Big Boats: Harken Mk. II Unit 2 Furler - Raise Drum?

[jviss]

Didn't know where to post this, so here goes. And, I know it's a long shot, 'though there are some riggers here like @DrJudyB . So maybe someone can help me out.

My used Tartan 3800 came with high-tech, racing sails: film-on-film mylar/carbon fiber. The jib is huge, a deck-sweeper, and there's no luff pad, so it doesn't reef well. The Harken furler's drum is low, and the anchor shank hits it when we drop and weigh anchor. I will be buying new sails in the Fall and I want to raise the furler drum and order a smaller job that's not quite a deck sweeper.

Has anyone raised a drum like this? I have the manual, but it's not clear to me how I'd go about it.

Can't find a manual online, but found a parts list:
Mk. II Unit 2 Parts List

Thanks,

jv

 

[dlochner]

To raise the drum, just add a toggle to the forestay. That may require shortening the foil.

If you are ordering new sails, talk to the sailmaker and get the foot cut higher. This will eliminate the deck sweeper problem. A well designed sail can have the luff foam which will improve performance when reefed.

 

[Joe]

Unsure about harken specifically, but my profurl came with a choice of "tangs" that allowed you to determined the height of the drum. The profurl does not require cutting the forestay.... I think Harken might require a modification, and perhaps to the foil also...so for that reason I would not hesitate to call Harken directly to ask for their advice. You are essentially asking how to change from racing setup to a cruising one which gets the sail higher off the deck.

 

[Sailfanatic]

Here's picture of the extension below my Harken unit, which raises the drum enough for the shank of an anchor ro be raised. The end result is a sail cut above the deck, which is quite a plus in terms of keeping a lookout.

 

[jviss]

Thanks guys. Yes, @Sailfanatic , I like that setup!

 

[DrJudyB]

@jviss

The Harken MkI, II and III were all very similar I terms of assembly, and they can be raised up to clear an anchor. But you will need a new forestay made up, using the proprietary Harken parts for adjusting the forestay length for tuning. You can still get parts from Harken for the Mk2, I think.

The most recent version of the the Harken furler, the Mk4, uses an off-the-shelf turnbuckles rather than proprietary adjusters.

If you raise the furling drum, be sure to tell your sailmaker before the new Genoa is built. It will have a big impact on the clew height and how the Benny sheets to your existing tracks.

Give Harken Tech support a call and they can advise you, I hope. Or an authorized Harken distributor.

 

[jviss]

Thanks Judy.