Wondering if anyone can suggest the correct placement of fairleads / blocks for furling line for a Harken Mark IV furler on a 1984 Catalina 30. My new to me C30 has the furling line running through a block on the bow pulpit but the line rubs against the housing, not the sheave, creating resistance. I have tried repositioning the block to the outside of the bow pulpit, but then the line rubs against the lifeline where it attaches. Tried an eyelet, but the angle was wrong. Thanks in advance!
Furling line fairlead placement Harken Mark IV
- Thread starter Dave96734
- Start date
Dave
I see where the rubbing is happening.
Position 7401 Forward Stanchion Block so line enters
drum at right angles to headstay and centers vertically
in opening. Install so line is inside stanchion.
Correct block position is critical to even line
spooling and ease of furling.
I see where the rubbing is happening.
- Have you looked at running the line down the Starboard side?
- Is the drum rotated so that the opening favors one side over the other?
- Do you need to use a block on the forward stanchion to get the proper setup?
- Does the line leave the drum at a 90 degree angle?
Position 7401 Forward Stanchion Block so line enters
drum at right angles to headstay and centers vertically
in opening. Install so line is inside stanchion.
Correct block position is critical to even line
spooling and ease of furling.
The furling line on my Mk-IV is outside of the pushpit but I have a bow sprit. My fairlead block is on the forward stanchion because the aft one would put me far less than the required 90º.
Thanks for the input. To be clear, when I place the block outside of the stanchion, the line rubs against the lifeline up front. (you can see how the lifeline angles down where it attaches to the pulpit up front.) Joe, I tried the pictured eyelet, but since the bow pulpit tube is angled, it doesn't run freely. My next step will be to put the block on the forward part of the bow pulpit and see how that goes!
If the sail has UV protection, it would need to be removed and placed on the other side of the sail.
Update: I spent some time yesterday evening trying the block and eyelet in nearly every position suggested: still managed to rub on either the lifeline, block, or drum. My next step is going to be to rotate the drum window (thanks Hayden!) to allow the line to run out closer to the 9:00 position, then to a block or eyelet on the forward stanchion of the bow pulpit.
Don't worry about installing the block until you find a workable path. The best way to do it is to loosen the guard screws so that you can rotate the guard a little. Then just take a couple of feet of the line and hold it at different locations at each of the stanchions until you find a path that is clean. If you cannot find a good location on port, you might try the starboard side to see if it is better. I am thinking about going down the starboard side myself even though I have 24-year long port side habit on Papillon. The reason isn't because I cannot get a fair lead because I have. I am thinking about the change because my dock in on the port side and it is a bit tricky to step over the tensioned line when getting on and off the boat. With it being round, it could roll under foot and me and Sue are getting old enough to no longer believe that we are invincible.
Certainly the dock to boat access path you use is a consideration.
I suggest also consider the side of the boat you use to go from cockpit to fore deck. My slip tie is Starboard. Conveniently that is also the preferred route to the mast. I run my furling line and my shore power cord on the port side. I tend to avoid using the port side so I limit the exposure to ankle rolling / tripping risk. It is my setup. Each boat owner will decide on their own best method.
I suggest also consider the side of the boat you use to go from cockpit to fore deck. My slip tie is Starboard. Conveniently that is also the preferred route to the mast. I run my furling line and my shore power cord on the port side. I tend to avoid using the port side so I limit the exposure to ankle rolling / tripping risk. It is my setup. Each boat owner will decide on their own best method.
Pay attention to @jssailem initial post on leading fair into the drum. Angle should be as close to 90° as practical. You may need to move from a block on the pulpit to a deck mounted.
2nd is shroud. That can be adjusted like @Hayden Watson mentioned. On my new to me boat the line crosses from stbd to port side of the furler drum. Seemed "wrong" but it works oh so good. In addition is the downside of anchor locker access is blocked by the furling line crossing over. But, I rarely anchor, so that is less of an obstacle.....as long as furling is smooth.
2nd is shroud. That can be adjusted like @Hayden Watson mentioned. On my new to me boat the line crosses from stbd to port side of the furler drum. Seemed "wrong" but it works oh so good. In addition is the downside of anchor locker access is blocked by the furling line crossing over. But, I rarely anchor, so that is less of an obstacle.....as long as furling is smooth.
Thanks. In perusing C30 listings for photos of the fairlead setup, and looking for a similar bow pulpit / lifeline / furler, I have seen only deck mounted blocks. Looks like that's the way I'm going. Either that or an "L" shaped mount off the pulpit to allow the block to be vertical.
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One thing to keep in mind is that any block must have the support in the correct orientation to the inflection of the line. I have seen many front lead blocks that are trying to deflect the line sideways rather than in alignment with the sheave. This means that the line will slide on the side of the block cheeks and not roll on the sheave as is the case in your first photo. I cannot tell for curtain from the photo but it looks like a block would need to be mostly vertical with some degree of port lean to get a clean line through the block.
In these cases, a low friction bullseye might be the best choice because it can bend the line in any direction.
This one from Wichard might be just the ticket.
In these cases, a low friction bullseye might be the best choice because it can bend the line in any direction.
This one from Wichard might be just the ticket.
Resolved! Found an eyelet that pivots, allowing me to mount it to the angled bow pulpit & have the line pass through horizontally. Thanks again for all the help.
