Does anyone use a Schaefer Snap Furler model 500 on their boat ? What is your opinion of it, would this be a good choice for my Hunter 22 ? Thanks in advance!
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I like mine
I'm very happy with mine, but it's the only one I've used. I've had a close look at at a CDI on a friend's boat. He somehow broke the flat foil right in half. You couldn't break the round Schaefer foil if you tried. After looking at the CDI I'm glad I chose the Schaefer, but that's only by looking. I haven't bent the jib on and off or sailed with a CDI. Some people claim the round foil on the Schaefer is smoother and rolls nicer than the flat one on the CDI. I don't know first hand but it sounds reasonable. I can imagine the CDI wanting to turn 180 degrees at a time as jib pulls against the flatness, if you can picture that (a poster here described this, in fact). Some people say they like the open cage/drum of the Schaefer better. The shop that installed mine was very familiar with the CDI but hadn't ever seen the Schaefer before. They were impressed by the design and materials of the Schaefer but again they haven't used it on the water. A practical difference is that the Schaefer uses the jib halyard. The CDI has an internal one, and when removing the jib you have to attach a temporary messanger line. The CDI does leave your jib halyard free for other uses if that is important to you. On the other hand, it means you have to go to the bow to fiddle with the jib luff tension, whereas I can do that from the cockpit with the existing halyard (not that I bother adjusting it). The Schaefer uses a #5 luff tape, which apparently isn't as common (as #6, I think), but I had North Sails modify the jib and they seemed to have the right stuff. The Schaefer snaps right on your existing unmodified forestay, but once you snap it on, I don't think you could ever get it off again unless you remove the turnbuckle to get bare wire at one end so it will slip off. I don't know if other brands can be easily removed at will. Other brands may require shortening the forestay. I assume this is the case because Schaefer specifically boasts that you don't have to modify the forestay for their furler at all. I don't know what the H22 rigging looks like, so I can't comment on the actual installation issues for your boat. Some boats require an extension to the forestay chainplate so there is room for the furler drum, meaning the forestay must be shortend no matter what furler you buy. ...RickM...
I'm very happy with mine, but it's the only one I've used. I've had a close look at at a CDI on a friend's boat. He somehow broke the flat foil right in half. You couldn't break the round Schaefer foil if you tried. After looking at the CDI I'm glad I chose the Schaefer, but that's only by looking. I haven't bent the jib on and off or sailed with a CDI. Some people claim the round foil on the Schaefer is smoother and rolls nicer than the flat one on the CDI. I don't know first hand but it sounds reasonable. I can imagine the CDI wanting to turn 180 degrees at a time as jib pulls against the flatness, if you can picture that (a poster here described this, in fact). Some people say they like the open cage/drum of the Schaefer better. The shop that installed mine was very familiar with the CDI but hadn't ever seen the Schaefer before. They were impressed by the design and materials of the Schaefer but again they haven't used it on the water. A practical difference is that the Schaefer uses the jib halyard. The CDI has an internal one, and when removing the jib you have to attach a temporary messanger line. The CDI does leave your jib halyard free for other uses if that is important to you. On the other hand, it means you have to go to the bow to fiddle with the jib luff tension, whereas I can do that from the cockpit with the existing halyard (not that I bother adjusting it). The Schaefer uses a #5 luff tape, which apparently isn't as common (as #6, I think), but I had North Sails modify the jib and they seemed to have the right stuff. The Schaefer snaps right on your existing unmodified forestay, but once you snap it on, I don't think you could ever get it off again unless you remove the turnbuckle to get bare wire at one end so it will slip off. I don't know if other brands can be easily removed at will. Other brands may require shortening the forestay. I assume this is the case because Schaefer specifically boasts that you don't have to modify the forestay for their furler at all. I don't know what the H22 rigging looks like, so I can't comment on the actual installation issues for your boat. Some boats require an extension to the forestay chainplate so there is room for the furler drum, meaning the forestay must be shortend no matter what furler you buy. ...RickM...
Schaefer SnapFurl
Pratical Sailor rated the SnapFurl as tops, a best buy. I think it is a high quality furler, but I do not have the SnapFurl. I have the CDI on my Hunter 240. I have problems with the luff getting a permanet twist in it, about 45 degrees. CDI sent me a replacement, but that one twisted also. They would not send me another. Other people have the same problem, but this is on the Hunter B&R rigs, with no backstay. I had a CDI on an 18' Capri, and it was great, no problems. With the CDI, the whole assembly can be lifted up, to gain access to the forestay turnbuckle. With the SnapFurl, I believe you need to remove a couple of small screws and a plate to get at the tunbuckle. If I were to buy one, I would buy the Schaefer, because I do not trailer the boat much, and it is of better quality. But if I trailered the boat a lot, I would consider the CDI. Last year I was going to switch, but then decided it wasn't worth the cost. But if I had to replace, I would go with the SnapFurl.
Pratical Sailor rated the SnapFurl as tops, a best buy. I think it is a high quality furler, but I do not have the SnapFurl. I have the CDI on my Hunter 240. I have problems with the luff getting a permanet twist in it, about 45 degrees. CDI sent me a replacement, but that one twisted also. They would not send me another. Other people have the same problem, but this is on the Hunter B&R rigs, with no backstay. I had a CDI on an 18' Capri, and it was great, no problems. With the CDI, the whole assembly can be lifted up, to gain access to the forestay turnbuckle. With the SnapFurl, I believe you need to remove a couple of small screws and a plate to get at the tunbuckle. If I were to buy one, I would buy the Schaefer, because I do not trailer the boat much, and it is of better quality. But if I trailered the boat a lot, I would consider the CDI. Last year I was going to switch, but then decided it wasn't worth the cost. But if I had to replace, I would go with the SnapFurl.
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