Because it's not a reefing furler. Too often when the need to reef, is when this furler dosen't work. As you may have experienced in heavy air and the wind just unfurls the full 155%. Not always a good thing in 25 + knots winds. And even with light air, it can be had to furl, or unfurl. I've moved the stantion blocks every which way, and it still hangs up at times.Just curious why you want to get rid of your Hood furler? If you do, can I salvage the drum for parts? My top drum plate has a crack at the seams where someone drilled the furling line to attach to this plastic plate, rather then in the drum core itself. I would be glad to pay for the shipping expense, etc. Thanks, Jeremy Rowan.
I have been using a Hood continious line furler on a Catalina 27 for years and agree that as long as both sides of the line are cleated off and there is no slack on either side of the furler drum it will not unwind. I use a 150 on the furler, I have reefed it to juat about every size immaginable in all types of conditions and have never had a problem as long as both sides of the furler line are pulled tight and cleated off.My C30 came with this furler, and I had the same problems trying to reef the headsail that others have described here. However, like Fox, I replaced my furling line and then installed a second cleat (a clam cleat) near the original horn cleat so that I now cleat both "sides" of the continuous furling line independently. When reefing, I cleat one "side" of the line on the horn cleat and the other "side" on the clam cleat, adjusting if necessary to keep full tension on both sides of the line. I have found that the reason the sail would unfurl in stiff winds was that the "lazy" side of the line wasn't making full contact with the furling drum. With a single horn cleat I couldn't keep tension on that lazy side of the line. Now with two cleats, cleating each side of the line independent of the other allows me to get sufficient tension so that the furling line is contacting 270 degrees of the furling drum. Since I installed the second cleat, I have not had any trouble reefing my headsail, and I've sailed in 25+ knots of wind a number of times without the headsail unfurling.
Bob
"Valhalla"
Lake Champlain
Still winter here in Wisconsin. With this " Bi-Polar" weather we continue to have, as soon as I think about the boat, the weather turns cold and snows again. (one day 50 degrees and sun, the next 10 degrees and snow)captcoho- Have you replaced the 810LD yet with the 707 and if so how did it go?
Still winter here in Wisconsin. With this " Bi-Polar" weather we continue to have, as soon as I think about the boat, the weather turns cold and snows again. (one day 50 degrees and sun, the next 10 degrees and snow)
I will need to uncover at least the front of the boat. Then, get aloft to take down the head-stay ( after securing the mast with one of the jib halyards ).
Then have either a local rigger build a new head-stay, or mail the old one to either Hood, or Catalina Direct , to get a new stay. ( They need the old one to be sure of the exact lenght). Then after assembling the new stay,extrutions, and furler. I will then need to get aloft to reattach the head-stay furler assembly.
This will require using one jib halyard to secure the mast, one jib halyard to hoist the furler/stay , and the mainsal halyard to put some up to the mast head.
I will keep you posted.....