Halyard Tension with Harken Roller Reefing

[Gary A]

I have a Harken roller reffing system on my 1983 Hunter 34 in coastal NC. I was away for two months at the Olympics last year during hurricane season and decided to remove all canvas from my boat while I was away.When I returned, the headsail went back up without any problems, but when I really tightened the jib halyard, I found that my Harken roller furler would constantly jam. I found that by easing off on the jib halyard, it started working as well as before. I always assumed that one should try to keep this halyward fairly tight to help with leading edge tension, but that doesn't seem to be the case with this furler. Any wisdom on this topic? Is my installation typical? Do others behave the same way? Does this point to some (no doubt expensive) problem with my furler?Thanks, Gary

 

[red coles]

Maintenance

Hello Gary: Sounds like bearing in furler or swivel. Try flushing with fresh water, followed by wd40. If no help need to isolate trouble by determining which unit is binding, then repair or replace. Good luck red

 

[Scott]

sail length

I had the same problem with my furler one time, and it turned out that my sail was stretched with age and I had to have it shortened so that it wouldn't bind when I pulled the halyard tight. I have found sailkote is a better lube too.

 

[Trevor]

Sail stretch

I just took my 135% jib into a sailmaker to have them add a foam or rope luff to it for better roller reefing. The sailmaker told me the sail was stretched, likely due to keeping the halyard tension too tight when rolled up. He advised me to ease the halyard tension when storing the sail on the furler. He said to add halyard tension again after unrolling when sailing. This is a tip I'm glad I learned *before* investing in a new genoa, although I'll have to deal with my stretched sail for a while yet...

 

[Dave]

Halyard Tension

Gary,The Harken manual for the furler mentions just that problem, which I had at one time and ended up with a damaged leach in a blow when I couldnt furl the sail. As I recall, the manual says to tighten the halyard till it begins to bind on furling and then loosen it till the furling is smooth. Be sure to rinse the bearings after use. The manual also says to use ONLY dry lubricants. Oils will attract dust and grime and reduce the bearing life. Fair Winds...Dave