repels dirt and won't stain your sail. It lasts longer than other dry lubes too.
If it's still difficult to hoist the all the way to the top, your luff tape may be too big for the extrusion. Measure the luff tape with calipers, with the calipers lightly touching the rope. Don't squeeze with any pressure. The tape should measure less than 5.6 mm in diameter. If it's bigger than that, it will cause more friction during hoisting than the system was designed to handle. The CDI requires a number 6 luff tape, which converts to a metric size of between about 5.1 and 5.6 mm, depending on the weight and weave of the dacron cloth wrapped around the inner cord.
Judy B
Retired Sailmaker.