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How to drop the mast when you have a Hood Furler?

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Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5371 Posts

Initially Posted - 11/07/2010 : 20:18:26

I'd like to drop Passage's mast this winter, however I have a Hood furler with a multi-part aluminum foil.

I need to carefully remove all the foil sections one-by-one without damaging any portion of it before I can drop the mast.

Once the foil is removed, I'll simply use the techniques discussed in the forum (A-frame, mast-boom winch the sheet, etc) and a few strong helpers to drop it and raise it.

My problem is I have no freakin' clue on where to start taking the foils apart, segment by segment, and to avoid bending one or more of them.

Has anybody done this maneuver with a Hood furler before? If not, has anyone done it with their CDI or Harken, and if so, is the construction approximately the same? The Hood furler incorporates the forestay within the furler drum and foils.

Bruce Ross
Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032

Port Captain � Milford, CT

Edited by - Voyager on 11/07/2010 20:19:52

Davy J
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1511 Posts

Response Posted - 11/08/2010 : 05:52:23

I do not have experience with other furlers, but the CDI foil is a one piece plastic extrusion and does not come apart. I think if you could get your jib halyard connected to the base of the bow pulpit you could remove forestay and remove the whole foil together. However, once again, I do not have experience with anything other than the CDI.

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9080 Posts

Response Posted - 11/08/2010 : 07:39:45

I never dropped Passage's mast (with that furler) myself--I had it taken down a couple of times by a rigger, who used a crane. I would think long and hard before taking the foil apart and off the forestay--the rigger put it on my new forestay (2001?) and said it was tricky. I recall the sections are riveted together, and I believe he left it assembled and used the old stay as a messenger to pull the new one through. It seems to me if you have an extra person who can handle the furler as you lower the mast aft, you can end up with it all lying together, and then tie the foil to the mast. It's longer so overhangs the base--you could "splint" it with a piece of wood to support the drum.

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PCP777
Master Marine Consultant

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1225 Posts

Response Posted - 11/08/2010 : 07:50:07

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Voyager
 I'd like to drop Passage's mast this winter, however I have a Hood furler with a multi-part aluminum foil.

I need to carefully remove all the foil sections one-by-one without damaging any portion of it before I can drop the mast.

Once the foil is removed, I'll simply use the techniques discussed in the forum (A-frame, mast-boom winch the sheet, etc) and a few strong helpers to drop it and raise it.

My problem is I have no freakin' clue on where to start taking the foils apart, segment by segment, and to avoid bending one or more of them.

Has anybody done this maneuver with a Hood furler before? If not, has anyone done it with their CDI or Harken, and if so, is the construction approximately the same? The Hood furler incorporates the forestay within the furler drum and foils.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

With my CDI we left it and the foil plus head sail attached. Not sure it was the best idea, as it was very heavy with all this extra weight, but it was doable with me and two other guys, no "A"frame and done in my slip.

Edited by - on

sfsmith
Navigator

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USA
123 Posts

Response Posted - 11/08/2010 : 09:01:56

My boat also has a Hood furler, which I've never taken off. I use an A-frame made of 2x4s to raise and lower the mast. About three feet down from the A-frame peak, I drilled a hole through each of the 2x4s and ran a slack line through. When I raise or lower the mast, the furler is tied to that line, suspended between the 2x4s. It doesn't keep it perfectly straight, but it keeps it from kinking at the joints. I plan to replace my standing rigging in the spring, so I'll be interested in hearing about it if you take your furler apart. Mine seems to be pop-riveted together. I think Stinkpotter is probably right about using the existing forestay to pull the new one though. That's what I plan to do.

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hillerji
1st Mate

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USA
37 Posts

Response Posted - 11/08/2010 : 11:23:10

Bruce,

For what it's worth, I just lowered mine last week with an all time low of three guys and calm water at the dock. I have one person dedicated to 'babysitting' the furler/drum on the way down. I use a 4x4 across the pushpit and a length of 2x10 across the pulpit for supporting the rig. As Dave mentioned it extends longer than the mast so it helps to go aft with the rig as much as you can to support it. I have to motor ~ 6 miles after lowering and it has ridden fine once tied down.

Good luck.

Edited by - on

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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5371 Posts

Response Posted - 11/08/2010 : 16:08:48

Jon, good to meet you, I don't recall seeing your ID before. Are you the Port Captain in New London?

All, I'm not getting a warm fuzzy about doing it, but since my goal is to drop the mast, not remove the furler foil, I can see how it would be very possible to manage the furler while dropping the mast aft.

The procedure, as I see it, is to have three others helping me.
1 person to look after the furler,
2 people handling the weight of the mast,
me handling the halyard bringing down the mast.

I get the math surrounding the increasing force required to hold up the mast as the mast converges to horizontal (tangent function).

I'm wondering whether it would make sense to reinforce the foil using a piece of PVC or 1x2 lumber.

Procedure to unstep the mast:
Remove the jib from the furler;
Remove the main and boom;
Connect the jib halyard to a block connected to the bow deck fitting;
Remove the forestay at the deck fitting;
Remove the forward lower shrouds;
Begin lowering the mast, make sure the furler foil and drum don't get hung up on anything;
Once below 45 degrees, make sure the mast people are ready to bear the full weight of the mast;
Let the mast down into the mast crutch.

To step the mast do the reverse.
Pulling on the halyard, have the mast people begin to raise it while the furler person keeps the tension on the furler assembly.
Once the mast is beyond 45 degrees, the halyard's power along with the furler person should be sufficient to raise the mast all the way.
Reattach the forestay, and the foreward shrouds.
Reassemble the sails and boom.

Edited by - on

Davy J
Master Marine Consultant

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1511 Posts

Response Posted - 11/09/2010 : 05:19:21

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Connect the jib halyard to a block connected to the bow deck fitting;
Remove the forestay at the deck fitting;
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I leave jib halyard connected to the bow pulpit. Then I connect forestay to the line running through block. The halyard can then be used to control the mast as well as the a-frame line. someone needs to let the halyard out as the mast comes down.

Also, if you do it this way, the forestay and furling foil will remain taught, with not much sag. there would only be sag on the foil at the end after the mast has touched down on what ever you will use to hold it up.

In addition, do not forget to loosen your upper shrouds. I loosen mine five turns. You need to do this because the mast will need to rise up slightly to "get over" the squared off portion at the bottom back end of the mast.

Edited by - on

Davy J
Master Marine Consultant

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1511 Posts

Response Posted - 11/09/2010 : 05:39:33

Why are you lowering the mast?

If you are lowering to to change anchor light or to just straighten out windex, you could just leave tension on the a-frame line and it will keep forestay and foil tight. If you watch my video, you will see that the forestay and CDI foil stay relatively straight all the way down. It only goes slack after I touch the mast down on the mast crutch.

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9080 Posts

Response Posted - 11/09/2010 : 07:37:33

Bruce--I think Davy J has a good point: If you use the forestay to lower (instead of a halyard to the mast-head), the furler shouldn't be much of an issue. The halyard can be your safety as you unhook and rig up the forestay. And remember that as you approach parallel, every component of your tackle-system will be under rapidly increasing strain. Frank Hopper's sequence of guys behind the mast should relieve that, and at some point the guy on the winch should release the line and become a guy under the mast.

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 11/09/2010 07:39:58

aeckhart
Master Marine Consultant

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1709 Posts

Response Posted - 11/10/2010 : 08:58:27

I understand your concern about kinking your aluminum furler but I help a buddy, who has a Hood furler, drop his mast every year and we don't do anything special. There are three people to help keep things under contol though.

One of the things I did this year when dropping my mast was to tie a length of line between the legs of the A-frame and suspended the furler on it. The line was tied with a sag in the center where the furler was cradled. This kept the furler in the center of the boat and very much under control. The furler did not drag the mast off to the side and I didn't have to worry about the furler hanging up on things as the mast dropped.

Edited by - on

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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5371 Posts

Response Posted - 11/10/2010 : 16:05:04

I re-watched the "A-frame mast drop" video a few times as well as the detailed video about the A-frame, the block and the shrouds, and as many have pointed out the furler will remain pretty tight throughout the process, so there should be no risk of bending it unless it is allowed to go slack once the mast is horizontal.

This should be interesting.....

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9080 Posts

Response Posted - 11/10/2010 : 18:00:02

The foil is a series of pretty strong extrusions, sort of like pieces of a very small, thick-walled mast. The riveted joints make it somewhat flexible. When Passage's mast was down, (2-3 times while I owned her) the furler foil seemed like it was in no danger of bending or kinking. I don't want to promote anything that would damage it, but I suspect you'll find it's stronger than you think.

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