[Rhodes22-list] Furling headsail replacement

[Tom Van Heule]

Great write up Rodger.

On Thu, Oct 14, 2021, 2:32 PM ROGER PIHLAJA <roger_pihlaja at msn.com> wrote:

> Hi Michael,
>
> S/V Dynamic Equilibrium has had a Harken Unit 0 roller furler since 1993.
> If you are going to do this upgrade, get a roller furler that has the
> following features:
>
>
>   1.  An aerodynamically shaped headfoil with twin luff grooves.
>   2.  Independent upper and lower swivels
>   3.  A low profile lower swivel assembly that doesn’t use up a lot of
> headsail luff length
>   4.  Extensive use of Torlon ball &/or roller bearings throughout
>   5.  An enclosed furling drum with a good fairlead to prevent furling
> control line snarls
>   6.  Either an extruded, 1-piece, flexible, polymer headfoil or an
> extruded aluminum headfoil with individual, replaceable sections in case
> you damage one
>
> Besides, the Harken roller furlers, there are many other quality units on
> the market that fulfill all these requirements.  I replaced my headstay as
> part of this project.  The Haken unit has been completely bulletproof and
> still spins as easily as a bicycle tire!  All the maintenance that’s
> required is an annual freshwater rinse for the bearings and the weekly anti
> spider flush on the furling drum.  Why do spiders like to build nests
> inside the furling drum?
>
> Once you’ve installed the upgraded roller furler, you’re going to need a
> new headsail to take advantage of it.  Your new headsail should be:
>
>
>   1.  Made of a composite material vs. dacron.  S/V Dynamic Equilibrium’s
> 150% genoa is made of Bainbridge’s Cruise-Lam composite sailcloth.
> Cruise-Lam sailcloth is a 5 layer composite consisting of outer skins of
> dacron for abrasion, UV, and flogging resistance, Kevlar scrims (think
> mesh), and an inner core of mylar.  It’s been completely bulletproof and
> the sail shape still looks great!
>   2.  Constructed with Bi-Radial or Tri-Radial panel layout.  S/V Dynamic
> Equiibrium’s 150% genoa is made with Bi-Radial panel layout.  But, with
> improvements in CAD assisted panel layout in the time since I purchased
> mine, I would probably opt for a Tri-Radial panel layout if I purchased it
> today.
>   3.  Either have UV protective acrylic panels ( i.e. Sunbrella) sewn into
> the foot and luff or use a UV protective Sunbrella sleeve that is hauled up
> the furled headsail using an extra halyard when you are not using it.
> Since S/V Dynamic Equilibrium is rigged to fly a tri-radial spinnaker and
> has the spare halyard, my boat has the protective sleeve.  I think the
> protective sleeve does a better job of protecting the head of the furled
> sail and the upper swivel assembly from the elements.  The genoa cover is
> installed as part of getting the boat ready to leave at the dock similar to
> snapping on the mainsail cover and is removed and stowed as part of the
> process of getting the boat ready to get underway.  S/V Dynamic Equilibrium
> also has a standard mainsail.  I choose the protective sleeve vs. the
> sewn-in panels to give the headsail better light air performance.  The
> sewn-in panels are heavy and can prevent the genoa from properly inflating
> in light air.
>   4.  Has an appropriately sized luff tape that fits the grooves in your
> headsail foil
>   5.  Has tensioning cords sewn into the foot and leach for fine
> adjustments of sail shape in the lower 1/3 of the sail and minimizing leech
> flutter
>   6.  Has at least 3 windows sewn in up and down about 12 inches aft of
> the luff with windward/leeward tell tails sewn in
>   7.  Has at least 3 leech tell tails sewn in up and down the sail
>   8.  Has a foam luff pad and a sail shape that enables the upper and
> lower swivels to take up the extra draft as the sail is furled.  This
> feature is worthless unless your roller furler has upper and lower
> independent swivels.  But, it will dramatically increase the usable dynamic
> range of your roller furler.  In my opinion, without this feature, this
> project isn’t worth doing.
>
> It’s an expensive project.  But, speed costs money.  How fast can you
> afford to go?  Yes, I know I’m out of control!
>
> Roger Pihlaja
> S/V Dynamic Equilibrium
>
> Sent from Mail<https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for Windows
>
> From: Michael McKay<mailto:mm.bizlist1 at gmail.com>
> Sent: Thursday, October 14, 2021 12:21 PM
> To: rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org<mailto:rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
> Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Furling headsail replacement
>
> The recent threads regarding mainsails and racing performance issues
> prompts me to ask a question that’s been on my mind.
>
> My boat has the factory furler, which requires me to drop the mast to
> remove the headsail.  I’d like the option of being able to change out my
> 130 for a working jib when appropriate for higher wind race days.
>
> I’ve been contemplating replacing my furler with a CDI or Harken, but I
> believe I will need an additional halyard for that and my masthead doesn’t
> have an extra sheave. Has anyone done that replacement and could you share
> what your experience was?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Michael McKay
> s/v Liber (2006/2018)
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>