Furling Main

[KootsChewt]

Jimmyt,
Here are pictures of how I solved the jamming main while raising my main roller curler. The fabric thickness inside the bolt rope is 0.120 inches. I set the mast guide at 0.150 inches. I secured the guide so it won't move with a third screw.file:///Users/rogerpatry/Desktop/sail%20guide/DSCN0271%DSCN0274.DSCN0277.JPG

Your photo didn't seem to come through - I'd be interested to see it too, since I need to set-up a system for my sail to guide into the track too.

Does your sail have a full batten near the bottom, or is it partial battens?

[Jimmyt]

Estate Sail,
To post pics, you have to first put them on a web pic hosting site. I use postimage.org, but there are many others. Anyway, you upload your pic to the hosting site, where it will give you a "hot link for forums" or something to that effect. Copy and paste the hot link into your post and voila - you have a pic that we an see. Not exactly easy, but doable. I would really appreciate a pic of your setup. If you can't figure out the hosting thing, PM me and you can email me the pic to post for you.

Thanks,
Jim

[KootsChewt]

I've got all the pictures of my sail in this DropBox folder https://www.dropbox.com/sh/c9ywz2m82fjz ... td3Za?dl=0

Two things I'm trying to sort out (I am a novice in these things):

1) Is the full batten at the bottom of the sail normal and/or required for the furling main? When I showed the pics to a sail repair guy, he thought it odd that it had a full batten in that location; said for a lake like mine I should probably stick with partial battens (except for the top one). #15 (395) is the pic of the full batten https://www.dropbox.com/home/Chewter%20 ... G_0395.JPG and also pic #19 https://www.dropbox.com/home/Chewter%20 ... ling+3.jpg

2) Does my sail look in ok shape? The luff tape is pretty rough near the top of the sail.

[Jimmyt]

Koots,
How do you get the bolt rope into the mast slot as you hoist? Looks like the furler was installed without some of the mast modifications. Wonder if anyone else has a setup like yours, and the factory instructions. Maybe the photos don't show the entry point clearly.

[KootsChewt]

Koots,
How do you get the bolt rope into the mast slot as you hoist? Looks like the furler was installed without some of the mast modifications. Wonder if anyone else has a setup like yours, and the factory instructions. Maybe the photos don't show the entry point clearly.

The halyard is still at the mast and I have to pull on the halyard while guiding the luff into the mast slot at the open gate. I'm hoping to install that Spinlock sail feeder and run the halyard to the cockpit and be able to raise my sail from there. But looking at your earlier post, it doesn't sound like that always works.

[Jimmyt]

Guess I can't see the gate or any guides from the photos. Not clear how you get it to work.

Don't get me wrong, mine works. It's just not as slick as a Schaefer boom furler. Google Schaefer boom furler, for example. Look at how the Schaefer furling drum alignment matches up with Schaefer's add-on mast track. Check the bearings on the furling drum. Notice how sweet the sail feeds in and out of the track during hoisting and dousing. I know that the PO didn't pay for a Schaefer, and consequently didn't get one, but that doesn't keep me from wanting it to work like one.

I just need to retire and spend a few days tuning it up. I think I can get it into satisfactory order with a little work.

Maybe some new brackets, real bearings, a better bolt rope transition, and...

[KootsChewt]

I found a better photo that shows how my boom furler is set-up (edit: apparently can't embed images from DropBox; if you follow the link to DropBox you'll see the photo annotated)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/4acxfw9u6geq7 ... n.jpg?dl=0

I'll definitely go look up those Schaefer furlers, thanks.

[Estate Sail]

https://postimg.org/image/hkur805xv/
OK here is an attempt to get a picture to you on the main sail guide adjustment. If it doesn't work please give my your email and I will send the pictures. My furler is a factory option for a 2013 M. The boom and furler is an integral unit attached to the mast with a goose neck. The sail has partial battens. The problem is the guide is set too wide and the bolt rope jams in the guide. to fix it I removed the guide and had to elongate the adjustment slots by quite a bit. After making the adjustment to 0.150 of an inch ( I drilled a third hole to install a screw so it wouldn't slip. It is an easy fix to a frustrating problem.
Sorry for my computer ineptness.
Roger

[Jimmyt]

You're close to getting the picture posted, and the link got me there just fine. Your pic clears up one issue I've noticed with mine. It gets hung on the sharp corner of the gate occasionally. Yours is very different compared to mine. I think I can add something similar to yours and take care of that issue. Thanks!

[Jimmyt]

Roger, next time try scrolling down a little farther in your gallery that you uploaded your picture to and using the "hotlink for forums". It will give you a link that displays right in the forum - plus one line of advertising which you can delete if you want.

[Estate Sail]

Jimmyt, Glad this helps. You may be able to get a guide like mine from macgregor/Mike Inmon.

[Jimmyt]

I had a small rip at the tack of my main. Took it to Schurr Sails in Pensacola and they said my original 2013 main was in good condition, however my bolt rope had shrunk and needed replacement. Since the topic of shrunk bolt rope had come up before - thought I would post on it here.

They fixed the rip, and replaced the old bolt rope with a new tighter weave "non-shrinking", bolt rope, and installed a Cunningham cringle for me (sailing buddy said I needed one).

The Admiral and I took a test run last weekend, and I noticed that the new bolt rope greatly improved hoisting. Apparently the shrunken bolt rope was causing the pocket to pucker and bind. I've still got a little bit of an issue when dousing/reefing due to the misalignment between track and mandrel. But the bolt rope replacement did make a big difference.

Also we found that if you wrap the topping lift around the main halyard, it increases friction during pretty much all main Sail changes (Duh!). I've got to remember to look harder after I raise the mast to make sure I don't have tangles at the top.

I ordered the quick pin replacements for the mast and pulpit, and the pin for the forestay from Bluewater Yachts. Now, no tools are required for setup. I was 21 minutes from pulling into the parking lot to sliding into the water - ready to go. We were not hurrying.

Unfortunately, my trailer lights gave up, so I had to switch from furling to lighting. Between hunting for parts and being a perfectionist, i managed to turn a 2 hour job into 3 days. But, all new LED's look good, and more importantly, work.

[ecossebob]

Hi KootsChewt.
I have the same version boom furler you have, it is the original version.
Jimmyt has a later one with a bracket that connects the roller to the boom at the gooseneck.
I was given mine, but I am missing the bail that connects the roller to the mast.
I am going to have make one. I am assuming the spacing of the boom and roller at the mast and distance from the end of the roller to the mast is critical to correct rolling of the main sale. I think this was the reason for the change to Jimmyt's version. The bracket between the boom and the roller controls all these variables.

I am going to have make a bail. Can you tell me.

1. The distance from the gooseneck mounting rivets to the roller bail pivot bolt?. Is the bolt in the center of the mast or offset?.

2. The size and shape of the bail and the bolt size. A real closeup pic and or a drawing would be great

I hope you can help me out.
Thanks Bob.

[KootsChewt]

Hi KootsChewt.
I have the same version boom furler you have, it is the original version.
Jimmyt has a later one with a bracket that connects the roller to the boom at the gooseneck.
I was given mine, but I am missing the bail that connects the roller to the mast.
I am going to have make one. I am assuming the spacing of the boom and roller at the mast and distance from the end of the roller to the mast is critical to correct rolling of the main sale. I think this was the reason for the change to Jimmyt's version. The bracket between the boom and the roller controls all these variables.

I am going to have make a bail. Can you tell me.

1. The distance from the gooseneck mounting rivets to the roller bail pivot bolt?. Is the bolt in the center of the mast or offset?.

2. The size and shape of the bail and the bolt size. A real closeup pic and or a drawing would be great

I hope you can help me out.
Thanks Bob.

Hi Bob, will be happy to help. Unfortunately boat is still in storage for a few more weeks at least. Once I've got it out I will get you some photos and measurements.

[KootsChewt]

Hi KootsChewt.
I have the same version boom furler you have, it is the original version.
Jimmyt has a later one with a bracket that connects the roller to the boom at the gooseneck.
I was given mine, but I am missing the bail that connects the roller to the mast.
I am going to have make one. I am assuming the spacing of the boom and roller at the mast and distance from the end of the roller to the mast is critical to correct rolling of the main sale. I think this was the reason for the change to Jimmyt's version. The bracket between the boom and the roller controls all these variables.

I am going to have make a bail. Can you tell me.

1. The distance from the gooseneck mounting rivets to the roller bail pivot bolt?. Is the bolt in the center of the mast or offset?.

2. The size and shape of the bail and the bolt size. A real closeup pic and or a drawing would be great

I hope you can help me out.
Thanks Bob.

Bob, sorry it took so long, but I've got some measurements and photos for you now:

1) The bail is mounted at the thickest cross section of the mast (slightly ahead of the dimensional center). The bail is mounted 8.5 cm above the gooseneck (measured from center of bolt to bolt). It seems like my bail is mounted a bit too high on the mast in order to have the sail fully taut (see photo below); this in turn means my boom should probably be a bit lower too. In fact, 8.5 cm is not enough clearance to fully roll the sail - as you can see by the second photo where the bail is slanted *up* when the sail is furled (I need to use my hand to help roll the last several feet of sail down, the furling line alone won't do it no matter how hard I pull).



2) The bail is a shape I don't know how to describe! See below image. Dimensions as follows:
- bail in total is 9 cm deep
- measuring from end by the bolt, it is 4.5 cm to the bent part (measured to the outside)
- from the bent part towards the center of the bail (where the roller attaches) it is 6 cm
- width of the bail is that of the mast
- the curved part where the roller attaches to the bail is about 2 cm across


I've got a few other photos at https://www.dropbox.com/sh/c9ywz2m82fjz ... td3Za?dl=0. I just added the sail feeder http://ca.binnacle.com/p3266/SPINLOCK-R ... _info.html to the bottom of the gate, and it so far seems to line the sail up nicely - I can raise it entirely with no binding. I'll still need to go to the mast to raise the sail though as it won't drop back down through the feeder and I have to re-feed it each raise (which is ok I guess).

Sorry some of the photos are sideways! They are straight on my computer...

Edit: forgot to mention, when rolling the sail, it tends to pack towards the front of the roller - I'm going to try extending my topping lift (previous PO installed a fixed length wire) to have the roller just below level towards the cockpit (rather than tilted down to the mast) to see if that helps.