Thanks Will. That gives me a bit of perspective. I'm actually looking to get something a little closer to new or actually new.
I've been doing some googling. I'm thinking that a Furlex 30s might be what I am looking for.
http://www.seldenmast.com/files/1503923989/597-130-E.pdf One thing in that document has me scratching my head though. On the bottom of page 2, between the picture of the drum with tack fitting & the picture of the tapered top swivel, there is something that they call a Halyard swivel. I am not familiar with that part. I have always seen swivels that were like the one on the right or ones that attached around a center tube of some sort. Can anyone explain to me what the difference is with that “Halyard swivel”? From looking at the picture, I am not understanding the purpose for having something that is different from the tapered top swivel.
Thanks,
Jim
A halyard swivel allows you to hoist and remove the jib from the forestay without disconnecting the forestay.
Your sailmaker will construct the jib with a zippered sleeve or clips on the luff. A zippered sleeve goes around the forestay. Clips attach to the forestay. Kind of like hanks do, but less lumpy. Zipper sleeves work well. Clips sometime come off.
After the mast is raised using the bare forstay, you attach the halyard swivel to the halyard and the head of the jib. As you hoist the sail up, you pull the zipper down, which closes the sleeve around the forestay. Once the sail is hoisted, you can furl it.
To remove the jib, reverse the process: Unfurl the sail. Lower it using halyard and halyard swivel while you unzip the sleeve (or disengage the clips). Then lower the mast using the bare forestay.
There are a few important technical details.The halyard swivel has to be installed on the forestay before the end terminals are swaged on to the forestay. You will need to get a new forestay.The sail must unfurl in a clockwise direction leaving from the starboard side of the head stay (uv cover must be on the starboard side) to be compatible with the lay of the wire. Typically there is a special tang required on the tack of the jib to encourage smooth furling.