More on Hood LD Upgrades

[Mark T]

I have the original Hood 810LD furler on my 35.5. It has consistently performed poorly. Now it is completely frozen, and I'd guess that the bearings are shot. I've read all of the archives, and understand that the most common fix is to replace with the 800SL upgrade kit. That sounds like the easiest solution, but given the inferior performance of the 810LD, and reading a few forum posts about problems with the 800SL, I'd much prefer to use a better furler.The problem is the size of the deck cutout in the 35.5. I need to keep the furler below deck because I have a significant investment in two laminate genoas that would need to be recut if I put the furler above the deck.My first choice would be the Harken Mark III, but the drum appears to be 7 3/4" in diameter, when the deck cutout is about 7 1/2" in diameter.Does anyone know of any furler other than the Hood that will fir the boat?Thanks,Mark

 

[Steve Dion]

Contact Spin-tec

Mark:You may want to contact Spin-tec through the HOW Website. They have done some mods to their units. As I remember there was a post about this last year. These Spin-tec units are some of the best available.George and Jeff at Spin-tec should be able to tell you if it can be done with their units or not.

 

[Paul Akers]

Replaced mine

I replaced mine a few years ago with the SL and it has performe well. The tolerance for the cutout is a concern and leaves little space for a larger head. What you have to ensure is that if the head is COMPLETELY belowdeck, then you may be OK only IF you can fit it in through the anchor locker to install it.Like I said, though, I am satisfied with my replacement since I installed it about 5 years ago.

 

[fred miller]

My 800 SL Works Great

Mark;I researched and researched the prospect of changing furlers as my Hood 800 SL was consistently balky. I was ready to change to ProFurl unit when a rigger showed me how to make a couple of simple adjustments on my existing unit. Now my 800 SL Works Great on my 35.5 every time.First, the furler line [3/8" smooth braided available from Hood] has to be decored 3/4 of its length so it lays flat in the furler drum. This helps prevent line overloading and jamming against the side of the drum body.Second, the tension on the jib halyard is very critical. Just a fraction of an inch too much tension and the sail will jamb up on furling or unfurling.The reason for this is that excessive tension causes the top swivel bearing to bind instead of rotating freely. Gradually let the tension [halyard down] 1/4" at a time until the sail flows out[and in] smoothly. Mark the halyard with a marking pen when you get to the 'sweet spot.' Note: do not make the halyard tension too loose or you run the risk of wrapping the halyard.Fred Miller

 

[Hermn Miron]

Have you looked at the Hood Upgrade

I was on the hood site looking for some parts. The offer a single line systems upgrade. Have you concidered that?PS I need some parts for mine. Do you know where I can buy the Halyard Swivel Inserts (the plastic guides that are inside of the Halyard Swivel)?

 

[Barry Hammerberg]

Upgraded from DL to SL800 4 years ago

We were experiencing problems due to bearing wear in the drive on our DL800. Changed out the drive, and this year changed out the bearings in the swivel due to high halyard tension for racing commbined with 11 years of sailing. Also changed out the lower luff tube to get the new feeder section. Replaced all the bearings in the luff tube... though on inspection the old ones went into the spares box. No measureable wear. I'd recommend the Hood as it's an easy fix and has proven servicable.Plastic inserts? Pompanette LLC @ 603-826-5791 or www.pompanette.com.