Can I save this furler? *Nice N Easy*

[Hermit Scott]

Does anyone know what name brand and model this is? I guess it's probably stock 1979 Catalina30 standard rig.
It was dark when I took these so there was one thing I can't show in a picture; the part that holds the sail luff that goes all the way up the forstay has a bowed section in it near the top. the bow may be 5 to 8 feet. It's not perfectly straight, should it be? Is there a replacement pvc part for this?
This thing is seized up. I'm sure it needs a new bearing at a minimum.
Nice N Easy, you said before that you may have a bearing for this but I wasn't sure at the time what kind it was and I didn't have pictures then. Does what you have fit this one?

Whether I have to replace this one or repair it, I am going to have to unhook the stay. I was told I should put a temporary stay in it's place before I unhook it. I am not climbing the mast, will the shrouds hold it ok or do I need to rig something else, if so how do I do this with out climbing the mast?

I'm excited because I am going to the boat today to work on it. I am cutting out all the through hulls and using a product called rust bullet on the output shaft and any bolt heads that started to rust. I ordered the flanged groco seacocks. I decided not to go with the adapters because it doubles the price of each through hull. My wife will be doing a photo shoot on the pier today. I will post a pic of that if I can get one from the photographer today. I know you guys like...uh...piers.

 

[garylinger]

That furler looks almost identical to mine (at least the top piece). Mine was totally seized and I sprayed a lot of liquid lubricant into it and the then began working it until it freed up. You might try that before going to the trouble of removing it. Another tip I was told was to pour boiling water on it and then work it free. Some (I am told) have plastic bearings. Mine flowed rusty lubricant when I sprayed it quite liberally.

 

[Maine Sail]

I ordered the flanged groco seacocks. I decided not to go with the adapters because it doubles the price of each through hull. My wife will be doing a photo shoot on the pier today. I will post a pic of that if I can get one from the photographer today. I know you guys like...uh...piers.

Hermit,

It's a pay now or pay later project. If one of those Groco's fails, seizes or gets eaten by stray current you are replacing the entire unit as opposed to just the ball valve. This will require a haul out. If you can still return them please do so.

PM me and I'll let you use my Hamilton Marine discount..

Groco 1" Flanged Seacock FBV-1000 = $47.69

Groco .75" Flanged Seacock FBV-750 = $32.39

Hamilton Marine Flanged Adapters (LINK)

Groco 1" Flandged Adapter IBVF-1000 = 26.67
Groco 1" Ball Valve IBV-1000 = 29.65

Total for 1" flanged adapter & ball valve = $56.32 vs. $47.69 NOT DOUBLE! (this is before my discount)

Groco .75" Flandged Adapter IBVF-750 - $24.67
Groco .75" Ball Valve IBV-750 = $12.49


Total for .75" flanged adapter & ball valve = $37.16 vs. $32.39 NOT DOUBLE! (again this is before my discount)

For the difference of $4.37 on a .75" set up and $8.63 for a 1" set up I think you are being awfully penny wise and pound foolish to not use a flanged adapter plate and the prices are no where near double unless you got hosed by your chandlery. Use Hamilton!!

Change even one seacock in the next ten years and you're saving has been killed by about 500+% when you add in a haul out, time and materials!

Remember changing a seacock on a flanged adapter requires $12.49 for a 3/4" and $29.65 for a 1", about ten minutes time, some teflon tape and pipe dope and can be done in water. To replace the valves you bought it will cost you a LOT more than that in both materials, time and money!

Oh and the furler looks like a Hyde and I would not feel comfortable with it in the condition it is in. When I bought my boat it had a Hyde, in much better condition than yours, and it was my first order of business to replace it. I would note even launch my boat with it on and did not...

P.S. I doubt you'll find better prices on Groco than you will at Hamilton!

BOAT = Break Out Another Thousand

 

[Tim R.]

That appears to be a Hyde Streamstay. They are well beyond their servicable life. I had one that was so seaized I could not get it apart to remove from the boat. I had to chop it up with a hacksaw.

 

[Hermit Scott]

Maine Sail- Thanks for the offer. I will take you up on that as long as I don't get hasseled with the return. The parts haven't came in yet. I will try calling the company today but will probably have to wait until Monday. I will keep the through hulls and exchange the flanged seacocks for regular tapered thread seacocks from the company I bought from already. I will pm you. Let me know where the adapters are on that site. I tried looking for them but couldn't find them on that link.
I was going to install that flanged seacosks and if I needed to replace one, I was going to gut it and put a ball vavle on top of it and leave it in, using it as an adapter. I'm not pressed for space anywhere so I thought it would be ok. I would rather do it with the adapters though.

 

[Tim R.]

Hamilton's is a great local and internet resource. Unfortunately, their search engine is really lousy.

 

[Maine Sail]

Let me know where the adapters are on that site. I tried looking for them but couldn't find them on that link.

Type the letters IBVF into Hamilton's search engine and they will come up...

or try this link:

Hamilton Marine Flanged Adapters (LINK)

http://store.hamiltonmarine.com/sea...Show+Matches&numresults=100&viewfrom=1&step=2

 

[Paul F]

Have same furler

Have the same furler on my 1980 boat. It froze or more likely hooked up on the line keeper about three years ago. A rigger pulled on it hard and broke the line keeper, but freed the furler. There didn't seem to be any bearings on the unit. Maybe as has been suggested a plastic ring which broke off. Anyway I lubed the unit underneath and it works great. Very smooth and easy turning. I sail about twice a week so it gets used often. Like a lot of mechanisms, it works better with use. Instead of replacing the line keeper, which never worked well, collars out of light cutting board plastic were installed on the bottom and topside of the unit to give the line more reeling room. This works well, I will try and take a picture or two when next at the boat. Someone in this thread suggested replacing the unit, my experience is that it does the job and there is no need to replace.

 

[newly anonymous]

before you loosen the headstay...

...stabilize the rig by leading halyards forward to the bow cleats. Tight lines.

 

[Hermit Scott]

What's the concern about an old furler? I'm sure I can get the thing turning smoothly somehow, but my concern is the aluminum luff holder breaking just above the spool.
I don't know if this happens on these things, it just looks like the weakest point.
Other than stress fatigue at that point what else can go wrong with them?
I don't want to replace anything right now that is not critical to the boat floating. I am doing everything that can't be done with the boat in the water right now. The furler is the first project at the slip.

By the way the Rust Bullet stuff seems very tough. It has a very thick consistency. And the patch I accidentally painted on my arm can not be peeled off! No pics on the peir today, it was too cloudy.

 

[kloudie1]

Second picture in your set, under the spool.. Scott.. That eye holds the headstay and mast up. That intersection of the stainless eye and the aluminum clamp fitting is the one I'd worry about most.. Check that area very carefully for cracking.. disassemble and clean it up.. if OK, re-assemble with TefGel. The rest makes the furler work, and handles the sail loads.. That piece handles loads from both sails and the tension loads of the rig..

 

[Paul F]

not much to go wrong with furler

On the furler once you get the spool turning there is not much to go wrong. The luff holder is attached to the spool by a cotter key. Remove the key and inspect the holder. likely nothing is amiss. If there is you can move the spool up an inch and reattach on better material. It is important that the sail halyard go through a block or similar route about a half a foot to a foot below the top of the mast before attaching to the head of the furlerl. This will enable the furler to turn and roll the sail up rather than wrapping the halyard around the forestay as it might if the attachment point is at the top of the mast.