Im happy to report that my new CDI furler is installed and everything is working smoothly. To Secure the halyard I tied a truckers hitch a couple of feet from the tail ran the end of the halyard through a D shackle on top of the drum, up through the truckers hitch than down through the D shackle again. Than I secured it with a few 1/2 hitches. I could not get the halyard as tight as I would have liked without a winch or blocks. Anyone have any Ideas or know any tricks to get the halyard tighter Bob
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Not sure I follow
Bob - doesen't the halyard just pull the stopper up the track and then secure against the end of the track at the top of the furler? I am not sure I am following your questions. My sail just slide right up the track and eneded against the stopper at the top. No need for much effort in sliding it through. Rob
Bob - doesen't the halyard just pull the stopper up the track and then secure against the end of the track at the top of the furler? I am not sure I am following your questions. My sail just slide right up the track and eneded against the stopper at the top. No need for much effort in sliding it through. Rob
Reply to Rob
No Rob There is no stopper on the model FF4 CdI furler the end of halyard attaches to the jib is pulled up and thru a sheave at the top of the track than out of a slot on the other side of the mast. After hoisting the jib the halyard tail must be tied off on top of the drum. There are no stoppers. To see a diagram of this go to the CDI site Look at the FF4 furler Bob
No Rob There is no stopper on the model FF4 CdI furler the end of halyard attaches to the jib is pulled up and thru a sheave at the top of the track than out of a slot on the other side of the mast. After hoisting the jib the halyard tail must be tied off on top of the drum. There are no stoppers. To see a diagram of this go to the CDI site Look at the FF4 furler Bob
Me too
I was having trouble keeping my CDI halyard as taught as I would like too. I would haul away, pass it through the D ring on the drum, and I could not get it to stay taught as I tied it off. I finally called CDI for some advice; I told the guy who answered the phone my general problem, expecting him to direct my call to someone else. He started asking me specific questions, and was a bit testy, like he was taking it personally that I was having these problems. Turns out he is the guy who actually designed the unit, and he was taking it a bit personally. All turned out great, as he explained that he originally designed the unit to have a cleat just above the d ring to allow for quick and easy tie off. However, he lamented, the marketing gurus said no, it doesn't look good. He sent me a cleat and screws free, and when I went to mount it, I found the molded half-holes where the screws were to go already in place. The cleat makes it a lot easier to tie off the halyard at the tension you want.
I was having trouble keeping my CDI halyard as taught as I would like too. I would haul away, pass it through the D ring on the drum, and I could not get it to stay taught as I tied it off. I finally called CDI for some advice; I told the guy who answered the phone my general problem, expecting him to direct my call to someone else. He started asking me specific questions, and was a bit testy, like he was taking it personally that I was having these problems. Turns out he is the guy who actually designed the unit, and he was taking it a bit personally. All turned out great, as he explained that he originally designed the unit to have a cleat just above the d ring to allow for quick and easy tie off. However, he lamented, the marketing gurus said no, it doesn't look good. He sent me a cleat and screws free, and when I went to mount it, I found the molded half-holes where the screws were to go already in place. The cleat makes it a lot easier to tie off the halyard at the tension you want.
What I do!
Is hoist the thing all the way up. I then tie off the halyard, the tack not being fixed at all yet. I then take a short piece of 1/4" double-braid nd do the following -Attach to tack with a bowline, leaving extra room in the loop -Lead down, through the shackle on the base, up through bowline, back to the shackle and tie off, tensioning. This is pretty similar to the way you do it, though!. Here's a question for you - with a fully supported luff with a luff tape, and sometimes a luff foam, why do you want winch-tight halyard tension? I Really don't think that the system is designed for it. Nor would I want my sail to be stretched that tight all season!!
Is hoist the thing all the way up. I then tie off the halyard, the tack not being fixed at all yet. I then take a short piece of 1/4" double-braid nd do the following -Attach to tack with a bowline, leaving extra room in the loop -Lead down, through the shackle on the base, up through bowline, back to the shackle and tie off, tensioning. This is pretty similar to the way you do it, though!. Here's a question for you - with a fully supported luff with a luff tape, and sometimes a luff foam, why do you want winch-tight halyard tension? I Really don't think that the system is designed for it. Nor would I want my sail to be stretched that tight all season!!
I'm with Brian
Just hoist with the tack line slack or off. Hoist jib all the way up. Now the sail is just hanging there, with no luff tension. Cleat off halyard, then tension luff by hauling down on the tack. I have a 3:1 block system that came with my old CDI ( plastic drum) for hauling down on the tack.
Just hoist with the tack line slack or off. Hoist jib all the way up. Now the sail is just hanging there, with no luff tension. Cleat off halyard, then tension luff by hauling down on the tack. I have a 3:1 block system that came with my old CDI ( plastic drum) for hauling down on the tack.
Why
I guess I should add why we do it this way - the sheave at the top of the FFX luff extrusion leaves much to be desired, not to mention all the friction from the luff, gravity working against you, etc etc. On a normal sail, we don't have this friction, we have big (3/8" +) line, and nice sheaves, but even then many racers feel that's not good enough, thus the cunningham. When you tension the tack of the sail, you have the sail's weight working for you, not to mention you cut out the middleman..errm..sheave-like thing at the top. I use the same line for this that I use for my messenger line when I drop the sail - i just put wraps around the base of the sail, so it looks like a coiled-up rope (which it is) Funny I'm posting here, it makes me miss my furler. I..uhm...broke the extrusion in two reefing the sail when a storm kicked up in august. I'm debating fixing it with a patch (aluminum plate maybe), I already tried fiberglass which worked so-so. The problem is that theres not really any material to work with, no solid areas to drill a hole and you can't encroach into the slide areas or wrap around the thing. I guess i'm out for a new luff next season.
I guess I should add why we do it this way - the sheave at the top of the FFX luff extrusion leaves much to be desired, not to mention all the friction from the luff, gravity working against you, etc etc. On a normal sail, we don't have this friction, we have big (3/8" +) line, and nice sheaves, but even then many racers feel that's not good enough, thus the cunningham. When you tension the tack of the sail, you have the sail's weight working for you, not to mention you cut out the middleman..errm..sheave-like thing at the top. I use the same line for this that I use for my messenger line when I drop the sail - i just put wraps around the base of the sail, so it looks like a coiled-up rope (which it is) Funny I'm posting here, it makes me miss my furler. I..uhm...broke the extrusion in two reefing the sail when a storm kicked up in august. I'm debating fixing it with a patch (aluminum plate maybe), I already tried fiberglass which worked so-so. The problem is that theres not really any material to work with, no solid areas to drill a hole and you can't encroach into the slide areas or wrap around the thing. I guess i'm out for a new luff next season.
Cleat!
I have always despised this design. The sailing characteristics are great with the sharp, stable luff and makes for easy furling. But the halyard is a nightmare. The cleat info is priceless, thank you to that poster. Am going to investigate this remedy.
I have always despised this design. The sailing characteristics are great with the sharp, stable luff and makes for easy furling. But the halyard is a nightmare. The cleat info is priceless, thank you to that poster. Am going to investigate this remedy.
Interested!
Jeff If you don't mind please post the info you are able to aquire re the cleat. I'd be very interested in what you come up with. I've sent an email to CDI but so far have no reply. I'll post anything I'm able to come up with.
Jeff If you don't mind please post the info you are able to aquire re the cleat. I'd be very interested in what you come up with. I've sent an email to CDI but so far have no reply. I'll post anything I'm able to come up with.
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