[PalmettoSailor]

After reading comments here I was convinced that I was going to replace my Hood continuous line furler with a Harken MKIV, however I requested quotes from a well recommended rigger in the area we keep our boat and a randomly selected big name rigger in Annapolis and both recommended Profurl.

My local guys second choice is Shaeffer which is much more expensive than the Profurl. He didn't seem to want to talk about Harken at all. He did say that he'd stand behind a Profurl that he installed as long as I owned the boat and that I'd never spend another dime of the furler.

From what I've seen the Profurl units are very robustly built but the sealed bearings seem to me destined to fail at some point.

So what are the arguments to go against the riggers advice?

 

[btrayfors]

None. When I installed my ProFurl LC-42 in the BVI twelve years ago, I checked with the local charter companies. As I recall, the entire Moorings fleet (150+ boats) were equipped with ProFurls, and the riggers reported NO problems. Hey, if charterers can't mess up something, it's gotta be pretty good.

Also, the best rigger in the islands swore by ProFurl...absolutely the best, said he.

So I went with ProFurl. No problems at all in 12 years.

FWIW, I understand the Schaefer and Furlex rollers to be pretty good, too, though much more expensive.

Bill

 

[tommays]

i am buying a boat with a Profurl R25 and what i liked was the locking design at the top when the sail is fully hoisted to STOP halyard wrap

 

[jbondy]

Now THAT sounds good. Are they the only ones to have such a feature?

 

[negrini]

Indeed my bearings failed too early on my unity. Although not limiting the ability to furl/unfurl with some effort, this ask for q quick fix. Profurl asked for a pic and next day it was considered under warranty and replace the whole unity. I'm very satified !!

 

[Valiente]

I have a Profurl with a yankee jib (my first furler). No complaints about the furler, although I have to route the furling line more carefully when I put the stick back in. No furler likes friction.

The only other one I would consider at this point based on familiarity (meaning there are ones I've heard good things about but haven't seen) is Schaffer. They are nice, clean, and I believe reliable units.

 

[PalmettoSailor]

I wanted to take a minute to thank everyone that took time to provide their input on this inquiry. After a lot of thought I've decided to go with the Profurl LCI32 for my boat. It lacks some of the features of the Harken MKIV I I thought would be my choice, but based on input from Harken owners and riggers, I came to the conclusion my boat really needed the Unit 2 which was about $1K more than the Profurl. I believe the Profurl is a rugged furler that will serve us well for the type of sailing I see in our future.

Thanks again to everyone that helped me with this decsion. It was a hard choice for me, but at least I know I've considered the pros and con's of all the options and made the best choice for both my intended use and my budget.

 

[Talisman66]

clarifcation between units

I was wondering if anyone has specific knowledge about the differences between Profurls' coastal/cruising C series and the cruising/classic series? Not the black racing units. I searched the comapny website and googled threads but don't find any actual differences in quality of construction. They both have 10 yr. warranty. Are the bearings diffrent between the units? what gives. For example what is the difference among C420, NC42, LC42 it looks like the LCI and NCI have the turnbuckle option. thanks