Harken Rollerfurler troubles

[ambianceack]

We purchased and installed, this spring, a new Harken Roller Furler MK(?) for our 1979 34' Sabre MKI. We also installed the Harken block systerm for the stanchions. All roller fulrer equipment is brand new. We have a 135 genoa as our head sail; this is the second season on the head sail. We also maintain tension on the line while unfurling the head sail. There is a 90 degree angle between the fuller and line coming out of the drum.

The problem on a few occasions is the new line that came with the system fouls within the drum. Any thoughts on what we might be doing wrong?

[T37Chef]

Um,

1. letting the sail out too fast?
2. Is the drum in the correct position? I remember adjusting mine when I moved the line to the port side from the starboard?

[chef2sail]

Let the sail out gradually though quickly. We had a new Harken MKIV installed this spring and it works beautifully...such a difference from our older profurl. Also our angle from the first block (ours are on our toerail) is more like 120 degrees.

Dave

[T37Chef]

If I recall the installation manual states the furling line coming into the drum should be 90 degrees to the fore-stay?

[captbillc]

you have to have a slight drag on the furling line to prevent overwraps when the line is winding on the drum. this will help the line to unwind off the drum easier when you are furling the sail.

[knothead]

Originally Posted by captbillc

you have to have a slight drag on the furling line to prevent overwraps when the line is winding on the drum. this will help the line to unwind off the drum easier when you are furling the sail.

There's your answer. Keep tension on the furling line as the sail unrolls.

[ambianceack]

Thanks for the input, we will try letting the sail out slowly and adjusting the height of the drum-

[KeelHaulin]

Are you sure that the fouling is happening on the drum? A problem that happens often is that the halyard wants to wrap around the foil above the swivel; making the system jam. Check that the halyard is not getting wrapped around the foil; if it is, try the following:

Have adequate tension on the headstay and halyard before furling. If you have a hydraulic backstay you should only ease it after you have furled the sail.

Add a wire pennant between the head of the sail and the swivel to minimize the distance the halyard exits from the masthead. When the halyard is tensioned there should be 6-12" at most of halyard exposed from the masthead.

If adding the above does not work you may need to add a block below the masthead to create an angle between the halyard and the foil. Check your manual for this.

When you un-furl the sail; how many wraps of line are left on the drum? You should have a line that is long enough so at least one layer of line is still on the spool when the sail finishes furling. That perfectly wrapped layer of line will help the line feed onto the spool neatly when you un-furl the sail; and act as a reserve if the sail rolls up more tightly should you furl in heavy wind.

[Liquorice]

Sometimes the furling line just fills up the drum and gets jammed in there.
If that's the case, it's either a smaller dia line or preferably (larger dia line is easier to pull on) de-core the line that's on the drum when the sail is out. The cover is plenty strong enough for a furling line and the line back from drum to cockpit will still have the same comfortable dia.
sam :-)

[KeelHaulin]

I would not strip the core off. You'd be surprised how much force you need to put on the furling line if the wind is up and you need to reef or furl the sail.

The furler is designed to work without removing the core. If you must; strip the cover off because the core is usually stronger and lower stretch than the cover.