Roller Furling Line Replacement and Reinstallation

[Kraffert]

Greetings Fellow Hunter Enthusiasts!

We have an 1989 Hunter 35.5.

It has the 'under deck' roller furling.

The line got damaged due to someone not putting the line through 1 of the sheeves and it rubbing the sheeve housing.

We have taken apart the drum, MOSTLY (stripped screw, tried 2 methods to remove, have a few more to try), we are trying to figure out 2 things.

1.) From observation of other boats on our dock, the drum is pretty much empty with the sail is furled. This leads us to believe that UNFURLING is how it gets tension, which is done with the sheet lines. Is this accurate? So when deployed, the furling line should be locked to keep it open?

2.) In order to get to the drum with sufficient access, we had to separate it from the rigging and sail and open the jib sail to give room to move the drum. We MAY have done this wrong, but aside from the stripped screw, we seem to be in good shape so far. Once we get the new line on, routed, etc. How do we get the tension back into the drum so it'll refurl the sail?

Any information will be GREATLY appreciated.

This is our first boat and, naturally, we've put the cart before the horse.....our instructor won't sail her until this line is replaced and we've had her since August of last year, so you can see we're paying a lot for dock space on a boat we can't use...

 

[colemj]

Furler lines are not under tension unless the sail is partially furled. The drum shouldn't be completely empty when the sail is furled. You want 2-3 wraps then. The reason is because the sail furls at different tightness depending on the force in it when it is furled. If the drum is empty under normal furling, then you won't have enough line to furl it when it furls tighter.

There is no need to lock the furling line when the sail is fully deployed. If you partially reef the sail, then the line needs to be locked in a clutch or cleat or similar.

If you have removed the line with the sail unfurled, then you will need to either hand wind the line around the drum the number of times necessary to furl the sail (very tedious), or drop the sail, spin the drum to load the line on it, and raise the sail and furl it.

The above assumes you have a conventional furler and not some automatic or spring-loaded type I'm not aware of (your use of the word "tension" is confusing). If so, you make sure the furling line is free to run, pull on the sheet to unfurl the sail, and the furling line wraps itself around the drum as the drum turns. To furl the sail, you pull on the furling line and it turns the drum to bring the sail in.

Mark

 

[Kraffert]

Mark,

I've not deployed the jib yet, so unsure how it all works.

When we did sea trial, the captain unfurled it, but I wasn't smart enough to watch. The surveyor said the line was damaged. I saw that they missed a sheeve, so routed incorrectly.

Memory is a bit sketchy about taking it apart, getting old sucks. But I believe the drum was full of line when furled.

If it was and is when it's finished, unfurling is done with the line we replaced.

How do you furl it then?

It seems I'm having a bit of trouble communicating or reading what you're saying.

Maybe I'm using the wrong terms.

If the line is in the drum when furled (rolled up for storage with sunbrella covering the sail), pulling that line will unfurl the sail. How do you furl it when finished using it?

I was thinking that using the sheet line (the lines used during tacking) would deploy the sail. Then the furling line would roll it back up.

Am I wrong?

 

[kappykaplan]

If the line is in the drum when furled (rolled up for storage with sunbrella covering the sail), pulling that line will unfurl the sail. How do you furl it when finished using it?

I was thinking that using the sheet line (the lines used during tacking) would deploy the sail.

You don't. As others have stated, there should be a few wraps of line on the furler drum when the jib is unfurled. You use the jib sheet to unfurl the jib, keeping some tension on the furling line so it doesn't get gummed up in/on the drum.

 

[JoeWhite]

If the line is in the drum when furled (rolled up for storage with sunbrella covering the sail), pulling that line will unfurl the sail. How do you furl it when finished using it?

The above statement is not correct.
The drum has no line on it when the jib is furled.
It is the opposite of what you are thinking.
Take a look at other boats in the slips in the marina.

 

[jssailem]

I was thinking that using the sheet line (the lines used during tacking) would deploy the sail. Then the furling line would roll it back up.

Jib (genoa) is Furled = Jib is wrapped up around the forestay on the furler. The sun cover for the jib is on the outside and 2-3 wraps are around the furled sail to keep it wrapped.

When sail is Furled, the furling line is mostly back in the cockpit. Mostly, because 2-3 wraps of the line may be on the drum.

 

[Kraffert]

Thank you everyone!