1960's on boom roller furling?

[D.L.Bland]

Good Morn,
I should greatly like to find if anyone still has, or has had, used , etc.back in the 1960's on boom roller furling; (rolls up upon the boom exterior, no cover, shroud, etc.) I'm quite sure this is orig. The same guy owned the yacht all his life & even expired whilst sailing her upon Superior! Everything is pristienly cared for & obviously original. I can find no brand or mfg on the boom, It has a gear drive at the gooseneck, So this is an on the boom, roller furling system; I hope some one has a bit of knowledge about, such as I've on my 1966 Bristol ? Now I shall point out, I never leave any sail exposed on finising our sailing plans all sail is properly packed & bagged in the forepeak , before anyone leaves the yacht. Papi's rule #1. We are planning a long journey, out of Superior, from Deluth, thru all Grt.Lks, St.Lary to the atlantic & on to Bristol ,RI in 2016 summer. Consequently , I'd prefer some experianced advice afore setting out. This group is often invaluable for such , so if you please ?

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Can you identify the mast manufacturer and if so, they probably supplied that boom. Better yet, take some photos and post them of the boom, mast, etc....

 

[D.L.Bland]

Many thnks Dave,
So, there are absolutely no id markings on the mast or boom at this time. Bristol is out of business, but I m sure it is the original set up. The yacht is on the hard in MN , whilst I am in StL, MO so I've no photos to post till spring. I am hoping someone may be familiar with the Sailstar- Bristol line , bought by Clint Pearson in 1966 so maybe Person owners had the same set up??? Thanks for the reply, no more knowledge is available on my part just now. however.

 

[centerline]

does the boom actually rotate to take the sail, or is there a furling rod that sits parallel/horizontal atop the boom that the sail winds on to?.... there has been both kinds manufactured in the past... it is a hand crank or rope driven affair?

 

[Scotty C-M]

I used one about 50 years ago!! If I remember correctly, the trick was to roll it up carefully or else the sail would bunch up near the gooseneck and jam it up. There were also times when the reefed sail was baggy. The system does work, however. I vaguely remember pulling down on the outboard end of the boom (clew) to keep things in proper shape. Sorry I can't help you further. … oh yes … there was a boom "claw" which you could rig so that you could use your boom vang. By coincidence I saw one of those on one of the forums lately asking what it was. It looks like a"C" with rollers on the tips. In the center of the C, is a hinge (a pivot) which allows it to be opened and then placed over the boom. The tension of the vang held it closed.

 

[Hugh Straub]

Up until Katrina, I had an old Easterly 30 sloop with roller furling on the main boom. I used it a few times and found it to be a PITA, not to mention hard to control the main sail's shape. Balancing yourself while standing up by the mast in weather and seas which require reefing, while cranking on the boom's worm reefing gear and simultaneously slacking the main halyard, just isn't fun.

I soon fitted the boom with a couple of cheek blocks and a cleat for Jiffy Reefing. Infinitely superior.

There's a reason no modern boat comes with roller furling and now you know it.

Kind regards

Hugh

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Dlblandjr.

Back then, there were two mast manufacturers that may have possibly built roller furling booms. Kenyon Isomat and Dwyer Aluminum. I would suggest contacting either as they could possibly steer you in the right direction.

Kenyon Isomat is out of production but came back as Charleston Spar but can be accessed as www.sparcraft-us.com Ask for Jim Culibert if he is still there as he is a wealth of information.

The other is Dwyer Aluminum which you can find on the internet and ask for Bob Dwyer.

There is a third person who might know and that is Dave Stanton with American Sail in North Charleston, S.C.

These would be the best contacts to really help if they can.