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need to
I have been having a roller furling problem for years now. I really need to get it fixed before I launch this year because it seems to get worse every year and it can be dangerous at times. I can't figure it out, and the guys at the local boat shop can't figure it out, so I think I am taking it somewhere where people know more than I do (which is actually most places now that I think of it). Anyway it is under a pretty good pile of snow and ice right now, and I think it a month it will be surrounded by mud that would bury my minivan. So I think it may be a little while before I haul my boat anywhere. john
I have been having a roller furling problem for years now. I really need to get it fixed before I launch this year because it seems to get worse every year and it can be dangerous at times. I can't figure it out, and the guys at the local boat shop can't figure it out, so I think I am taking it somewhere where people know more than I do (which is actually most places now that I think of it). Anyway it is under a pretty good pile of snow and ice right now, and I think it a month it will be surrounded by mud that would bury my minivan. So I think it may be a little while before I haul my boat anywhere. john
We
We are just wet here but still alittle to cold to work on it but needs turned over again and all the little scratchs filled and sanded smooth and final sand with 1500 grit, and its going to get a new jib this year I let it set out without cover to long and it weathered to bad other than that just a few other little things. I dont understand the roller thing Ive never had and problem with mine except in high wind than I just turn into and roll it up.
We are just wet here but still alittle to cold to work on it but needs turned over again and all the little scratchs filled and sanded smooth and final sand with 1500 grit, and its going to get a new jib this year I let it set out without cover to long and it weathered to bad other than that just a few other little things. I dont understand the roller thing Ive never had and problem with mine except in high wind than I just turn into and roll it up.
What furler problem?
John, What trouble are you having with your roller furler? They are pretty simple systems, perhaps I can help. I have installed a couple systems on boats that I have owned over the years, and I think I have experienced many of the common problems. Okiman
John, What trouble are you having with your roller furler? They are pretty simple systems, perhaps I can help. I have installed a couple systems on boats that I have owned over the years, and I think I have experienced many of the common problems. Okiman
Furler Problems on my 170
My problem is that sometimes it will not unfurl all the way. It will go all the way to the last wrap and then hang up. I have to go forward and unroll it by hand. It will also sometimes not roll up completely and I have to go forward and roll it by hand. Sometimes it works great. Tim
My problem is that sometimes it will not unfurl all the way. It will go all the way to the last wrap and then hang up. I have to go forward and unroll it by hand. It will also sometimes not roll up completely and I have to go forward and roll it by hand. Sometimes it works great. Tim
my roller furling issues
I have posted my woes on this forum before, so please forgive. Also, I know it's hard to diagnose something without being able to see it, but here is my best description of what is going on: When I furl my jib, the bottom drum spins many times before top drum begins to turn. I believe that the stay is supposed to transfer the rotation to the top, but instead the sail is transfering the rotation. The result is that the bottom of the sail furls very tightly, and the top is very loose. If I try to furl my jib because the wind is high, the wind will rip open the baggy top of the sail, and the increase of tension will tangle the tightly wound part so that I can neither furl or unfurl the sail. When this happens the whole rig starts banging until I am absolutely sure that my stay is about to snap and my mast is going to fall on my head ( and at that point I am thinking a nice little fishing boat would have been a good choice!). A sort of side problem is that the sail around the clew has become very wrinkled - creased from the tight winding. For this reason I have to crawl forward like Tim to get the last two or so rolls out of the jib. The components all seem to be functioning properly, but I don't have much experience with how they are supposed to function - both drums spin freely and smoothly. If you have any suggestions I would love to hear them. arrigato gozaimasu, John
I have posted my woes on this forum before, so please forgive. Also, I know it's hard to diagnose something without being able to see it, but here is my best description of what is going on: When I furl my jib, the bottom drum spins many times before top drum begins to turn. I believe that the stay is supposed to transfer the rotation to the top, but instead the sail is transfering the rotation. The result is that the bottom of the sail furls very tightly, and the top is very loose. If I try to furl my jib because the wind is high, the wind will rip open the baggy top of the sail, and the increase of tension will tangle the tightly wound part so that I can neither furl or unfurl the sail. When this happens the whole rig starts banging until I am absolutely sure that my stay is about to snap and my mast is going to fall on my head ( and at that point I am thinking a nice little fishing boat would have been a good choice!). A sort of side problem is that the sail around the clew has become very wrinkled - creased from the tight winding. For this reason I have to crawl forward like Tim to get the last two or so rolls out of the jib. The components all seem to be functioning properly, but I don't have much experience with how they are supposed to function - both drums spin freely and smoothly. If you have any suggestions I would love to hear them. arrigato gozaimasu, John
and speaking of winter blues
I have a brother who is a chef on North Captiva Island (in Sunny Florida). He sent an e-mail complaining that although he has a beachfront apartment and the weather is perfect, there is really nothing to do on the island. I wrote back that if I lived on North Captiva I would buy myself a brand new hammock and an old boat. Last week he sent me pics of his new toy. It's a little plastic thing, an Escape - can't tell the model from the pic he sent, but here is the bottom line - he is sailing the Pine Island Sound while I am hacking and scraping at the ice on my windshield! It was nice to get pictures from him anyway - sort of a little vacation on my computer screen! john
I have a brother who is a chef on North Captiva Island (in Sunny Florida). He sent an e-mail complaining that although he has a beachfront apartment and the weather is perfect, there is really nothing to do on the island. I wrote back that if I lived on North Captiva I would buy myself a brand new hammock and an old boat. Last week he sent me pics of his new toy. It's a little plastic thing, an Escape - can't tell the model from the pic he sent, but here is the bottom line - he is sailing the Pine Island Sound while I am hacking and scraping at the ice on my windshield! It was nice to get pictures from him anyway - sort of a little vacation on my computer screen! john
re: roller furling issues
John, How old is your jib with the integral stay? Has it been used heavily? I haven't had a similar problem with the furling rig on my 170, but I'm taking a guess. If the top swivel is rotating freely, and the bottom drum rotates many times before the top swivel begins to turn, that means the forestay is absorbing the first rotations. This suggests that the forestay itself has lost some of its natural twist and the individual strands have begun to separate and straighten, either in a short damaged section, or along the entire length. As a result, the first rotations of the furling drum do nothing but rewind the forestay until the strands are tight. Since the rotation is applied from the drum at the bottom of the forestay, the lower portion of the forestay tightens first, and begins to furl the lower portion of the jib. As the rotations continue, the twist-tightening travels up the forestay, taking the jib around with it, but by the time the head of the jib begins to furl, the tack will have made several wraps already. For a better illustration, take an old piece of multi-strand sisal or hemp rope several feet long, tie one end to pole or rail, and twist the free end counter-clockwise. You'll see the strands begin to straighten and separate. Then see how many clockwise turns it takes to re-tighten the strands before the twisting motion travels the full length of the rope and reaches the far(tied)end. A quick fix would be to lengthen the furling drum line that extends back into the cockpit, if there's room on the drum for it. That would give you the additional turns to completely furl the jib head. But it's not a good long-term solution, because the reliability of the forestay is probably suspect. I encourage you to keep asking experts -- sailmakers, riggers, wire manufacturers, your dealer, and Hunter -- until you get a good answer. If the forestay is losing its twist, that probably indicates an overall loss of strength, or possibly a weak short segment that has become kinked and/or damaged by untwisting. One of the big disadvantages of an integral forestay is that it cannot be visually inspected for wear or damage. If you run your fingers carefully along the luff, you may be able to detect a kink, break, change in wire diameter, or another clue to what's going on in there. If you are able to determine the cause, please post it. I'll be interested in learning the solution to the mystery, and I'm sure many other 170 owners will, too. Good luck!
John, How old is your jib with the integral stay? Has it been used heavily? I haven't had a similar problem with the furling rig on my 170, but I'm taking a guess. If the top swivel is rotating freely, and the bottom drum rotates many times before the top swivel begins to turn, that means the forestay is absorbing the first rotations. This suggests that the forestay itself has lost some of its natural twist and the individual strands have begun to separate and straighten, either in a short damaged section, or along the entire length. As a result, the first rotations of the furling drum do nothing but rewind the forestay until the strands are tight. Since the rotation is applied from the drum at the bottom of the forestay, the lower portion of the forestay tightens first, and begins to furl the lower portion of the jib. As the rotations continue, the twist-tightening travels up the forestay, taking the jib around with it, but by the time the head of the jib begins to furl, the tack will have made several wraps already. For a better illustration, take an old piece of multi-strand sisal or hemp rope several feet long, tie one end to pole or rail, and twist the free end counter-clockwise. You'll see the strands begin to straighten and separate. Then see how many clockwise turns it takes to re-tighten the strands before the twisting motion travels the full length of the rope and reaches the far(tied)end. A quick fix would be to lengthen the furling drum line that extends back into the cockpit, if there's room on the drum for it. That would give you the additional turns to completely furl the jib head. But it's not a good long-term solution, because the reliability of the forestay is probably suspect. I encourage you to keep asking experts -- sailmakers, riggers, wire manufacturers, your dealer, and Hunter -- until you get a good answer. If the forestay is losing its twist, that probably indicates an overall loss of strength, or possibly a weak short segment that has become kinked and/or damaged by untwisting. One of the big disadvantages of an integral forestay is that it cannot be visually inspected for wear or damage. If you run your fingers carefully along the luff, you may be able to detect a kink, break, change in wire diameter, or another clue to what's going on in there. If you are able to determine the cause, please post it. I'll be interested in learning the solution to the mystery, and I'm sure many other 170 owners will, too. Good luck!
some other information for you
Thanks for the interest rick. I think you might be on to something. One thing that I noticed, and it has happened a couple times now, is that if I disconnect the sail from the stay, the stay unwinds like a spring. Not sure if my descrption is good, but if I take the sail off the boat and lay it on the living room floor, then I disconnect the stay from the sail, the stay will spin as if it has been twisted and is under tension. I cannot understand how this would happen, but I think I will take it to a good sail shop when I get a chance. Just got a postcard from Northsails, letting me know that they have moved. Perhaps I will pay a call. john
Thanks for the interest rick. I think you might be on to something. One thing that I noticed, and it has happened a couple times now, is that if I disconnect the sail from the stay, the stay unwinds like a spring. Not sure if my descrption is good, but if I take the sail off the boat and lay it on the living room floor, then I disconnect the stay from the sail, the stay will spin as if it has been twisted and is under tension. I cannot understand how this would happen, but I think I will take it to a good sail shop when I get a chance. Just got a postcard from Northsails, letting me know that they have moved. Perhaps I will pay a call. john
North Captiva
Hi John! Off the subject.... Is your brother a chef at Barnacle Phil's? If he is, can he send the recipe for the black beans and rice - it is the best!!!! We aren't going to put our 170 in this year - we hope to spend most of the summer up cruising the North Channel. Thanks! Deb
Hi John! Off the subject.... Is your brother a chef at Barnacle Phil's? If he is, can he send the recipe for the black beans and rice - it is the best!!!! We aren't going to put our 170 in this year - we hope to spend most of the summer up cruising the North Channel. Thanks! Deb
Back to the original question
I got my WestMarine catalog the other day and started working on my spring order. This year I am going to add spreader boots and shroud covers which may make it a bit easier in transport with the stays rubbing the deck. I have always tied a rag around each spreader and then have to untie at the dock. I also want to add some instruments on a mast mount. I have decided on a clinometer and would like to add a compas, but am daunted by the selection and mounting problems. Any suggestions as to which compas and how to mount? Well, it has happened to me. My 170 has started cracking. I thought it was because it was outdoors in the cold and so moved it into the garage. It doesn't seem to be stress cracks but simply a cracking floor. I also thought about a cover and went back through the archives to find some discussions on covers and discovered that many of you leave your boat uncovered and have no problems with cracking. I guess I need to call Hunter and find out how to fix. I would have written earlier but thought everyone was in winter hibernation... Dave
I got my WestMarine catalog the other day and started working on my spring order. This year I am going to add spreader boots and shroud covers which may make it a bit easier in transport with the stays rubbing the deck. I have always tied a rag around each spreader and then have to untie at the dock. I also want to add some instruments on a mast mount. I have decided on a clinometer and would like to add a compas, but am daunted by the selection and mounting problems. Any suggestions as to which compas and how to mount? Well, it has happened to me. My 170 has started cracking. I thought it was because it was outdoors in the cold and so moved it into the garage. It doesn't seem to be stress cracks but simply a cracking floor. I also thought about a cover and went back through the archives to find some discussions on covers and discovered that many of you leave your boat uncovered and have no problems with cracking. I guess I need to call Hunter and find out how to fix. I would have written earlier but thought everyone was in winter hibernation... Dave
So what should I look for
in a compass? What do I need on a sailboat, or should I just look for something cheep?
in a compass? What do I need on a sailboat, or should I just look for something cheep?
Learning navigation
When I had my 170, for the most part I did not really need a compass since I mostly sailed close to shore. But, having a compass is the beginning to learning how to navigate so that if you sail further off shore or move up to a larger boat like I have, you will be ready. For me, navigation adds to my sailing enjoyment even if I am sailing in the same area because the winds are always different and a compass helps you add to your skills. I bought a compass on Ebay and mounted it just forward of the main sheet block. Surface mounted, it worked great. Brian Villa Villakula 1987 Hunter 23
When I had my 170, for the most part I did not really need a compass since I mostly sailed close to shore. But, having a compass is the beginning to learning how to navigate so that if you sail further off shore or move up to a larger boat like I have, you will be ready. For me, navigation adds to my sailing enjoyment even if I am sailing in the same area because the winds are always different and a compass helps you add to your skills. I bought a compass on Ebay and mounted it just forward of the main sheet block. Surface mounted, it worked great. Brian Villa Villakula 1987 Hunter 23
forward of the mainsheet block?
Brian, It's almost March, and therefore it's been a long time since I've seen my 170! You mounted it just forward of the mainsheet block - like between the block an the centerboard? I don't remember there being much room there. Good news is that it would be pretty easy to see! I always wonder if you could see a mast mounted compass with your hand on the tiller. I usually sail with the tiller extension, probably sit about midpoint in the cockpit, so probably the answer is yes. I think a compass would be useful in several small ways - like being able to measure how tightly you can tack. sometimes I make an adjustment to my rig and then I THINK I can improve something - but there is no accurate way to measure. Usually the lakes I sail on you can see the boat ramp from the furthest point away. Once a year or so I have a larger adventure than that, but so far I have had no real need for navigaion skills. I would like to learn, threefootitis has set in pretty hard (although really it's more like sevenfootitis). John
Brian, It's almost March, and therefore it's been a long time since I've seen my 170! You mounted it just forward of the mainsheet block - like between the block an the centerboard? I don't remember there being much room there. Good news is that it would be pretty easy to see! I always wonder if you could see a mast mounted compass with your hand on the tiller. I usually sail with the tiller extension, probably sit about midpoint in the cockpit, so probably the answer is yes. I think a compass would be useful in several small ways - like being able to measure how tightly you can tack. sometimes I make an adjustment to my rig and then I THINK I can improve something - but there is no accurate way to measure. Usually the lakes I sail on you can see the boat ramp from the furthest point away. Once a year or so I have a larger adventure than that, but so far I have had no real need for navigaion skills. I would like to learn, threefootitis has set in pretty hard (although really it's more like sevenfootitis). John
Another mast mount
I mounted a compass and inclonomter on a cutting board I got at Wallyworld for a few bucks. Cut the board down to the size I wanted, bored two holes on either side, and use a couple of bungee cords to strap it to the mast below the boom vang. It's out of the way and I can take it off for trailering.
I mounted a compass and inclonomter on a cutting board I got at Wallyworld for a few bucks. Cut the board down to the size I wanted, bored two holes on either side, and use a couple of bungee cords to strap it to the mast below the boom vang. It's out of the way and I can take it off for trailering.
Looking at a compass
Whatever type compass make sure it's large enough for you to read your headings from where you pilot the boat. I agree with the earlier comment, that is the greatest way to see how she tracks. Also great for teaching you how to adjust your sails properly. Pick you a course, practice to adjust your main and sail for best sail speed. See what gives you lee helm and weather helm. You'll get a much better feel for your boat. It's a fun tool to have on board.
Whatever type compass make sure it's large enough for you to read your headings from where you pilot the boat. I agree with the earlier comment, that is the greatest way to see how she tracks. Also great for teaching you how to adjust your sails properly. Pick you a course, practice to adjust your main and sail for best sail speed. See what gives you lee helm and weather helm. You'll get a much better feel for your boat. It's a fun tool to have on board.
Cutting Board
Another cutting board idea! Wonderful really. I've made a couple of things out of cutting boards too. They seem to be a good size to work with and come in all kinds of materials. How many others have used cutting boards for projects? Someone start a new thread with pictures of their cutting board project. JerryA
Another cutting board idea! Wonderful really. I've made a couple of things out of cutting boards too. They seem to be a good size to work with and come in all kinds of materials. How many others have used cutting boards for projects? Someone start a new thread with pictures of their cutting board project. JerryA
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