Disassembling Scheafer 1100 Furler

[riverrich]

Has anyone disassembled a Schaefer Roller Furling and have any tips for the process of removing the rivets. My forestay broke last week while sailing my S2-8.5 so I took down the mast and furling system to replace the stay. I figuered I'd just pull out the old broken stay with a messengerline connected and pull in a new 1/4" forstay and use sta-loc fittings. I can't budge the broken stay from inside the foil. I contacted Schaefer and a rigging shop and was told that I might have to take apart the foil to locate the reason for the blockage, could be a kink in the foil or the broken end of the stay might be catching inside. To take it apart I have to remove rivets at each 6ft section of foil. I know they have to be drilled out but I don't want to enlarge the hole, go too deep or do any damage to the internal connection piece. I'd like to hear from anyone who has done this before and has some knowledge of how to proceed. Thanks, Rich

[knothead]

Originally Posted by riverrich

Has anyone disassembled a Schaefer Roller Furling and have any tips for the process of removing the rivets. My forestay broke last week while sailing my S2-8.5 so I took down the mast and furling system to replace the stay. I figuered I'd just pull out the old broken stay with a messengerline connected and pull in a new 1/4" forstay and use sta-loc fittings. I can't budge the broken stay from inside the foil. I contacted Schaefer and a rigging shop and was told that I might have to take apart the foil to locate the reason for the blockage, could be a kink in the foil or the broken end of the stay might be catching inside. To take it apart I have to remove rivets at each 6ft section of foil. I know they have to be drilled out but I don't want to enlarge the hole, go too deep or do any damage to the internal connection piece. I'd like to hear from anyone who has done this before and has some knowledge of how to proceed. Thanks, Rich

To drill out a rivet, use a drill bit that is larger than the shank of the rivet. Carefully drill until the head comes off. Then using a punch the same size as the shank drive the rivet in.

Don't drill out the hole at all.

You don't mention where the headstay broke. Was the failure a result of halyard wrap? Did it break at the top?

[riverrich]

Knothead, Thanks for the reply. Your answer is basically the same I received from others. I wasn't sure about punching through the remaining portion of the rivet thinking that it might jam up the wire but since it is already jammed up I don't think it will make much difference. The reason the forestay broke was my own fault. I had a smaller furling jib from another boat that I wanted to see if I could use under windy conditions. Myonly other jib is a 150% genoa and I was experimenting using the smaller furling sail to see if it would fit and work. It worked well but I should have been using a pennant so that the top swivel was pulled to the top of the foil. With the smaller sail and no pennant the swivel was about 8' from the foil top and I think either the top cap of the foil chaffed the forestay or pressure on the stay at that point broke the stay. I think that is what happened. I only purchased the boat last year from a charity organization so don't know the past history. All the stays look good with no rust, meathooks or cracks. The boat is from 1982 and could be the original forestay. Thanks, Rich

[knothead]

Originally Posted by riverrich

Knothead, Thanks for the reply. Your answer is basically the same I received from others. I wasn't sure about punching through the remaining portion of the rivet thinking that it might jam up the wire but since it is already jammed up I don't think it will make much difference. The reason the forestay broke was my own fault. I had a smaller furling jib from another boat that I wanted to see if I could use under windy conditions. Myonly other jib is a 150% genoa and I was experimenting using the smaller furling sail to see if it would fit and work. It worked well but I should have been using a pennant so that the top swivel was pulled to the top of the foil. With the smaller sail and no pennant the swivel was about 8' from the foil top and I think either the top cap of the foil chaffed the forestay or pressure on the stay at that point broke the stay. I think that is what happened. I only purchased the boat last year from a charity organization so don't know the past history. All the stays look good with no rust, meathooks or cracks. The boat is from 1982 and could be the original forestay. Thanks, Rich

Rich, you are describing Halyard wrap. Sorry you had to learn about that the hard way.
Don't worry about the rivets jamming up the system. They will fall out when you disassemble the extrusions. Just pick up one end and let them fall out.

Edit: Another thought. Since you are going to have to disassemble the entire system anyway. Make sure that you dip the new rivets in something, (Lok-Tite, Lanacote, Tef-Gel, Tuff-Gel or Zinc Chromate) when you reassemble.
If you run into any problems, let me know.

[riverrich]

Knothead, Did as you said, drilled out the rivet head and punched the remaining part through and dismantled two sections of the foil. Cut the stud end off the old forestay and connected the end to the new stay and pulled it through the foil. Reassembled the foil and put in the new rivets with some locktite, added a stayloc eye and I'm back in business. Thanks again for the advice, Rich

[knothead]

Originally Posted by riverrich

Knothead, Did as you said, drilled out the rivet head and punched the remaining part through and dismantled two sections of the foil. Cut the stud end off the old forestay and connected the end to the new stay and pulled it through the foil. Reassembled the foil and put in the new rivets with some locktite, added a stayloc eye and I'm back in business. Thanks again for the advice, Rich

Great Job Rich.