[chartscharts]

Does anyone recognize the make/model of this furler? I can find no markings on it.

photo 3 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
photo 2 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
photo 1 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

It seems to have only the foil, with no separate forestay. It's on my Cal 29. I have no idea if it's original or what.

A rigger once looked horrified at it and said that kind are prone to catastrophic failure. To me, it looks good, no corrosion or weak spots that I can find at either attachment point or on the foil.

If I knew the make/model I might be able to do more reading on it.

Thanks in advance!

-Charts

 

[chartscharts]

Not sure the photo links did the right thing. Trying to just paste the links below in this one.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/11197407785/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/11197418684/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/11197544553/

 

[mitiempo]

Here are your pics:








I'll leave the guesses to somebody else - I don't recognize it.

 

[Faster]

That double edged foil looks like a Hyde Streamstay II... or not. Can't find a match...

The rigger's concern is probably that this furler doesn't install over a forestay like most modern furlers do... it IS the forestay and relies on swivel connections top and bottom that are load bearing.

 

[chucklesR]

Wait, really?

The foil is the head stay? I can not imagine that would be good.

 

[Faster]

Wait, really?

The foil is the head stay? I can not imagine that would be good.

I've seen that foil on another boat, and that's my understanding.. also I found documentation on the 'Streamstay 1' which was a single groove solid rod 'furler', same thing .

The other oddity of the furler shown above is the location of the two grooves.. they are on opposite edges of the foil.. not both facing aft like a modern foil, which must have made them a real treat to actually use properly....

 

[svHyLyte]

Here are your pics:








I'll leave the guesses to somebody else - I don't recognize it.

That is a mid-'70's era Stearns Roller furler that relied upon a solid foil which acted as the headstay in comparison with more current systems that have a foil slipped over a standard headstay. The equipment was offered as an option on certain model Cal's as it was on our former 1976 Cal 2-29 (a great boat by the way). It's actually pretty good gear although one cannot reef with it as one can the more modern equipment. Replacement bearings can (or could be) be obtained at most NAPA auto parts stores. The original instructions suggested that the bearings should be greased annually in the manner of wheel bearings, although most owners didn't do that because of the effort required to disconnect the headstay. We finally replaced ours with a Harken when we did a major refit in 1999-2000 although I didn't see a major improvement over the Stearns (when it's bearings were good/maintained) and, with its opposing slots, I found it easier to change headsails on the Stearns than with the side-by-side slots on the Harken (the new sail doesn't tend to hang up on the old).

These days many riggers, being too young, may not be familiar with the gear nor understand it's merit.

If the drum cover is still smooth, you might find that replacing the furling line with 5/16" Spectra with the cover stripped off for the length of line between the cockpit and bow will allow you more turns on the drum which is beneficial with the 135% to 155% sails.

FWIW.

 

[chartscharts]

Thanks for the photo assist, mitiempo!

Thanks for the replies everyone and svHyLyte for the identification. I found this based on that: http://www.rigrite.com/furling/stearn/stearn.html

Looks like I have a Stearn Twinstay One (or maybe the Dynafurl) that likely came with the original boat.

You said, "one cannot reef with it as one can the more modern equipment." May I please ask which of the following you mean by "cannot reef" ?

1. Partially furling results in a poor sail shape and poor sailing performance as a result.
2. Partially furling results in an unsafe condition that may cause the rig to fail?
3. Something else?

My big sail comes in handy in the often light airs of San Diego. On occasion, though, I've been overpowered and rolling it up a bit has really helped. I'm interested in knowing whether that's an unsafe idea, or just one that results in inefficient sail shape.

Thanks again!

-Charts

 

[svHyLyte]

Thanks for the photo assist, mitiempo!

Thanks for the replies everyone and svHyLyte for the identification. I found this based on that: Stearn Twinstay One / Dynafurl One

Looks like I have a Stearn Twinstay One (or maybe the Dynafurl) that likely came with the original boat.

You said, "one cannot reef with it as one can the more modern equipment." May I please ask which of the following you mean by "cannot reef" ?

1. Partially furling results in a poor sail shape and poor sailing performance as a result.
2. Partially furling results in an unsafe condition that may cause the rig to fail?
3. Something else?

My big sail comes in handy in the often light airs of San Diego. On occasion, though, I've been overpowered and rolling it up a bit has really helped. I'm interested in knowing whether that's an unsafe idea, or just one that results in inefficient sail shape.

Thanks again!

-Charts

The "Twinstay" is simply the foil, alone. The Dynafurl included the drum, swivel and foil. The foil is not symmetrical about its longitudinal axis like wire rope, and does not do well with loads applied normal to the major, transverse axis. With the sail unfurled, the leading edge of the foil virtually always aligns itself with the sail and apparent wind so loading is always normal to the minor transverse axis. Partially furled, it can be loaded transverse to the major axis and become subject to fatigue weakening. Although I have never personally seen a Twinstay fail, "in the day" there were reports that some had (fortunately, the halyard load on the luff of the sail would continue to support the mast although getting the sail down would become problematic). I suppose if you were attentive to where the tack fittings on the drum were located you could get away with a partial furl but I wouldn't make a practice of it and, absent a fairly bulky foam or rope luff, the set of the sail would be terrible.

The Cal 29 will sail quite nicely bald headed or bald headed with one or two reefs in the main (BTDT). We started out with our boat in San Francisco but took her south in about '85. In SoCal we sailed out of Alamitos Bay Yacht Club in Long Beach until '92 and covered everywhere from Santa Barbara to Ensenada without difficulty with numerous trips to Catalina. We didn't care for San Diego all that much as the Bay always seemed too crowded (it was a mad house on weekends) but we did love visiting San Diego YC and the watering holes/restaurants on Treasure Island. All the time utilizing the Dynafurl. We finally brought the boat back to south Florida in '92 and relied on the old gear until '99-2000 by which time it was pretty beaten up (after 24 years of hard use and less than ideal maintenance I have to admit.) We got a very good deal on a Harken system from JSI when we re-rigged the boat during the refit and so took it. I'll bet $10 bucks that our old Dynafurl is still laying by the bottom of the fence in our boatyard and, with a little effort, might yet be put back in commission.

If your furling is stiff/cranky, by all means buy a spares kit (once) from Rig-Rite. But, in my view, that vendor is unnecessarily expensive so once you've gotten the kit, take it over to NAPA and get the catalog numbers for matching bearings there and pick up a few for your spares locker. Unless you are insistent on partial furling, the Dynafurl will/can last virtually last forever.

FWIW...

 

[chartscharts]

Got it. Thanks. Makes sense on all counts!

I'll experiment more with sailing under main alone.

-Charts

 

[svHyLyte]

Got it....

I'll experiment more with sailing under main alone.

-Charts

Practice using your traveler to advantage. It helps. A Lot!

 

[ddiesel]

I have a 28' C&C designed Viking. This boat has the same Sterns Twin Stay minus the drums. I was wondering if you would think it wise to buy the durnafurl drum and related hardware to get this back to a fully functioning roller furler. All my head sails luffs are designed for this foil.

Any info would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[chartscharts]

I love the furler. I find it much easier to deal with raising and dousing the sail. My previous boat didn't have one. The one I have is old and clunky, yet it still works.

 

[Faster]

I have a 28' C&C designed Viking. This boat has the same Sterns Twin Stay minus the drums. I was wondering if you would think it wise to buy the durnafurl drum and related hardware to get this back to a fully functioning roller furler. All my head sails luffs are designed for this foil.

Any info would be appreciated. Thanks

That headfoil was produced as a simple foil too, so I'm wondering if you can actually retrofit a drum. Do you have the halyard swivel/slider? Are your sails sized to match the luff length with the drum in place or are are they currently tacked to the deck? If the latter your sails will need cutting down assuming you can fit a drum and that the foil is designed to truly swivel.

I'm thinking it's not going to be as simple as adding the drum assuming you can find one...

btw.. we owned a V28 for ten years... great boat, pretty lines, good habits. Enjoy!

 

[ddiesel]

Thanks for your response. I think I would rather put the money into this furler than dealing with modifying the sail luff and foil. Currently it only has the foil. I am going to attempt to attach some photos. Please give me your feed back. Thanks

 

[ddiesel]

Really not sure. Still learning about sailing and the boat. I am attaching a couple of pics. Currently I don't secure the foot of genoa, It is held at the top by the halyard. along the luff by the foil and at the clew by lines. Not sure pics will post I might have to keep playing with that. Thanks for your response

 

[ddiesel]

here's pics. Thanks

 

[Faster]

Yeah.. that's just a Stearns dual slot "headfoil".... not a furler in any sense of the word. This is not something you can 'convert' to a furler. It's simply meant to give you a smoother luff than hanks might, and to allow you to hoist a new (smaller or bigger) sail before you take the other one down (a racing advangtage). btw it's not the best foil out there by a long shot.

Your tack needs to be attached to the deck fitting somehow.. there should be a hook or a shackle or a pin to facilitate that. Otherwise you'll never get enough luff tension for a decent sail shape and performance will suffer. You can see the bow casting has two holes right behind/under the forestay/foil.. that's where your shackle should attach.

Honestly, even if you can't buck up for a decent furler I'd suggest you look into a newer, better foil (Tuffluff, if they still make it, is probably the least expensive) On today's headfoils both grooves face aft, a great improvement over the one you have.


Looks like Schaeffer makes the tuff luff still...
http://www.schaefermarine.com/our-products/tuff-luff/

 

[ddiesel]

thanks you were a big help. I will have to research my options. I have to single hand the boat so I would like to get decent furling system. Thanks again

 

[Faster]

thanks you were a big help. I will have to research my options. I have to single hand the boat so I would like to get decent furling system. Thanks again

You're welcome.. another thing.. todays foils 'slip over' an existing wire or rod forestay. If I remember correctly your foil actually replaces the forestay, so if you do go to a real furler you'll need a forestay as well. (and at this age that's not a bad idea in any case.)

Harken, Cruising Design, Furlex, Schaeffer all make decent furlers, I think the Furlex comes with a new forestay as part of the package.

However you'll probably be looking at the better part of $2K by the time you're done, and you will have to shorten the luff of all your headsails to match because the new 'tack' will be on top of the drum, some distance off the deck.

Welcome to the money drain that is boat ownership!!! she looks nice and clean, btw...