Bye Bye CDI

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Oct 3, 2006
1,003
Hunter 23 Philadelphia
Well, earlier this spring, I took the boat for a short romp around Rock Hall, MD, and had tons of fun (even though it was really cold). I also got to try out my awesome new swageless fittings, which worked really well (I didn't assemble the new forestay until I had the mast up with the jib halyard holding it) and had decided that, for this trip, i'd skip the CDI so I left the extrusion at home. Well what do ya know, I tried to install it and the swageless fittings don't work with the CDI! I could take the fitting off the wire and reinstall it one the extusion is on, but I don't know. I never really liked rolling the thing up under load, and once I had the (stupid me for not replacing it) vee cleat let go of the furling line in about 35 knots. THAT was fun, and also damaged the base of the extrusion, I had to end-for-end it. Have people had much luck running a jib downhaul? I do single-hand, so it would be nice to be able to get the thing down if need be. It seems to me like [me helping gravity] is a lot less work then [me fighting wind]
 

jimq26

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Jun 5, 2004
860
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CDI instruction manual is very specific on your forestay turnbuckle

Follow the manufacturer's instructions and you will have one of the finest furling systems on the market. Their customer satisfaction rate is the highest of any furling system. It looks like you have in your sail inventory both a hank on foresail(you can use a downhaul line on it), and a foresail with luff tape (that fits the luff extrusion). Here's a link to the instruction manual.
 
Jan 24, 2005
4,881
Oday 222 Dighton, Ma.
CDI Roller Furler

Brian, If you have slots in your mast for T Ball fittings, you will need to install a mast tang just for your fore stay. Then install swadged toggles fittings with toggle straps on both ends of your fore stay. This will allow the fore stay to move without breaking. I sailed for years with conventional snaps on my Gennie and recently bought a CDI FF-2 Roller Furler last year, and I'll never go back to the old way again. I also single hand and the furler is easier, faster, and safer. Joe
 
Oct 3, 2006
1,003
Hunter 23 Philadelphia
the issue

the issue is that I just bought a new forestay, made from swageless fittings. These fittings are larger in diameter than swaged fittings, and don't fit through the extursion, so i would need to remove / reinstall them (not that big of a deal) Yes, I do have a hank-on jib as well as a luff tape jib. I liked being able to remove the extusion for daysailing, but when I put it in a slip, I would slip the CDI up the forestay. sadly, it seems I have to choose one way or the other. Why do I need a tang for the forestay?
 

jimq26

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Jun 5, 2004
860
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Read the CDI manual.

There is only one type of turnbuckle you can use in the system. Swageless fittings will not work. Only open turnbuckles that fit inside the drum will work.
 

Timo42

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Mar 26, 2007
1,042
Venture 22 Marina del Rey
To answer your original question

A downhaul is easy to rig and works well as far as getting the sail down in a hurry from the cockpit, at some point you have to secure the sail so it doesn't blow overboard, an on deck sail bag would work well, but I just pull the clew into the forward hatch from below to keep it from flapping until I can secure it properly. Tim
 

Ray

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Mar 10, 2006
94
Hunter 26 Kettle Falls Wa.
Jib/Genoa downhaul.

I've rigged and used a jib downhaul for 4 years on my C22. It works very well on both my 150 and 110. I mounted a block assembly on one of the bow pulpit uprights. I ran a 1/4 line from the cockpit to the bow sheeve and then upward to the head fitting/ halyard junction. You really need the line to be as far forward as possible (to the forestay)and if you clip the line inside the two top sail hanks as you hank the sail to the forestay it will pull the sail down without fouling on the forestay. I single hand and sail in quite high winds and this works regardless of wind strength. It can dump the sail in the water if your not head into the wind but it does come down. Ray
 
Feb 26, 2004
22,760
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
The best way to use the downhaul on a hanked on jib

was taught to me by someone a long time ago: sail on a port tack and heave to. The jib will back-wind across the deck, use the downhaul and the sail will flake neatly ON the deck, NOT overboard. Plus the hanks will be in the right position to take 'em off. Think about it... Used it for 15 years with our C22 and C25 (12 of those years).
 
Oct 3, 2006
1,003
Hunter 23 Philadelphia
thanks!

I'm going to give this a shot. Hopefully I don't need to downhaul until saturday morning when I return from a 70 mile race (we leave friday night) So, block in front of the forestay, line goes through the 2nd to top hank and tied to the top hank? Or just a stopper knot to keep it from slipping through?
 
Dec 14, 2007
42
Hunter 23.5 Thibodaux, LA 70301
possible to add a section to the clew?

Has anyone tried this route with the jib downhaul line.... 1/8" line from cockpit to a bow block mounted behind forestay, up through the hanks about 1/2 way up the sail add a small block then route the line to the clew then back to the luff (forstay) through another small block, then up the mast, fastened at the head of the sail. Wouldn't this bring the sail down and "fold" it towards the bow???? Just a thought. Todd H
 
C

crazy dave condon

CDI

I knew Joe Damon who started CDI from the start and he is now retired. The manual is excellent and the current owner of CDI is very helpful. What may have happenned is that you either have a forestay that is too large with the swedged fitting or you have a forestay that you added the stud to the forestay and that being the case, those fittings are always larger and cannot fit thru the hole diameter of many furlers. I suggest that if you want to change out the furler to just a forestay, then pay and have a new forestay made with the swedged fitting to avoid this pitfall. First consult your manual as to whay type size wire and that should resolve your issue.
 

Ray

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Mar 10, 2006
94
Hunter 26 Kettle Falls Wa.
Scubajeep, The idea of KISS is important for this.

The downhaul, as rigged by Stu or myself (Ray) works very well. With experence you will be able, as Stu says, to drop the sail with no danger of getting it wet. For the beginner getting it wet might happen. You will learn fast to prevent this as Stu says. I prefer to mount my block forward of the forestay but I'm sure other points will also work. Ray
 
Jan 2, 2008
547
Hunter 33 (Cherubini design Forked River, Barnegat Bay, NJ
Swageless?? Sta-Lock??

I assume by swageless you mean one of the screw together fittings like Sta-Loc, Norseman, Suncor, Hayne and so-on. One of the major beauties of these is that you can disassemble, inspect and re-assemble. Just take the lower fitting off, shove it down the extrusion, and re-assemble it. End of problem, and you can still REEF, which is one of the major reasons for having a furler. A dowenhaul is just dandy if you have no other alternative.
 
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