DIY roller furling install?

[Marc B]

I've looked over the posts on roller furling on the forum. I have a 240 with a hanked on jib and I am considering the switch to roller furling. I'm kind of leaning to the CDI furler.Has anyone installed a roller furler themselves? Did you use a local sailmaker to trim the sail, and did they do a good job? I've seen DIY kits for sail trimming, but I don't think I'm up to that. There are several sailmakers here in So. Fla., so I figure I can find one to trim the sail. I'd just like to get a sense of how hard it is to get the sail trimmed properly, and to install the furler.Thanks,Marc B

 

[Dave Royce]

Did mine

I installed a CDI system last spring. The sails were modofied by a loft. it is alot of work. The biggest issue I had was getting the track straight. It was really hard but after working with it fir weeks I got it pretty straight. When I installed it was fine.

 

[Dick]

Installed on H26

I put one on this summer. Saves a lot of work sailing. My head sail was several years old, I didn't want to be without it while it was altered, and I wanted to have a bigger sail, anyway. I ended up ordering a Doyle 135% from this web site. It is great having the extra sail on calm days and being able to roll it up when the wind kicks up. Go for it.

 

[alan]

Dick, how is the 135?

Lots of discussion about headsails larger than 100% usually somewhat negative. Do you run the sheets in or outside of the shrouds. A 135 sounds better in light air and under heavier conditions would balance a reefed main better. alanP.S. Marc, make sure the leech and foot are uv protected. My sail was converted before I bought it, the broker told me it "had to be uv protected." Now it's sunburned and on the way to the sail graveyard.

 

[Dick]

Outside shrouds

They need to be. My boat had been set up for a spinacre. It had a block on the lower part of the stern rail seat support. Running the sheets through them worked perfectly the way the sail was cut. If I raced I might consider a track on the rub rail, but for now, it works fine. I sailed it that way for about a month to make sure I liked it. I added Cam-matics with fairleads on the side of the boat just inside the blocks to make tacking much easier.

 

[alan]

thanx. alan (nm)

.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

CDI

When you get the CDI furler, you need to take the furler out of the box and uncoil in the opposite direction and use three tie wraps. Make sure you have two other folks; ohterwise, the furler will flip and it has smacked me in the butt in the past.The directions indicated to cut 12 1/4 inches off after measuriing the total distance. YOu need to add two inches to make it 13 1/4 to cut off. The black plastic cap on the top was redesigned and it will catch the mast and jib halyard. That is why I have cut two more inches off the boats that I rig.Crazy Dave Condon