Profurl headsail furling line fowling

[PDReynolds]

Hi All

I am now on my second Profurl headsail unit, 2 different boats and 2 different sizes. With each unit I seem to manage often to allow the furling line to wind itself outside the drum and down onto the jaw assembly making reefing impossible.

Does anyone have any idea what is wrong with my set up or is it just the captain doing something incorrectly when furling/unfurling the headsail.
Thanks

 

[rardiH36]

Hi PD:

I just looked at the parts diagram for my Profurl and didn't see anything listed as jaws.

So presume that you describing that the furling line goes slack and hence jumps out of the drum mechanism and then wraps up around the rest of the furler base parts.

Granted your furler model is probably a bigger one than mine, but all the Profurls are pretty much designed the same. I have never had this problem. Sounds like either and or:

- When furling/unfurling, you are letting the furling line go totally slack. Just a little firmness needs to be maintained at all times so the line winds with some compactness around the drum,
- The lead of the line into the drum is wrong. Be sure that the first block just after of the drum (usually mounted on the pulpit railing assuming that the line leads back after along the toe rail) is mounted so the line feeds true into the drum. And that block shouldn't be too far aft of the drum. Just 3 feet or so.
- The line is lead through the drum cage incorrectly -- i.e. does it does bend around one of the cage wires?
- When the sail is totally out, is the line wrapped around the drum so many times that the drum is more than full? If so, your furling line might be too long.

Just some ideas.

 

[finding41]

The outside/bottom of the drum should not turn. You are missing a piece (shackle?) to connect it properly.

 

[Mick143]

Profurl

I don't know how your line comes out of the bale or cage that surrounds the hub?? Hope the pictures help

 

[tommays]

On my Profurl how the line is lead by the final block which in my case is mounted on the bow pulpit makes all the difference

Even and 1" or 2" up or down does not allow it to spool correctly ONCE I found the right height I never had anymore issues

 

[finding41]

I don't know how your line comes out of the bale or cage that surrounds the hub?? Hope the pictures help

Yes the rope comes out of the bail cage. It is a matter of getting the right height.

 

[Don12364]

Solution ??

I had sailed single handed 60 miles back across the English Channel on an almost dead run. All day long the jib had been flopping back and forth where I was unable to accurately hold a course which prevented this.
At first the wind was light but by the time I was arriving at my destination it had built to F7+. As a result I was very early for the tide which was a Spring ebb and was running fast out of the Needles Channel against the now strong wind. The waves were considerable!

Each time the jib had flopped it had driven the furling line over the lower rim of the furling drum and down between the rim and the four vertical line guide rods shown in your photo. Just as yours did. So, when I came to furl the sail it was well and truly jammed. I was on the foredeck performing a ballet as the boat leapt from wave to wave and each time I worked a turn of line back up over the rim of the drum there was nobody in the cockpit to take up the slack.
It was a very nasty moment and several yachtsmen have been lost here under similar conditions.

Next day, at home, I made the 1/8" thick aluminium flange shown in the attached photos. It mounts ON TOP of the drum's lower flange but does not rotate with it. The outer edge of the flange projects beyond the four guide rods and now there is virtually no way the reefing line can get over the rim of the drum or between it and the rods. The friction between reefing line and the new stationary plate is minimal and the plate is loose to float up or down and hardly rubs on the drum. I also adjusted the line guide roller on the pulpit to lift the line to run clear of the flange.

I did all this in 2002 and haven't touched it since - nor has it given a moment's bother.
I now always keep a light tension on the reefing line whilst the sail being is unrolled anyway and cleat it off with no slack allowed.
Please see my drawing of the plate ALFURLER.PDF so you can make your own version - plus the before and after photos.
Good luck.