I'm having some interesting problems with my Hood furler. It's never worked very well, but it has now become near impossible to use. Here are the details: a) At the dock, I can furl and unfurl without too much trouble. If I tension the genoa halyard too much, the topmost part of the furler will work for a few revolutions, and then stop rotating causing the halyard to wrap around the head stay up top. Easing the halyard seems to resolve the problem. b) On the water, I can't unfurl more than partially before the jam occurs - no matter how much I ease the genoa halyard. If I drop the main, and the genoa halyard is properly eased, then I can unfurl or furl. What is going on? Why does raising the main cause an interaction with the furler? I could imagine raising the main causes more tension on the headstay - which is the same as tensioning the genoa halyard? Is the solution to ease the forestay a little? Anyone else gone through this? thanks, ken
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Garrett Pensell
hood furler issues
There are a couple of problem areas to check out. First, I recommend installing a halyard retainer if you do not already have one. This serves to increase the angle b/w headstay and halyard, making it much more difficult for the halyard to wrap. Next, I would inspect the top bearing (cap) to see if it is still in good shape (since you're already at the top of the rig...). It should form a "plug" at the top of the extrusions, and it is pretty important as it is the uppermost bearing. Next, check out the halyard swivel- I have seen a number that get very rough when under load. Lastly, the lowermost luff bearing can fall down into(or past) the luff sockets and jam against the headstay or the centering ring (donut)at the bottom of the forestay. We always wrapped tape and/or wire ties around the headstay just above the tack socket to prevent it from falling down. However, this was never covered in the Hood furler manual- it was something we observed and "fixed" on our own. Make sure you check the condition of the headstay carefully- these jams can easily unwind or abrade the stay. Hope this helps...
There are a couple of problem areas to check out. First, I recommend installing a halyard retainer if you do not already have one. This serves to increase the angle b/w headstay and halyard, making it much more difficult for the halyard to wrap. Next, I would inspect the top bearing (cap) to see if it is still in good shape (since you're already at the top of the rig...). It should form a "plug" at the top of the extrusions, and it is pretty important as it is the uppermost bearing. Next, check out the halyard swivel- I have seen a number that get very rough when under load. Lastly, the lowermost luff bearing can fall down into(or past) the luff sockets and jam against the headstay or the centering ring (donut)at the bottom of the forestay. We always wrapped tape and/or wire ties around the headstay just above the tack socket to prevent it from falling down. However, this was never covered in the Hood furler manual- it was something we observed and "fixed" on our own. Make sure you check the condition of the headstay carefully- these jams can easily unwind or abrade the stay. Hope this helps...
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Robert Dean
Hood Furling
I am about to remove the ProFrul on my Hunter Legend 35 and install a single line Hood furler. The ProFurl sits too far above the deck and does not allow a deck sweep genoa. The Hood furler will go below deck as in the original installation For G. Pensell - could you expand on your suggestion as to a halyard retainer?? Where and how does it go ?? Also, I have a hard time visualizing the concept of using tape or a wire on the headstay: as the forestay wire is coved by the furler and track: except at the top of course. Could you explain this item also ?? Robert Dean HL 35 Pensacola, FL
I am about to remove the ProFrul on my Hunter Legend 35 and install a single line Hood furler. The ProFurl sits too far above the deck and does not allow a deck sweep genoa. The Hood furler will go below deck as in the original installation For G. Pensell - could you expand on your suggestion as to a halyard retainer?? Where and how does it go ?? Also, I have a hard time visualizing the concept of using tape or a wire on the headstay: as the forestay wire is coved by the furler and track: except at the top of course. Could you explain this item also ?? Robert Dean HL 35 Pensacola, FL
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Garrett Pensell
more details...
The halyard retainer I like is made by Harken specifically for the task. There are many other alternatives, but the Harken is proven tough and rolls nice and smooth. The piece of hardware is basically an external sheave on a u-shaped SS bracket. It gets riveted to the mast with 8 3/16" rivets, and we generally locate them in line with the halyard on the front of the mast at the same level as the bottom of the upper fitting on the headstay wire (right where the wire rope meets the stainless barrel) This usually amounts to about 4-8" below the halyard sheave depending on the length and arrangement of the fittings. The compromise you are playing with is: the lower you get it the more effective it will be at preventing wraps BUT, you don't want to limit how high you can pull the head of the sail, and the lower it goes the more resistance it will create when tensioning the halyard. Occassionally we have had to shorten the luff length of a sail in order to make a retainer feasible. The tape/wire tie area is at the bottom of the extrusions. On the Hood system (if it has been cut properly) you can lift the extrusions out of the top of the drum after removing the tack socket. The main thing is to make sure our tape is high enough that it will never interfere with the removal of the tack socket. This will all make sense when you are looking at the system in the flesh.
The halyard retainer I like is made by Harken specifically for the task. There are many other alternatives, but the Harken is proven tough and rolls nice and smooth. The piece of hardware is basically an external sheave on a u-shaped SS bracket. It gets riveted to the mast with 8 3/16" rivets, and we generally locate them in line with the halyard on the front of the mast at the same level as the bottom of the upper fitting on the headstay wire (right where the wire rope meets the stainless barrel) This usually amounts to about 4-8" below the halyard sheave depending on the length and arrangement of the fittings. The compromise you are playing with is: the lower you get it the more effective it will be at preventing wraps BUT, you don't want to limit how high you can pull the head of the sail, and the lower it goes the more resistance it will create when tensioning the halyard. Occassionally we have had to shorten the luff length of a sail in order to make a retainer feasible. The tape/wire tie area is at the bottom of the extrusions. On the Hood system (if it has been cut properly) you can lift the extrusions out of the top of the drum after removing the tack socket. The main thing is to make sure our tape is high enough that it will never interfere with the removal of the tack socket. This will all make sense when you are looking at the system in the flesh.
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Jim Wharton
Hood problems
I upgraded to a 700SL on my 30T, and I have nothing but problems with this unit. The line jams up the reel 75% of the time. Everytime I call Hood they are not much help!! This will be my last Hood furler!! Jim Wharton jim.wharton@fnc.fujitsu.com
I upgraded to a 700SL on my 30T, and I have nothing but problems with this unit. The line jams up the reel 75% of the time. Everytime I call Hood they are not much help!! This will be my last Hood furler!! Jim Wharton jim.wharton@fnc.fujitsu.com
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TOM MANALILI
questions and some answers
Q" is your drum incased in a S/S sloted cover, Q' once you have the sail, up why is you "halyard involved at all, its/b aft, and totally out of the way,secured, answers: when rollintg out the genny, allow the wind to do the work, by holding a course off the wind, swemi release the furl line, but maintaining pressure so that the line rolls uo on the drum, like tackle on a reel, and while holding onto the furl line haul in on the applicable genny sheet, when rolling up the genny reverse this method, hold your course, pull in on the furl line, while maintaining control of the grnny sheet, the hood furl lines starting with 5/16" dia. abd up, can and will stretch and flatten, at the drum, and the first 15 feet, be careful, and check it out the next time your sail is flying, to replace it remove the 2 plastic screws at the neck of the S/S sloted cover, rotate the cover so you can get to the knot below bottom flange and replace the line, 2 boat lengths, and use the same thk yacht braid, I hope this may help.
Q" is your drum incased in a S/S sloted cover, Q' once you have the sail, up why is you "halyard involved at all, its/b aft, and totally out of the way,secured, answers: when rollintg out the genny, allow the wind to do the work, by holding a course off the wind, swemi release the furl line, but maintaining pressure so that the line rolls uo on the drum, like tackle on a reel, and while holding onto the furl line haul in on the applicable genny sheet, when rolling up the genny reverse this method, hold your course, pull in on the furl line, while maintaining control of the grnny sheet, the hood furl lines starting with 5/16" dia. abd up, can and will stretch and flatten, at the drum, and the first 15 feet, be careful, and check it out the next time your sail is flying, to replace it remove the 2 plastic screws at the neck of the S/S sloted cover, rotate the cover so you can get to the knot below bottom flange and replace the line, 2 boat lengths, and use the same thk yacht braid, I hope this may help.
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