Install Harken Mark IV

[Hayden Watson]

I need to replace my 31-year old Hood 810DL and think I will get the Harken Mark IV Unit 1. anyone with first hand experience on the installation? I have read the instructions and it sounds like they say to remove the forestay from the boat and install the furler onto it on the dock. They do not say anything about how to get it back up. I am assuming that you use a prussik knot on the foil to lift it but I am worried about bending the foil as you bull it up to vertical.

 

[LeslieTroyer]

I thin @jssailem had one installed reciently. Riggers want me to ditch the Furler when I do standing rigging. I was looking at their ESP line.

Les

 

[DougM]

I installed a new Harken furler a couple of years ago. I did it on the hard, and can’t imagine attempting the task on deck. I would be inclined to believe that the end fitting could not be installed onto the forestay until after the furler was assembled onto it. My mast was already down anyway. That’s another story.

The whole process was relatively easy. In my case, I had to slide the furler onto the forestay and then install a Norseman type fitting onto the stay.

 

[Hayden Watson]

My concern is bending the foil as the assembled furler/forestay are hoisted up. I know that I can get it to the top but would not want a kink in the foil. I have a slight kink at the topmost joint on my 810 and it makes the hoisting the last 4 feet really hard.

 

[Joe]

I installed a Profurl unit years back... foil sections are joined with set screws over the headstay on the dock.. then raised up by the halyard... the rigid extrusions are quite strong and light, the enclosed stay adds strength.
However, before going through it, I put a call in to Profurl customer service rep (he was based in florida at the time) and he walked me through the process.... which gave me quite a bit of confidence.
So..... my recommendation is to give Harken folks a call and hopefully get an expert there to walk you through it to spike up your courage for the task. Tell them exactly what your fears are... I'm pretty sure they'll help.

 

[jssailem]

While my boat was on the hard, I had my rigger replace the pro furler with a Harken MarkIV 1.
The forestay is run through the foil. On the hard with the mast up the jib halyard was used to hold the mast in place while the forestay was removed and then inserted in the foil. Once ready the furler and forestay were raised to the top of the mast using the Spinnaker halyard. The rigger climbed the mast and attached the forestay to the mast. Then back on the ground the furler was placed at the boat and attached to the fore chain plate. Once attached the forestay was tensioned.

It was pretty straight forward task.

 

[Hayden Watson]

That was what I thought but I have a kinked foil and would hate to do the same to my new one. The old 810 foil was kinked when I bought Papillon in 1998 so I do not know how it happened. When I took the rig down to repaint and replace all rigging I disassembled the foil on the boat with the mast still up and reinstalled it the same way. The Hood foil has very simple splices with only two halves and a pair of drive rivets on each side. The Harken splice has 7 parts plus Loctite and 5200 so it would be a pain to do with the forestay up the mast.

 

[Mark Maulden]

Assemble the forestay and foils on the slip opposite you. Someone hoists and someone else holds the furler back to prevent kinks. The foil can bend quite a bit without a hard kink..

 

[Hayden Watson]

Assemble the forestay and foils on the slip opposite you. Someone hoists and someone else holds the furler back to prevent kinks. The foil can bend quite a bit without a hard kink..

That is what I was hoping. I plan to use a Prussik knot down about 6' - 8' from the top for the hoist line which will also help to minimize the bending and make it easy to get the upper eye to the correct height.

 

[jssailem]

I think that would work.

To keep the top aligned you might add a couple of half hitches on the fittings of the stay to the halyard. This would keep the upper portion aligned to the halyard. Then when you get up the mast you can grab hold of the fitting and release the half hitch while completing the attachment to the mast.

Good communication with the person on the dock holding the halyard. And a person on the dock controlling the furler maintaining it in line.

 

[Hayden Watson]

Thanks jssailem. Are you volunteering to come up and help when the time comes?
My thinking was that the top should be loose to allow the foil to remain straighter during the first part of the hoist. at that time, the halyard is vertical and the base of the furler is horizontal on the dock. By having the Prussik down from the top will also allow the furler to be raised so that he top is above the top of the mast to get the drum over the pulpit. On this video you can see the foil bend a lot when they lift the drum over the rail and I would like to avoid that.

 

[jssailem]

From handling my Furler foil and knowing the way that the foil is put together that amount of bend was not damaging or exposing the Furler to damage.

Note the they assembled the Furler with the unit running towards the stern. That meant they had to be careful about the spreaders. Had they oriented the Furler on the bow side on the dock that would be avoided.

Secondly, you can release the life lines at the bow pulpit if you have concern and then the Furler can be positioned aboard with the base running along the deck. Less bend. That is a small matter. On assembly you'll see what I mean.

On my boat the bow pulpit was off so it made the evolution easier.

As long as you do not see me going aloft, I for one would not be anxious for that adventure, sure if in the area I'd be pleased to lend a hand.

There were a number of questionable elements to the "going aloft" in the video. He survived... This time.

 

[Hayden Watson]

I go up the stick fairly often and enjoy it. Those on the ground not so much. I have used the windlass to assist but did not like the fact that he did not have a redundant halyard. I use two with one on the bosun's chair and the other on a fall arrest harness. Both lines are tied with a bowline.

 

[FastOlson]

I just had a new Harken mk 4 furler installed last week. Replaced the Mk 2 we put on in '95.
Time for a new fore stay anyway. No way any competent rigger will put that new furler over ancient wire.

Just take the old one down and do the work on the dock. Temporarily support the front of the spar with a spare halyard or three.

 

[Hayden Watson]

So lets see, I have two jibs a spinnaker and main halyard. I usually use two halyards from the bosun chair on winches to hoist my fat a$$ up the stick. I then have another tied to my safety harness that is just tailed on another winch for full redundancy. Then there is the one to the stem fitting to temporarily hold up the mast and then I need to raise the furler. Sounds like 5 needed and 4 available. I guess I will need to send one down to hoist the furler after getting to the top.

 

[FastOlson]

So lets see, I have two jibs a spinnaker and main halyard. I usually use two halyards from the bosun chair on winches to hoist my fat a$$ up the stick. I then have another tied to my safety harness that is just tailed on another winch for full redundancy. Then there is the one to the stem fitting to temporarily hold up the mast and then I need to raise the furler. Sounds like 5 needed and 4 available. I guess I will need to send one down to hoist the furler after getting to the top.

Hmmm.... since the back stay is holding up that stern end of the load, perhaps just lead the main halyard around to the front for your extra 'safety' line. Then you would have the jib and spinnaker halyard for you and for hoisting the furler up to you.
(Admittedly we are 'richer' in spare halyards, with two spinnaker 'wing' halyards to use.)
Good luck on the job.
Aside: friend of mine has a winch stud for his 28 volt Battery Drill motor. I have been up the spar with him doing the drill motor-winching... it's like riding an elevator in comparison to the usual system with someone cranking on a Lewmar 30 and commenting that I need to lose some weight!)

 

[Hayden Watson]

I also saw a 6-step mast ladder that a friend created from an old set of sheets. You use a halyard to hoist it so that your feet are at the bottom rung and then climb up 6 steps with your ground crew chasing you with the bosun’s chair. Then you sit down, and they haul the ladder up for the next climb. With this method there is no hard work for the ground crew and an easy ladder climb up the stick. I am thinking of making something like this but would be nice to add some sail slugs to it so that the bottom isn’t free to move.

Anyone know of a device that can be put into a mast sail track and locked without using the gate. I wouldn’t want to remove the sail to climb.