Help with Seafurl

[drummer3278]

Hello,

This is probably going to sound like a complete newbie question. I have a 94 Hunter 33.5 with a Hood Yacht Systems Seafurl below deck furler. Here's my question. I can never get the jib to furl in tight enough, as I run out line. Is there an easy way to fix this besides taking the furler apart?

 

[Jackdaw]

Roll the sail as you do now. When it is in as far as it can go, look at the drum and see if it will hold more line.

It it can:
Untie your sheets and hand-roll the sail a few more turns. This will and more line to the drum.

If it cannot.:
You will need to switch to small diameter line, or uncore 1/2 of the line you now use.

 

[drummer3278]

Roll the sail as you do now. When it is in as far as it can go, look at the drum and see if it will hold more line.

It it can:
Untie your sheets and hand-roll the sail a few more turns. This will and more line to the drum.

If it cannot.:
You will need to switch to small diameter line, or uncore 1/2 of the line you now use.

When I furl the sail up as far as it goes, there is no more line left in the drum, and there's still a pretty good portion of the sail unfurled. I've had to walk up to the furler, and hand roll the rest, which is pretty scary when the winds are over 20knots, as the clew becomes a weapon.

There's plenty furler line left when I unfurl the jib.

 

[HMT2]

When I furl the sail up as far as it goes, there is no more line left in the drum, and there's still a pretty good portion of the sail unfurled. I've had to walk up to the furler, and hand roll the rest, which is pretty scary when the winds are over 20knots, as the clew becomes a weapon. There's plenty furler line left when I unfurl the jib.

Drummer3278, I do not have your model furler but I have had a similar issue. I have found that when I unfurl my sail I need to keep my furling line under a significant amount of tension in order for the line to go neatly and tightly into the drum. I hold the furling line in my hand allow it to play out slowly, on a larger boat one can take a turn on a winch and accomplish the same task.
Likewise when furling the sail I do so with the sail tightly sheeted and get a nice tight wrap on my furled headsail. I have found that if my sail is flopping around and the sheets are not tight as I furl it I can sometimes run out of line on the drum before my sail is completely furled. Hope this helps.

 

[drummer3278]

Drummer3278, I do not have your model furler but I have had a similar issue. I have found that when I unfurl my sail I need to keep my furling line under a significant amount of tension in order for the line to go neatly and tightly into the drum. I hold the furling line in my hand allow it to play out slowly, on a larger boat one can take a turn on a winch and accomplish the same task.
Likewise when furling the sail I do so with the sail tightly sheeted and get a nice tight wrap on my furled headsail. I have found that if my sail is flopping around and the sheets are not tight as I furl it I can sometimes run out of line on the drum before my sail is completely furled. Hope this helps.

Thanks HMT2, but I've tried furling and unfurling with lot's of tension to no avail.

 

[HMT2]

Thanks HMT2, but I've tried furling and unfurling with lot's of tension to no avail.

Bummer dude! I'm out of ideas. Good luck!

 

[isaksp00]

I'd do what Jackdaw suggested. If you have pulled out the furling line all the way and it is 100% unrolled from the drum, and yet the jib is not rolled all the way in (plus a few turns for the sheets), then you need to get more line on the drum when it is unfurled.

What I do on my 23 when I have made this mistake is untie the stopper knot holding the furling line in place to the drum, hand-wrap the jib so it has maybe 4 or 5 turns of the sheets around the furled sail, then re-tie the furling line stopper knot. As long as the sail was wound reasonably tightly when you did this, next time you unfurl there should be enough line on the drum to furl it back all the way.

Of course, my drum is exposed above deck, so it may be much easier for me to do than with whatever you have.

 

[drummer3278]

I'd do what Jackdaw suggested. If you have pulled out the furling line all the way and it is 100% unrolled from the drum, and yet the jib is not rolled all the way in (plus a few turns for the sheets), then you need to get more line on the drum when it is unfurled.

What I do on my 23 when I have made this mistake is untie the stopper knot holding the furling line in place to the drum, hand-wrap the jib so it has maybe 4 or 5 turns of the sheets around the furled sail, then re-tie the furling line stopper knot. As long as the sail was wound reasonably tightly when you did this, next time you unfurl there should be enough line on the drum to furl it back all the way.

Of course, my drum is exposed above deck, so it may be much easier for me to do than with whatever you have.

Thanks, this is what I'll be doing in the next day or so. Hopefully I can get the stopper knot undone.