Hunter 28.5 Roller Furling

Jackdaw · Jan 3, 2016

SteveMontgomery said:
I'd like to add a jib roller furling/reefing system on a 1985 Hunter 285.

It's a $10k boat so, doesn't make any sense to spend $2k or even $1k to do it.

Steve

It's my sense that that kind of thinking will doom your boat to a slow decrepit death, and ruin your enjoyment along the way. A 28-footer needs to be taken care of, new or old. Older actually more. That's the deal. Look at what you want, spend what you need. Anything less is a long term failure.

Warren Milberg · Jan 6, 2016

To me, there are only a few things on my boat as important as a reliable headsail furler with reefing capability. When I bought my boat in 2003, I put a Furlex furler on the boat and, although a bit pricey, it has really earned its keep over the years. Buy the best furler you can afford as buying cheap just isn't worth it in this regard.

JohnVTX · Jan 6, 2016

Having great luck with CDI on my 30 footer

Craig Cook · Jan 6, 2016

Let's try to answer your question instead of lecturing you Steve..............

Like John, we had a CDI furler on our Catalina 25 and it worked fine "most" of the time. The issue was with the PO, not the furler itself. I'm not sure what he was doing but we discovered a small kink in the forestay that was causing the issue. It was taken care of and the furler was fine after that. On our Catalina 27 we found a used furler from a similar vintage C27 at a sail loft in Florida. I sent them my hank-on 160 which they modified for that furler and then shipped everything to us up on Lake Erie for a fraction of what a new setup would have cost. That boat has since sold two more times and lives at a marina next to our club. Same furler and sail. You might do a Google search for used sails and check websites, as I recall it was Atlantic Sail Traders but I couldn't swear to that 100%.

Lastly, if you decide that you really do want a new unit you might take a look at the offerings at Sailcare in Ford City PA (they have a website as well). Jerry does a great job in his place, they can give your sail a good cleaning, modify it to the furler you choose and ship it all down to you in Charlotte. We have had the sails from both Catalina's, our Islander and our Island Packet cleaned at Sailcare and I swear each time they arrived at the house I thought Jerry sent us new sails by mistake.

I totally understand sailing on a budget and not wanting to invest big dollars in a small dollar boat (you'll never get them all back when you sell by the way). There are a bunch of ways to get where you want to be.

CharlzO · Jan 6, 2016

I'd say if you plan on keeping the boat, go for the upgrade. Lots of pros and less cons. Unless you aren't planning on keeping it, in which case, whole other ballgame.

Sailor_Jeff · Jan 6, 2016

Hi,

I love my jib furler on my 28.5. A Hood 810 LD. My Mary and I went out the other day in stiff cool winds and it was nice to just roll it out without crawling on deck and later back in. It also allows partial deployment as opposed to trying to reef it. Very nice. They can be purchased used if you want to save money. (We are not rich either.).

In regards to the comment about cost. I have a method. I bought the furler for ME, not for the boat. So, it does not count! Gosh but it is really really nice. Wish I had one 30 years before I got this one. And you could keep it for your next used boat when / if you ever sell the 28.5.

I also just purchased this last summer a custom stainless framed Bimini top for me and my Mary to enjoy in the sun intense summer. It is wonderful, just wonderful. Not for the boat, for us!

Sailor_Jeff · Jan 6, 2016

Oh, where to buy used? Well, if you are a mechanical kind of person and can buy used and fix if needed, I recommend eBay. There are several there now. If on the other hand you do not have talents in the fixing mechanical things and would prefer to enjoy sailing without fixing things, I recommend buying new, install it and forget about it.

Oh, and I think you will want a sunbrella flap added on it to protect the sail from the sun when rolled up.

Craig Cook · Jan 7, 2016

Agree with Jeff on everything he said although there really isn't a lot that can go wrong with a unit unless it was damaged in some way. The bearings need to be lubed, the foils need to be straight and the RF line needs to be in good condition. That brings up one more thing you will need to plan out and buy. The RF line will need to get back to your cockpit. "Normally" that line runs through a series of blocks or fairleads that are attached to your stanchions, back to the cockpit where you will need to install a cleat to tie it off. Ball bearing blocks will offer the lest friction and the easiest movement of the line but are also the most expensive option. Our h-27 came with bullseye fairleads from the factory, attached to the stanchions. I found replacement Harken ball bearing blocks on eBay and will be replacing the bullseye units in the spring. I'm not all that familiar with the layout of your 285 so I can't offer any more advice on the actual layout.

Once again, I agree with Jeff on the sail. To get it set up for your new furler you may need to get it recut for the foil length of the furler, but you will certainly need to get the luff tape added so it will fit in the foil and should get Sunbrella sun cover added so that when the sail is rolled up the sun cover is out and protects your sail.

Nick · Jan 14, 2016

This furling system on the E-selling site seems to be at a great price and will fit our H28/28.5's... Not sure if you need to purchase new sails or have your hanked on ones modified.... best to sell those and buy new sails that will fit the new foils.

ALADO-Roller-Furling-Reefing Item #191776425554