I just bought my 1991 Hunter 30T and love the boat. The boat had not been used for many years and all lines were in need of replacement. I quickly cut the line to my furling unit which is a Hood Seafurl 705 line drive unit that uses a continous loop of line. I found out that splicing double braid line to maintain a constant diameter ( necessary to pass thru furling blocks) is extremely difficult. I contacted Hood about upgrading the drum on the 705 to a single line drum and they said it is not possible, only on the 810 and 910 models. One problem with the continous line furlers is they don't seem to handle reefing the jib very well. The 705 unit also seems to be known for problems with the bearings in the drum. Any ideas on this dilemma would be appreciated.
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Same Problem
I had the same problem with the 810 model and got the exchange to the single line a few years ago. You will notice that it is not called a reefing unit. It is called a furling unit. That's because of the slippage that occurs when trying to reef. As far as splicing braid, you best bet is to talk to a rigger or ask around your marina. There may be someone who can do it for you. West Marine may do it for a price. Check the Chapman's Book. It may tell you there. Good Luck!
I had the same problem with the 810 model and got the exchange to the single line a few years ago. You will notice that it is not called a reefing unit. It is called a furling unit. That's because of the slippage that occurs when trying to reef. As far as splicing braid, you best bet is to talk to a rigger or ask around your marina. There may be someone who can do it for you. West Marine may do it for a price. Check the Chapman's Book. It may tell you there. Good Luck!
Units Need Owner Understanding
There's noting wrong with the Hood 810, 910, and I guess the 705 (if it's the same type) system. There is a problem with owners that don't understand how it works and, consequently, how it should be adjusted and maintained. These units work exactly like self-tailing winches where the line is "pinched" as it travels through the tailer. If the upper and lower drum is too far apart - the line will slip, or if the line is loose the line will slip. The teenager comment to this is "duh?". As for the bearings they need the dirt and salt flushed out of them and probably eventually they should be replaced if they get worn. The instructions specify: MAINTENANCE The bearing assemblies in your SL Seafurl have been equipped with Torlon balls. Whenever possible flush the bearings in the drive unit and halyard swivel assemblies with water. Torlon is self lubricating therefore it is not necessary to use any additional lubrication. In fact, many commercially available lubricants will be absorbed by the Torlon bearing, making the balls enlarge, affecting the operation of the system. If after extensive use, or at any time stickiness or friction becomes excessive such that the bearings are not functioning acceptably, remove the entire offending assembly from the boat and return it to a Hood Yacht Systems Dealer or distributor for servicing. At no time attempt to disassemble these swivel (bearing) units yourself. Realize this furler design is about 20 years old and just like a 20 year old computer there has been some improvements over the years. For their day they were one of the best and given a fair shake with proper maintenance and operation I think they are a very servicable unit and, in my opinion, are better than the single-line systems (which I have now). Recommendation: Get an Owners Manual (if you don't already have one) and talk or send an E-mail to the factory rep and get some good professional advice: HOOD YACHT SYSTEMS 7712 Cheri Ct., Tampa, FL Tel: 813-885-2182 Fax: 813-888-7421 Pompette Customer service location 73 South West St. Charlestown, NH 03643 tel: (603) 826-5791 fax: (603) 826-4125 http://www.pompanette.com/hood
There's noting wrong with the Hood 810, 910, and I guess the 705 (if it's the same type) system. There is a problem with owners that don't understand how it works and, consequently, how it should be adjusted and maintained. These units work exactly like self-tailing winches where the line is "pinched" as it travels through the tailer. If the upper and lower drum is too far apart - the line will slip, or if the line is loose the line will slip. The teenager comment to this is "duh?". As for the bearings they need the dirt and salt flushed out of them and probably eventually they should be replaced if they get worn. The instructions specify: MAINTENANCE The bearing assemblies in your SL Seafurl have been equipped with Torlon balls. Whenever possible flush the bearings in the drive unit and halyard swivel assemblies with water. Torlon is self lubricating therefore it is not necessary to use any additional lubrication. In fact, many commercially available lubricants will be absorbed by the Torlon bearing, making the balls enlarge, affecting the operation of the system. If after extensive use, or at any time stickiness or friction becomes excessive such that the bearings are not functioning acceptably, remove the entire offending assembly from the boat and return it to a Hood Yacht Systems Dealer or distributor for servicing. At no time attempt to disassemble these swivel (bearing) units yourself. Realize this furler design is about 20 years old and just like a 20 year old computer there has been some improvements over the years. For their day they were one of the best and given a fair shake with proper maintenance and operation I think they are a very servicable unit and, in my opinion, are better than the single-line systems (which I have now). Recommendation: Get an Owners Manual (if you don't already have one) and talk or send an E-mail to the factory rep and get some good professional advice: HOOD YACHT SYSTEMS 7712 Cheri Ct., Tampa, FL Tel: 813-885-2182 Fax: 813-888-7421 Pompette Customer service location 73 South West St. Charlestown, NH 03643 tel: (603) 826-5791 fax: (603) 826-4125 http://www.pompanette.com/hood
Not so fast....
Don't give up on the unit so fast. I have the same unit on a Hunter 30G---same abuse when I bought the boat. I contacted the manufacturer, in fact the complete owners manual is available in PDF format on their website (see previous post). Service the unit like it says in the manual. Lubricate all of the furling line blocks or replace them. I replaced the furling line with one diameter lower than what was on it. The splice was very easy to to do--just follow the splicing directions in the manual!
Don't give up on the unit so fast. I have the same unit on a Hunter 30G---same abuse when I bought the boat. I contacted the manufacturer, in fact the complete owners manual is available in PDF format on their website (see previous post). Service the unit like it says in the manual. Lubricate all of the furling line blocks or replace them. I replaced the furling line with one diameter lower than what was on it. The splice was very easy to to do--just follow the splicing directions in the manual!
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