I am considering a Hunter 31 without a furling and wanted to know which models could be used? Does anyone know the length of the forestay? Should I go with CDI, Harken? Any thoughts would be appreciated
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Forestay length.
John: The forestay length is about 44'. There are a lot of good furlers on the market. As we all know some are better than others. I have done a lot of research and settled on the Spin-tec unit that is sold in this site. They need no maintenance. They have a limited lifetime warranty. They have a return policy if you are not satisfied and the price is right. These units can also be installed by the owner. You will not NEED to replace your forestay. I would suggest that you look them up in the HOW store and call if you have any questions.
John: The forestay length is about 44'. There are a lot of good furlers on the market. As we all know some are better than others. I have done a lot of research and settled on the Spin-tec unit that is sold in this site. They need no maintenance. They have a limited lifetime warranty. They have a return policy if you are not satisfied and the price is right. These units can also be installed by the owner. You will not NEED to replace your forestay. I would suggest that you look them up in the HOW store and call if you have any questions.
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Bob Howie
Steve D. may be making a good point
Right before I was about to put my 2-cents in on this, I decided, based on previous conversations with Mr. Dion, that I had better take a look at what he was talking about re: the Spin-Tec furler and I believe he's making a damn good point here. As someone pretty familiar with both Harken and Pro-Furl furlers, let me say that the Spin-Tec certainly deserves some investigation because it has some features absent on the others i.e., the Delrin bearings that stand the foils away from the headstay. I also liked the openess of the drum assembly because of its simplicity. I've had to battle snarls on other semi-enclosed drums and it's a real pain. That being said, due diligence demands that the Big Picture be considered. Be sure to compare all the features, pros
Right before I was about to put my 2-cents in on this, I decided, based on previous conversations with Mr. Dion, that I had better take a look at what he was talking about re: the Spin-Tec furler and I believe he's making a damn good point here. As someone pretty familiar with both Harken and Pro-Furl furlers, let me say that the Spin-Tec certainly deserves some investigation because it has some features absent on the others i.e., the Delrin bearings that stand the foils away from the headstay. I also liked the openess of the drum assembly because of its simplicity. I've had to battle snarls on other semi-enclosed drums and it's a real pain. That being said, due diligence demands that the Big Picture be considered. Be sure to compare all the features, pros
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Barry
Profurl
Replacing my CDI with a Profurl this year. Practical Sailor rated Furlex #1 (expensive, no discounts) and Profurl #2 (readily available at discount prices). LC-32 was about $1200 at the boat show from Sailnet. Barry
Replacing my CDI with a Profurl this year. Practical Sailor rated Furlex #1 (expensive, no discounts) and Profurl #2 (readily available at discount prices). LC-32 was about $1200 at the boat show from Sailnet. Barry
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Michael O
Roller Storage
I've had a Harken furler on my H '31 for 16 years. No problems, no major hassles if you keep some tension on the line as it unfurls. Keeping a nice easy flow of line prevents over-rides on every system. I had the local yard install mine way back when. I've put the Harken through thousands of miles of hard sailing and long cruises and it's still doing the job.
I've had a Harken furler on my H '31 for 16 years. No problems, no major hassles if you keep some tension on the line as it unfurls. Keeping a nice easy flow of line prevents over-rides on every system. I had the local yard install mine way back when. I've put the Harken through thousands of miles of hard sailing and long cruises and it's still doing the job.
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Tim Schaaf
Maybe a Famet?
The most bullet proof furler there is, is a Famet. It is an old design that has recently gone back into production. The halyard is internal to the unit, somewhat like a CDI (I think, not sure) but it is very ruggedly built out of aluminum. Since there is no halyard connected to the mast, there is nothing to foul, and the extrusion is held in compression, not tension. Therefore, it needs no bearings, and simply spins on a delrin disk. After nineteen years, I had to replace the disk! There has never been a major offshore failure of one of these units recorded. And it is owner installable (a lot of screws, but that's it....no headstay removal or replacement). But, of course, nothing is perfect, and the Famet's main disadvantages are weight, and difficulty of changing sails, while underway. If you have an interior forestay, or if, in any case, you can live with the same headsail all the time, I don't think you can do better. Actually, changing sails is not ALL that hard, and there are some tricks to it, but it is way harder than doing so with a more conventional furler where the halyard comes down the mast, instead of the furler.
The most bullet proof furler there is, is a Famet. It is an old design that has recently gone back into production. The halyard is internal to the unit, somewhat like a CDI (I think, not sure) but it is very ruggedly built out of aluminum. Since there is no halyard connected to the mast, there is nothing to foul, and the extrusion is held in compression, not tension. Therefore, it needs no bearings, and simply spins on a delrin disk. After nineteen years, I had to replace the disk! There has never been a major offshore failure of one of these units recorded. And it is owner installable (a lot of screws, but that's it....no headstay removal or replacement). But, of course, nothing is perfect, and the Famet's main disadvantages are weight, and difficulty of changing sails, while underway. If you have an interior forestay, or if, in any case, you can live with the same headsail all the time, I don't think you can do better. Actually, changing sails is not ALL that hard, and there are some tricks to it, but it is way harder than doing so with a more conventional furler where the halyard comes down the mast, instead of the furler.
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Jack
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