Upgrading CDI Furler

Oct 31, 2012
464
Hunter 2008 H25 Lake Wabamun
My 2007 H25 has a CDI Furler with no bearings and is a bit difficult to furl. Does anyone know if there is a bearing upgrade available for the drum assembly? I am hoping to keep the existing torque tube and upper swivel.
4159B9F4-03F0-4118-AD12-FEA3F405C241.jpeg
 
Jun 25, 2004
1,108
Corsair F24 Mk1 003 San Francisco Bay, CA
CDI doesn’t make a furler with an upper swivel. That doesn’t look anything like a CDI. That looks more like a Hood Seaflex than a CDI. It’s not a good pic, so I can’t be sure.

Read the owners manual here;
https://www.defender.com/pdf/613102.pdf

There is no optional bearing available for the Seaflex, and it really doesn’t need one. Wash it out with fresh water. Do not use any lube other than totally dry lube like Elmer’s Dry lube spray or McLube SailKote.

The furling line is not in the right place for furling and will bind. It should be perpendicular to the drum, aligned vertically with middle of the drum. It is entering at the top of the drum but it should be aligned at the middle.

Check to make sure the halyard isn’t wrapping around the extrusion or wire at the top. That’s a fairly common problem. The solution is covered in the manual.

Finally,Check the owners’ manual for tips on operation. Operator error is pretty common.

Unless it’s been abused, it should serve you faithfully for another decade or longer.

Hope this helps,
Judy B
 
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Jun 25, 2004
1,108
Corsair F24 Mk1 003 San Francisco Bay, CA
ps. Why is there a white and blue spiral going up to furled sail. That’s not normal. Is the UV cover too narrow to cover all the white Dacron? Is your headsail wrapped around the furler in the wrong direction?
 
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Jul 7, 2004
8,402
Hunter 30T Cheney, KS
ps. Is your headsail wrapped around the furler in the wrong direction? Why is there a white and blue striping? That’s not normal.
Good catches Judy. Maybe the problems are related. i.e. wrap it correctly and it may work better.
 
Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
ps. Why is there a white and blue spiral going up to furled sail. That’s not normal. Is the UV cover too narrow to cover all the white Dacron? Is your headsail wrapped around the furler in the wrong direction?
Judy, It's quite normal for that sail which is mostly carbon.
 
Jun 25, 2004
1,108
Corsair F24 Mk1 003 San Francisco Bay, CA
Good catches Judy. Maybe the problems are related. i.e. wrap it correctly and it may work better.
That’s not likely to cause difficulty when furling. Here’s why the stripe is cause to worry: If the white stripe is Dacron that’s exposed to UV, the sun will burn it in less that one season.
 
Jan 19, 2010
12,362
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
The furling line is not in the right place for furling and will bind. It should be perpendicular to the drum, aligned vertically with middle of the drum. It is entering at the top of the drum but it should be aligned at the middle.
:plus:

I was going to say the same thing.

You need to position the fairlead forward about two inches.

upload_2018-10-29_11-20-11.png
 
Oct 31, 2012
464
Hunter 2008 H25 Lake Wabamun
Thanks Judy and others for your replies.
The line alignment is a easy fix but that is not causing the problem (i.e., it's hard to turn the drum by hand as well). I have cleaned the bushings a couple of times and maybe they are just worn out. One issue which may be causing this is the luff tension which I keep fairly tight for the laminate sail (which by the way, is furled in the correct direction). Looks like I may need to upgrade to a new bearing style furler assembly in the future, any recommendations?
 
Feb 18, 2011
315
Hunter 260 Cave Run Lake, KY
Thanks Judy and others for your replies.
The line alignment is a easy fix but that is not causing the problem (i.e., it's hard to turn the drum by hand as well). I have cleaned the bushings a couple of times and maybe they are just worn out. One issue which may be causing this is the luff tension which I keep fairly tight for the laminate sail (which by the way, is furled in the correct direction). Looks like I may need to upgrade to a new bearing style furler assembly in the future, any recommendations?
I have a Schaefer Snapfurl 500 on my H240- no problems, and it has bearings standard. It uses a #5 luff tape, same as your Seaflex, which was standard on the new H25. The CDI furler for your size boat uses a #6 luff tape I think. So the Schaefer should fit your sail without modification.
 
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Jun 25, 2004
1,108
Corsair F24 Mk1 003 San Francisco Bay, CA
I suggest you test each component separately, after removing the sail.

Does the furler drum turn ok without a sail mounted on it? If not, it could be the wire forestay is unwrapping. Have you checked the condition of the forestay inside the extrusion? broken strands that are fraying can cause difficulty turning the drum.

In my experience, a tight halyard doesn’t interfere with furling, unless, perhaps, if it’s extreme. You should always loosen the halyard when you’re finished sailing for the day. But a floppy, loose forestay can cause problems.

Have you checked the upper swivel to ensure it turns freely when unloaded? When loaded? That can make the extrusion hard to turn.

I believe Hood sells parts to rebuild the Seaflex. If One or more parts are broken, you might be able to replace them.
 
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Jun 8, 2004
10,027
-na -NA Anywhere USA
When ordering the Hunter 25 new style, CDI furlers were offered. DrJudyB is correct on the system and suggest listening to this Lady. Thank you Judy