Info wanted on small boat furling system

[Hollyweirdos]

Hi again, I was just looking at the snapfurl cf-500 for small boats. Anyone have any input on this or another good system for a trailer sailer. I tried the pvc diy system and did not have good results. It was too heavy and got fouled a few times in bad places.

 

[sailor1950]

my precision came with a cdi furler. It has a flexible sleeve that slides over the forestay.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

I believe this system is a two part extrusion which has to be put together before installation which sometimes without the edxperience can be difficult without the proper tool if not supplied with the system.

If you are going to trailer the boat alot, then I would not suggest that system as the two halves of the extrusion move. I would recommend a solid one for example the CDI FF1 which you can purchase on line at this site. Another route if you are planning to trailer again is to add a wire luff to the jib with the small black furling drum and top swivel like you see on the daysailors furling apparatus since you mentioned the Venture 17.

The CDI is flexible and can lie on the deck during transport and in fact if all tied down, you can leave the sail on it as it has it own internal jib halyard.

crazy dave condon

 

[c_witch]

Take a look at Barton furling systems for small boats. It uses a small drum mounted behind your forestay. The head sail will have to have a s/s wire rope sewn into the leech. Connection is the drum and then to a swivel which is connected to your halyard. The sail furls on the s/s wire rope that has been sewn in. You should be aware that with these furlers you cannot reef the jib. The barton system I think is less then 100.00.

c_witch

 

[Paul Brinkley]

I have a CDI on my Mac 26S, and I have really enjoyed it. It works just fine- reefs the jib, too. -Paul

 

[TedGrant]

You can't go wrong with a CDI furler.
Inexpensive, yet well-made.
And, it ships at reasonable cost, since it rolls up.

Ted Grant
2002 Mac 26X

 

[DaveDG]

Jib furler suggestion

In 2005 I installed a Schaefer Marine free furling System 350 on my 1972 Venture Macgregor. I've been very pleased with it's design and performance. A link is:
http://www.furling.com/freeflying.html

 

[Hollyweirdos]

So far it looks like no matter which one I use, I have to get a new headsail. It would be nice to have a furler that will work with a standard old hank on jib. I looked at all the suggestions here. Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[sailorman295]

You can have the hank-on jib modified to fit a furling system. Don't know if that would be cheaper than a new sail.

 

[Clark]

Conversions for him are probably in the ~100 range. Depending on how old the sail is, I'd spring for a new one since it's pretty small.

 

[Hollyweirdos]

Yeah I have been looking into replacing it. If I spring for a new one, I think it should be a 150% on a reefing furler. My current jib is near its end.

 

[Bill sanders]

Have you thought of a down hauler?

 

[Hollyweirdos]

I have one currently. It works pretty well. It is just not as nice as a furler. I am thinking that when its time to replace the sail, to maybe make the upgrade.

 

[Bill sanders]

You can build one, by using pipe and zip ties, and a friend that works for the power company. It's a very long story!

 

[Hollyweirdos]

Just ordered a ronstan cf76 from duckworks. $70. New.
It will work with my jib with the luff wire thats already there. Just have to remove the hanks. It furls on the luff wire. Hope it works!

 

[Barnacle Bill]

The big difference between the CDI and the Snap Furl is the CDI has it's own integral halyard system (the Flexible CDI, that is) and the Snap Furl uses your existing halyards. There are advantages and disadvantages to each, but both systems work well.

 

[Hollyweirdos]

I just got the ronstan furler temporarily rigged. Works just fine although it kept fouling the forestay so I am moving the stay a few inches forward and a little higher. Pics and video soon.

 

[walt]

Id be interested in seeing your pictures as I’m thinking about doing something similar with my 15 foot sailboat (which has the wire front stay and the sail has the "built in" wire halyard).

Did you also get the swivel for the top of the sail? I was looking at this setup from Harken http://www.mauriprosailing.com/Harken-Small-Boat-Furling-Units/HAR434.html - I think it’s somewhat similar to what you have?

Its also somewhat hard for me to see how those work since all they do is rotate the bottom of the sail with a swivel at the top of the sail. Seems that the bottom of the sail would just twist.. but I guess they do work.

 

[Hollyweirdos]

Hey Walt, it is almost identical to the harken deal. Only it costs about $100 total with shipping! Thats harken for ya.
How do it work? The furler on the bottom attaches to where the jib would connect, the top is pulled tight on the halyard. You keep your forestay so in essence this becomes a backup to that. Like I said, I had to move the stay forward a couple of inches to clear at the top. You pull the furling line and the sail twists around itself untill furled. The swivel at the top does what its name implies. They say its not for reefing though. The wind was up when I tested mine and it did just fine without being hanked on. I thought it would sag away from the forestay but it didnt do too bad. Pretty cool. This is not very different from the new code 0 junk for expensive boats. They fly their gennackers off of these fancy ones and they work well. Not hanked on or anything. I got it from Duckworks.com. The swivel is from west marine, a ronstan job for about $25. I am using 3/16 line for the drum.

 

[walt]

clear at the top.

Interesting.. thanks for this info, I will probably do the same. I think this should still keep the setup simple and fast.