Continuous Loop or Single Line?
Norm: Our 1989 33.5 had (still has) a Hood continuous line furler. I know that Hood makes a single line unit that uses the existing extrusion and head stay swivel if you currently have the Hood unit installed. (I tried it.) I think that they offer a "special" price for this unit if you are replacing the continuous line version. While the continuous line version offers challenges with alignment and reefing, the single line version is not without its own set of issues. With limited drum size due to below deck mounting, it is difficult to roll enough line on the furler to accommodate a large (150%) genoa. Reducing line size and removing the core from the "furled" portion of the line makes this less of an issue, but smaller lines are not as easy to handle, etc. I found that aligning the countinuous loop furling drum accouding to Hood's instructions and making the continuous loop of line long enough to enable "cleating" on the rear port horn cleat allows me to use the continuous line furler effectively and to reliably reef the genoa in heavy conditions. If the unit is not working freely, Hood will recondition the unit to like new status for a fee. (I have had this done once in ten years and my boat is in fresh water.) I know that there has been discussion on this topic in the recent past. Check the archives if you havn't done that already. If you don't have a Hood system, this discussion may have been for not - sorry. Good Luck! rb
