Parts are also available at Pompanette Co. Each race (4 races) contains 48 x 9/64-inch 440C stainless balls, McMaster-Carr part number 9642K31. It is a simple matter: bring the jib and spinnaker halyards forward and tension with winch place a pad under the boom and release the topping lift - this relieves some tension from the forestay remove the plastic set screw between the luff extrusion and the drive tube, remove the split aluminum castings, and while supporting the luff extrusion, gently lower until it rests on the turnbuckle - the luff extrusion will slide right through the drive unit lift both the luff extrusion and the drive unit and place a vice-grip on the flats of the lower end of the forestay wire - this will support these parts and keep the forestay from turning when the turnbuckle is loosened remove the cotter pins, and loosen and remove the turnbuckle - it was not necessary to loosen the shroud turnbuckles remove the vise-grips and slide the furler drive off the forestay, while supporting the luff extrusion replace the vise grips on the flats to hold the luff extrusion in place. That is how it worked out, so the loss of the furler was no great handicap.īack at home, after considerable stress over the great cost of replacement unit, I set about disassembling the furler drive. The weather forecast called for strong winds on the nose the first day, followed by spinnaker reaching conditions for the next two days. When I went to re-hoist the sail the the foil was lifted by normal friction in the groove, the top half of the furler was lifted, and everything fell apart.Īlthough I could no longer furl the sail, I could still use the luff extrusion as a foil, so we lowered the large geona and planned on using the much smaller self-tacking jib for the 3-day trip home. My genoa is a little to long on the luff but still, it sets very well with no halyard tention in fact, some wieght rests on the tack, just a little, and this held the upper race in position. Eventually, the wedging force pushed the lower circlip out of its groove and the lower race fell apart, unnoticed.
The bearings in this furler are half-and-half stainless and Torlon, and it seems the Torlon bearings had worn down to where the stainless bearings would ride up over them. It would roll fairly easily for a bit, then seize, and after a good tug, roll easily again. The furler had been prone to catching for the past few days. I released the halyard tension, lowered the sail a few inches, and watched 48 ball bearings merrily dribble onto the trampoline, filter through the netting, and plop into the harbor. We were 10 days into a 2 1/2 week cruise around the Delmarva. A simple morning task to pass the time in a sailorly way. On a pleasant windless day at a dock 150 miles from home, I decided to partly lower our furling genoa so that I could put a few stitches and necessary patches on the sacrificial leech cover.
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