Replacing Roller Furling

asailor · #1 (**permalink**) 10-10-2002

i have an old Hyde roller furler with no forestay, so im going to replace it with a new system. I guess im most concerned with the price of a new system. I''ve heard decent reviews of harken and profurl. does anyone else have any comments?

lecomte38 · #2 (**permalink**) 10-10-2002

Schaefer builds a nice unit also. Round extrusions rivited together (no set screws to back out)and Torlon ball bearings instead of sealed metalic ball bearings..

Sailmc · #3 (**permalink**) 10-11-2002

Have owned Hood Schaefer and Profurl. Like the profurl the best. Harkens are very fussy about halyard angle and length.

WHOOSH · #4 (**permalink**) 10-11-2002

Asailor:

It''s interesting how we all know about the different bearings used by these manufacturers but no one comments on why they''re different. Profurl puts stainless bearings in a sealed, grease filled race in order to take high loading...which if you think about it, is when you most want the furling unit to work and when you normally hear that units begin to perform poorly or fail altogether. In fact, that''s what initially gave Profurl a huge marekting edge: their units were being used by ocean racers in singlehander events, where failure would have been especially bad news, and held up well. ''Plastic'' (of various chemistries) bearings roll much more smoothly and far easily when looking at gear in a show or on a show boat, but high loading distorts the balls over time.

This doesn''t eliminate any furler from consideration; many probably don''t put high loading on their furlers because they avoid sailing in heavy airs. But it''s important to keep this key distinction in mind when choosing gear, I''d suggest.

Jack

WHOOSH · #5 (**permalink**) 10-11-2002

Asailor:

It''s interesting how we all know about the different bearings used by these manufacturers but no one comments on why they''re different. Profurl puts stainless bearings in a sealed, grease filled race in order to take high loading...which if you think about it, is when you most want the furling unit to work and when you normally hear that units begin to perform poorly or fail altogether. In fact, that''s what initially gave Profurl a huge marekting edge: their units were being used by ocean racers in singlehander events, where failure would have been especially bad news, and held up well. ''Plastic'' (of various chemistries) bearings roll much more smoothly and easily when looking at gear on display or on a show boat, but high loading distorts the balls over time in the real world.

This doesn''t eliminate any furler from consideration; many probably don''t put high loading on their furlers because they avoid sailing in heavy airs. But it''s important to keep this key distinction in mind when choosing gear, I''d suggest.

Jack

Sailmc · #6 (**permalink**) 10-14-2002

To my knowlege Profurl is the only manufacturer that permits you to use the furler on a winch without voiding the warranty. This is a significant advantage.

WHOOSH · #7 (**permalink**) 10-14-2002

Re: Profurl not voiding warranty if the furling line is taken to a winch, that may be a good ''warranty'' benefit but I''d think it unrelated to the wisdom of doing so. Furling extrusions are ruined and occasionally a rig comes down because folks put a lot of ''winch grunt'' on the furling line when they unknowingly have a halyard rap. This isn''t related to the type of furling drum or bearing system used and, in my mind, the other companies have it right when voiding coverage for this kind of abuse.

Jack (who''s less-than-beefy wife furls or reefs our Profurl in Caribbean winds...with no winch but using a ratchet block)

Sailmc · #8 (**permalink**) 10-14-2002

I agree that halyard wrap could potentially take down a rig but that should never occur once the furler is properly installed and tested for proper halyard angle and length. If it wraps once you need to remodel something. I sail short handed and single handed on a 43'' and find it a real convience to be able to reef or furl with one hand. If you''ve ever been a tired sailor in a blow you know what I mean. Obviously if you encounter abnormal resistance something is wrong. If you''re careful it''s not a problem.

WHOOSH · #9 (**permalink**) 10-14-2002

"...but that should never occur once the furler is properly installed and tested for proper halyard angle and length."

Oh...because something should never fail, it never will? Ahhh, yes...

"Obviously if you encounter abnormal resistance something is wrong. If you''re careful it''s not a problem."

That''s the point, isn''t it. You start using a winch for your furling line, and you''ll have a hard time feeling that add''l resistance...and then something will break. Being ''careful'' is not about putting a furling line on a winch and cranking, IME.

Don''t think anyone was challenging the value of a furling system for short-handed sailing.

Jack

asailor · #10 (**permalink**) 10-15-2002

i appreciate the color guys. and i understand both points of view. thx.