Cannot get genoa down. Gaps in profurl furler extrusions.

[JohnnyP]

I cannot get my genoa sail down. It looks like I have good size gap between a couple of profurl furler extrusions. I can get the sail down about 5 feet until furler swivel hits the gap. It appears like the swivel mechanism is getting stuck in the gap. How do I get out of this situation. It seems like I ultimately need to:

1. Take down the forestay
2. Remove the furler
3. Repair the furler and reinstall on the forestay.
4. Re-install the forestay. Might as well buy a new forestay and install it.

Any shortcuts around this?

 

[Stu Jackson]

Any shortcuts around this?

Sorry, nope. I had an idiot install my ProFurl in 2003. He forgot the Locktite on the set screws, same result.

You need someone to go up and see if it is the foil or the screws, first.

You may not need a new forestay at all, if it's a problem with the foil itself. That's good news.

 

[justsomeguy]

It seems like I ultimately need to:

1. Take down the forestay
2. Remove the furler
3. Repair the furler and reinstall on the forestay.
4. Re-install the forestay. Might as well buy a new forestay and install it.

Any shortcuts around this?

I don't think there are any shortcuts.
May need a messenger line on the halyard.

 

[John T1594]

I had a similar problem on a Furlex 200 on my 2000 H340.I was able to stand at the base of the furler, loking up at the extrusions and slowly turn them by hand so that they lined up and allowed the jib bolt rope on the jib and the upper jib swivel to pass the gaps and obstructions. If that fails, you may have to have somone go up along the forestay in a cherry picker and secure the separated extrusions back together. Good Luck

 

[Claude L.-Auger]

In my case (Profurl NC32), it was the bushing inside the swivel head that had turned and locked itself on the extrusion. The 2 little protrusions inside the bushing had worn out, getting out of the grooves in the extrusions and allowing the swivel body to turn on the extrusion itself, locking right at the gap in-between the top 2 extrusions. I had to get hoisted up, release the shackle of the halyard and get the sail down. It was at the end of the season and I unstep the mast before winter lay-up so with the mast down, I undid the headstay at the top, removed the swivel and ordered another bushing which I then press-fitted in the swivel. Incidentally, the new bushing did not have the 2 little notches and the Profurl rep told me there had been a change of design because of that locking on the extrusion issue. Once I had the part, since I already had the mast down, it was an easy job as I did not have to remove the furler from the boat, just detach the headstay top part from the mast, remove swivel, install new bushing, re-install swivel on furler and re-attach furler (and headstay). Took all of 20 minutes. Attaching pictures to help you visualize it.

 

[jssailem]

Welcome @JohnnyP to SBO. Really no way to address the issue other than going up the mast and helping the sail down over the "Gaps". Once down you may be able to tie off a halyard to act as a temporary forestay while you remove the old one and the extrusion.

The question in my mind is "How old is your rigging?" It may be the boat is telling you.. the rigging needs an overhaul. I say that as the last Columbia 8.7 was made in 1987.

 

[capta]

I agree with jssailem on this one. We only had it happen once, (we only dropped the sails once a year to inspect them, or if a hurricane threatened to "mash us mon") but taking someone aloft to twist the foil so the sail will come down is the easiest and cheapest way to get the job done. Then you can figure out what is wrong. It was a few of the allen screws in our case, too.

 

[jssailem]

Your challenge, @capta, began to happen to me on my Profurl. It is why, when I could, I switched from the Profurl to the Harken Furler.