Not One of Beneteau's Better Idea's!

[BrianRobin]

Picture of the furling pin on my 351, the drum is below the deck and accessible from the anchor locker. You crawl in head first and insert the pin and cotter key, fun!

 

[Davidasailor26]

Hope you don't keep your boat in an area with many spiders. I can't imagine the infestation I'd need to tolerate doing that in our marina.

 

[Parsons]

I cringe every time I see one of the newer "European" boats with their beautiful, clean decks and all the lines and working bits hidden under covers. I bet the designers that love how they look at the boat show -- "sleek", "clean", "streamlined" -- have never tried to install that pin, or re-rig a line in that tunnel in a seaway. Perhaps they sell well to people who spend more time in cars than boats?

 

[Davidasailor26]

To be fair, putting the furler below deck is more than just a cosmetic improvement, it also provides better performance by allowing the tack of the sail to get lower to the deck. PHRF of Chesapeake Bay, for example, gives a credit of 9 seconds per mile for an above deck roller furler, but only 6 seconds if the drum is at or below deck.

 

[Jackdaw]

To be fair, putting the furler below deck is more than just a cosmetic improvement, it also provides better performance by allowing the tack of the sail to get lower to the deck. PHRF of Chesapeake Bay, for example, gives a credit of 9 seconds per mile for an above deck roller furler, but only 6 seconds if the drum is at or below deck.

Indeed. Given the choice, I'd take a below-deck setup every time. And while regular inspection is good, inserting the pin it not something that you do every day. I do note that Canadians (who like to winter store stick down) do it more than most!

 

[Project_Mayhem]

Looks easy if you remove those bolts and mounting plate. Not sure what's involved with that though

 

[Justin_NSA]

I have the same setup on the Hunter. I think they should name the yoga position you have to take to pin it.

 

[Mechone]

Twice a year it's the dreaded pin , stepping mast, furling first and pin , taking down opposite it's the last. I have found having a second person to pull down or up on the furling helps a lot . Not only that the mast must get raised so high to get it into the hole someone is barely hanging onto it. One of the members with the same boat unbolts drum exposing ,turnbuckle undoing it leaving the pin alone.
Actually I just looked at your pictures ,I install my pin opposite with the hole for the ring facing out making it easy to put locking ring thru