New Furler or Rebuild??

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Ralph18414

Ralph18414

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Dec 11, 2005
74
Pearson 30 Wanderer NA
The boat I just bought has finally been delivered (1980 Morgan 415 Out Island). (The boat arrived on a flat-bed with the mast down.) As a result of the survey, the owner agreed to replace the rigging. However, he didn't replace the forestay which is pretty corroded. I am trying to get the owner to spring for the wire and for a swaged fitting at the top. He still hasn't responded to my email but that may be due to him traveling.

I've dismantled the Hood Sea Furl Mark II furler in preparation for the new stay. The old furler needs rebuilding. Since Hood no longer distributes the parts for these old furlers, I would have to find the bearings, o-rings, and snap-rings off the internet using cross-reference numbers that Hood supplied me with. In addition, I would have to put about 25 or so plastic tubes on the wire (they act as bearings between the wire and the extrusions) and tape them into place.

I have a two questions. Should I go through with doing the rebuild or should I buy a new system for about $2300 (which includes the cost of the wire, swaging, and putting a new luff tape on my genoa). The $2300 factors in the discount buy upgrading with a new Hood system.

My second question is: If I were to rebuild the furler, what kind of tape should I use to afix the little tubular bearings to the wire?

As always, I enjoy the wisdom in this forum.
 
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Scott

If it was me ...

I would always prefer new equipment. It sounds like the PO is committed to supplying the fore stay. What better time to make an upgrade? What if you do the re-build and it fails? Would you then possibly need to modify the forestay for a new furler? That would suck, if you just had a new one installed that you didn't even have to pay for! I would always prefer selecting the equipment of my choice rather than settling for re-built equipment that maybe isn't my choice.

As Stu would say ... your boat, your budget and your choice!
 
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Warren Milberg

My advice: get a new furler

You going to be dealing with a fairly large headsail(s) -- my guess is in excess of 450 sq ft -- and so you want a reliable furler/reefer. If you get a Furlex, it comes with a new headstay, also a must for a new furler. If you decide to rebuild the old furler, it will be a constant task, IMHO. The worst part of it is that you'll never be able to trust it and it will probably fail just when you really need to get that headsail rolled up. Good luck with the "new" boat. I chartered one of these Out Island 41's in the Virgins many years ago and it was a fun boat to sail there.
 
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Ross

I know nothing of furlers but I presume that in

the interval between the time your existing unit was built and today there have been many substantial improvements in the design. Twnety-five years ago the adage was WHEN your furler fails..... Today I think it is IF your furler fails..... Even if you succeed in rebuilding this unit it will still be old technology.
 
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Cap't Ron

Double wire

If you have ever been in a gale and had a furler come unglued, as they are sure to do eventually, you will regret the day you kept it.

Having said that, for 'fair weather sailors' who wind her up when she gets above 12 KTS, sail the bays and that sort of thing, you can get away with it, but tie it off exceptionally well for winter.

A straight wire that makes it easy to SEE what is going on, and can actually tune the boat without worrying if the furler is going to pout at you, and the added bonus of being abolutely able to reduce sail, and quickly too with a downhaul atttched to the foot of the forestay, lead back to the cockpit.

From over a hundred sailboat deliveries with furlers, at least furty had, what do they call it these days? Oh yeah...."Issues".

Everyone here had a perfect run with roller-furlers on the jib? No problemos, "issues?" Nothing?

I am pretty sure that Harken is the only one that worked as advertised, the rest are a pain in the butt.

Just the truth as I know it, now kill the messenger....;-)
 
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Don

Furler

If Hood no longer has parts for your furler, why buy another Hood? I have a Hood and I am very dissapointed with their customer service. IMHO, Schaffer, Harken, Furlex, and Profurl all make a better furler for about the same $$. Hood will sell you a new unit for 50% off, but that is off LIST price. That makes it about the same as the discount price on other brands.
 
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Ralph

It seems that replacing the furler

would be in my best interest. Now I have to decide which furler to go with. Most of my sailing will be done in inland waters. However, I usually sail single-handed. Ease of operation is a must. My last boat had a CDI furler and I was fairly pleased with it. I can't justify the cost of a top-end unit, but, the Hood and CDI seem resonable priced. Does anyone have suggestions where I could go to get the best price and which furler to buy? Is the Furlex widely available?
 
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Ross

You can't do better than the chandlery

here at this forum. Just click the tab.
 
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CHET P

HARKEN

I HAVE A HUNTER 37CUTTER AND JUST DID THE INSTALL MYSELF WITH THE MAST UP. HAD A NEW HEADSTAY MADE WITH A SWAGED FITTING ON TOP AND USED A HAYN FITTING ON THE BOTTOM AFTER I CUT THE STAY TO FIT... USING THE HARKEN CRUISING UNIT (AVAL HERE ON THIS SITE, BUT CHEAPER AT DEFENDER OR JSI, I THINK YOU WOULD USE THE #2)PUT IT UP BY MYSELF IN ABOUT 3 HOURS WITH NO PROBLEM AND AS I SAID I DID IT WITH THE MAST UP... LOVE THE UNIT AND HARKEN IS A NAME I TRUST...FWIW CHET P
 
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Dave Groshong - SailboatOwners.com

We have to publish MAP pricing on the site.......

Call me for a better price than Defender or anywhere else!
 
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Paul Brinkley

I have a CDI furler on my 1990 26S-

don't know how old the furler is because it was on the boat when I bought it last fall. The PO apparently didn't use it much, since the line was tangled on the reel (and wound in the wrong direction!). However, I untangled the line, wound it correctly, and have used it on seven trips now, and it has worked perfectly. I have read of some posters who didn't like the CDI, but I have found mine to work just fine. Check the chandlery on this site. -Paul
 
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Nice N Easy

Parts

Parts may be impossible to find, and I can assure you will be expensive if you find them. I recently broke a headstay, and messed up my furler. Ended up buying a new CDI from this site. No one could beat their price, including Defender, and the service was outstanding. On a boat of that age, I would strongly recommend replacing the head stay also. It is expensive, but the feeling of security is priceless.
 
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Brian Duff

Harken Cruising Unit - best furler

The Harken cruising furlers are your best deal on the market today, also the best cruising furler for a boat of your type. At $2300 you should be able to have that harken unit on the boat by a professional rigger.

Go new, designs have improved, and so has reliablity. Especially with the Harken cruising unit. They are so easy that every crew memeber will be able to handle the headsail ( or at least furl it, I don't know what winches you have to sheet it)

Fair Leads !
 
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Ralph

I am going to have to be the one to install

the furler. There are no professional riggers in Muscle Shoals which is in northern AL.

I talked with the PO and I believe he will be picking up the price of the forestay wire and swaged terminal. It is in my best interest to work with the people who are doing my rigging (being paid for by the PO). The previous owner decided to go with sailnet (sorry guys--I wasn't involved in the decision). I am still waiting on them to provide me with the available furler choices that are applicable for my boat. The type of sailing that is available to me does not warrant a top-of-the-line furler. Harken maybe too expensive but the decision still hasn't been made.
 
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bffatcat

furlers my 2c

It seems like the logical choice is a new furler. Ive owned two. I had a pro furl on my Pearson 10m for 10 years. Never gave me a bit of trouble. Was easy
to change jibs all parts were solid and well built. I bought a new CDI last season for my Pearson 26w. The furler is efficient and trouble free. I find the
halyard a bit of a pain when changing jibs. The pro furl is the choice of many offshore sailors. But if your sailing inland and not doing a lot of jib changing
the CDI will save you some $. The choice is yours
 
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