New Furling Unit (follow-up)

[Boat Babe]

I have an old Hood 810 line drive furling unit which I'd like to upgrade to a new single line unit (Profurl C290?). I am by myself and would rather not climg the mast, so is it possible to remove and replace the foils (and head swivel) by just disconnecting the headstay from the deck without climbing? How difficult is this or should I have a professional install it for me? I'm pretty handy when it comes to mechanical things but hate climbing (especially without help!). thanks!

 

[Joseph Shirley]

Perhaps

I'm not familiar with the hood System but if you have a headstay and the lowest non removable fitting at the deck is small enough , it is possible to do install a Profurl from the deck. I did it on my boat about 13 years ago, but my headstay was assembled with staylock fittings so the aluminum extrusions that made up the headfoil slipped over the wire easily. The only thing that has to be fastened at the top is the stop which stops the upper swivel from wrapping the halyard and it is possible to do that after or possibly not at all if your upper swivel goes close to your masthead fitting.

 

[Gary Sisson]

convert?

Hood has a kit to change the DL to a SL furler in the 800 and 900 furlers. You might call them. I have a 705 furler and they don't make a kit for it-nuts-I'm staying with what I have.

 

[Warren Milberg]

Steph: it is probably possible

...to install the Profurl without going aloft, but I am not familiar with that system. Yet most modern furlers are going to require the installation of a halyard restrainer on the mast a short distance below the masthead or the exit box for the headsail halyard. This is a very important item to avoid halyard wrap and they usually are screwed into the mast. I'd be glad to help you with the installation at HHN, but be aware that the yard used to prohibit owners going aloft when the boat was on the hard. I do think they allow the rigging shop to go aloft on boats on the hard. You may want to ask Terry in the office or Marc McAteer at Altantic Rigging. FYI, when Alpha Rigging was at HHN they charged a flat $500 fee to fully install (to include a new forestay, a very important part of any new furler installation and one that does require going aloft) any system. A bargain, in my view.

 

[Stu Jackson]

One of the selling points of ProFurl is that they don't

require a halyard restrainer -- one of the reasons I bought ours. They have this Darth Vader - like fitting on the top that is a halyard keeper and restrainer above the top foil. That said, one may need to go up to remove the existing halyard restrainer. Take Warren's advice.

 

[Boat Babe]

thanks

thanks for the responses. I still have to check out which unit I'll buy. I'm waiting for Pompanette to get back to me as they have a conversion kit SL to LD which only requires the drum to be changed. If not, I'll probably follow your advise and have a pro do it. Thanks again... here's to warm weather coming soon!