[SeaPilotMark]

After several hours of research I finally learned I have a Stearns Twinstay One #8 roller furling system. The bottom bearings need replacing. Rig-rite has the parts available. Oddly though, they are insisting I buy the full top & bottom bearing replacement kit. Which I'm fine with just to have in case the top fails down the road.

What I'm struggling with is their insistence that the whole furling system must come down to make ANY repairs. At one point someone I spoke with at Rig-rite said the bottom bearing could "theoretically" be replaced with the system still in place, but then the gentleman suddenly rescinded the statement. They haven't been able to give me a reason why it must come down. What's going on here? Has anyone dealt with this?

For obvious reasons I'd much prefer to leave it up and fix what's broken now and worry about the rest in the off season. I've played around with the system enough to know I can access it fairly easily.

 

[Faster]

IIRC the Stearns system was very different in that the foil IS the headstay (unlike most all the others where the foil is installed over a conventional wire & turnbuckle forestay.)

So for one thing, (If I've remembered correctly) working on the bearing means removing the 'forestay'. If you leave the top connected I can imagine some issues trying to work on the bearing that way...

You can temporarily support the rig with tensioned halyards. Proceed with caution, I'd say..

 

[FreeAgent]

It's been a long time since I saw one of those! Faster is right that they ARE the forestay. That means that unlike systems with internal forestay, the bearings also take the full forestay load. I seem to recall them being held together with wedges. When they gave trouble, we mostly replaced them with a more modern design. Probably more cost effective at the time.

But if Rig-Rite have parts and can offer advice on how to do the job, no reason not to try. Provided that is that the parts cost are not almost the cost of a replacement.

From what I recall (and to be honest my memory on these is hazy) , they were not that easy to get apart. I am sure you will want complete system on the ground or in a workshop. Probably need a vice. You will need to do that first anyway to find out which parts are needed. At that point you haven't spent any $$ and can still reconsider!

If you leave system up this summer, presumably you can just use it as a foil and remove sails when not in use.

 

[Faster]

It's kind of a goofy foil anyhow, with the grooves facing 180 degrees from each other, even as a non furling foil I don't see how that can work well for sail changes.

Given the age of the whole assembly for peace of mind I think I'd upgrade to a more modern furler.

 

[pdqaltair]

After several hours of research I finally learned I have a Stearns Twinstay One #8 roller furling system. The bottom bearings need replacing. Rig-rite has the parts available. Oddly though, they are insisting I buy the full top & bottom bearing replacement kit. Which I'm fine with just to have in case the top fails down the road.

What I'm struggling with is their insistence that the whole furling system must come down to make ANY repairs. At one point someone I spoke with at Rig-rite said the bottom bearing could "theoretically" be replaced with the system still in place, but then the gentleman suddenly rescinded the statement. They haven't been able to give me a reason why it must come down. What's going on here? Has anyone dealt with this?

For obvious reasons I'd much prefer to leave it up and fix what's broken now and worry about the rest in the off season. I've played around with the system enough to know I can access it fairly easily.

Then try it. I've replace Seafurl bearings with great success, but that is different.

Sail Delmarva: Hood Seafurl 800 Bearing Replacement

But is it so difficult to take the forestay down, other than two trips up the mast? I bet it would be easier. Either way, you need to disconnect the forestay and rig a replacement (two halyards forward works fine). The only real problem is that the marina probably won't let you climb it on the hard. So launch it and work on it on a week day (fewer wakes).

Another alternative is to simply use it as a foil, pulling the sail down when finished. Racers do it that way at every change. If it is difficult to hoist, get two feet of luff tape from Sailrite and cut in half. Put grommets in both ends. Soak one in solvent and haul it up and down a few times. Soak the other in Sailkote and haul that up and down a few times. Also spray the luff tape on the sail. Should go easy.