Furler Line Replacement

Snotter · Jul 20, 2009

Paul, I can empathize with your request. My Harken furler came with some real crappy line that cuts into my cloved hands and is real prone to hockel (sp). I've got a lot more line on my furler then I need. I have no doubt that I can increase the size dramatically with out any problems. Why would Harken and the other manufactures go with such s**t line.

sailaway78 · Jul 20, 2009

Assuming that yours is similar to the what I have, which is a CDI, it is pretty simple to just replace the line. Just furl the sail all the way, letting the sheets wrap around the sail till you get all the old line pulled completely off the drum. Is probably just a stopper knot at the end. Cut the knot off, pull the old line off, and install the new one. If you can't get at least three wraps or more, of the sheets on the sail, I would add a couple of wraps to the furler line. You always should have two or three wraps of sheet around the sail when furled to prevent the end from flapping in a breeze, and the sail coming unfurled when you aren't around.

Duh... · Jul 20, 2009

You just got to give it a lil thought.

PaulH said:
I've looked through the archives a little, and while it may be my ineptness

How are you gonna take the old line off? Wouldn't putting on the new one just be the reverse?

Bob S · Jul 20, 2009

I did mine last season, basically what Nice N Easy said. I have a Hood Furler and I spoke to them before i did it. They recommended 2x the boat length cored 1/3. My boat is 30', I bought 60' of 7/16 Samson XLS. One end whipped and the other end cored to 20'. The cored side lies flat so it fits in the drum nicelly.

cephius (Dave) · Jul 20, 2009

Good advice. The only thing I'll add is that the manufacture doesn't supply the reefing line. Its usually installed when the boat is commissioned. Blame the dealer for cheep line.

Warren Milberg · Jul 20, 2009

I've got a 2004 Furlex 200. If your Furlex is the same as mine, replacing the furling line is done by dropping the line guide (there is a screw under it), removing the drum halves (screws on either side of them), pulling the old furling line all the way out, unscrewing the plate at the center of the drum which holds the line, inserting the new line and putting it all back together again. The Furlex manual, available online, has a good description of this task. I recommend 5/16-in double braid line.

Stu Jackson · Jul 20, 2009

Except for the fact that Warren's answer was specific to your particular furler, which is way different than most of our furlers either with open or closed drums, his comment wasn't that offline.

Good luck.

Ron20324 · Jul 20, 2009

I'd appreciate it if someone can tell me why people get a line that's too big, then pull the core (which I believe is where the strength lies) out of it to make it smaller. Why not just get a size smaller to start with? I'm sure the C30 (like my slip neighbor's) would live with a 3/8 furling line.

rardiH36 · Jul 20, 2009

It Flattens the Line ...

Ron20324 said:
I'd appreciate it if someone can tell me why people get a line that's too big, then pull the core (which I believe is where the strength lies) out of it to make it smaller. Why not just get a size smaller to start with? I'm sure the C30 (like my slip neighbor's) would live with a 3/8 furling line.

Although I don't have a pulled core roller furling line (my used boat didn't come that way now the line is too stiff to pull the core easily), my understanding is that without the core, the line will roll up on the furler flat instead of round. Then the line under pressure doesn't have as much a tendency to wedge between the underlying wraps that are already around the furler drum.

sailaway78 · Jul 20, 2009

Furler Line

One of the things I would recommend is not to buy the premium, top of the line, lines, such as Sta Set X. I had the Sta Set X for several lines on the boat. While it is super strong, probably much, much more than will ever be needed, it is stiff, and hard on the hands. While I do not recommend you buy cheap line, Sta Set would do fine, and the Sta Set X is just an added cost that you more than likely won't like once its installed.

Chris Burti · Jul 20, 2009

Ron20324 said:
I'd appreciate it if someone can tell me why people get a line that's too big, then pull the core (which I believe is where the strength lies) out of it to make it smaller. Why not just get a size smaller to start with? I'm sure the C30 (like my slip neighbor's) would live with a 3/8 furling line.

Strength of the line is not really an issue in furling lines. Furling lines are not subject to loads where the cover on a decent quality line can't adequately handle the load. However, a small line is hard on the hands in higher winds.

Since you really shouldn't use a winch on a furling line, the added diameter is simply easier on the hands and easier to grip. Removing the core on the drum half of the line lets a fatter line fit and load the drum better.

Actually, 3/8 is likely OEM standard on the C30 but can feel like 1/4" at about 25 knots.

Stu Jackson · Jul 20, 2009

I agree with Phil that 3/8" is more than enough on our size boats, that's what we have on our C34, no undoing to get to the core, no hassles, and it's StaSet, nothing more needed.

I beg to differ on not using winches - our ProFurl unit is designed to do just that, however most others aren't. I rarely use that feature, but when starting back out again after my broken leg, it sure helped to have that "assistant!"

Ken Honeycutt · Jul 20, 2009

Don't mean to hijack this thread, but brings up a question. Last summer I got caught in some gusty winds that came up suddenly from around 10 knots to almost 30. For some reason (can't remember why now) I decided to reef the jib while it was partially loaded up (maybe it was because I didn't want to frighten my passenger with the sails flogging around). Are most furlers designed to take the force of a winch while the sail is under load?

bffatcat · Jul 20, 2009

furler line replacement the easy way

I have a CDI with an open drum and Im not familiar with the drum on a furlex. but I will assume for this reply your furler has a standard open drum. first on a 28ft boat you probably dont need line heavier than 1/4 or 5/16. As mention before you dont need heavy duty line. Standard line will do. If the line does not bind up in the drum with the jib fully unfurled your ok with 5/16 If it binds up drop down to 1/4. Start witn a rolled up jib. First take the jib sheets off and tie a short piece of line through the clew and around the furled jib so it wont unfurl
Next just pull the line off the drum and cut the knot off. Put the new line inside the drum and knot it off. Put the sheets back on and unfurl the jib the new line will wrap around the drum thats it

Furler Line Replacement

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