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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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Schaefer Wire Furling--Won't furl--help

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albert
Captain

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USA
262 Posts

Initially Posted - 02/02/2003 : 02:54:43

Abacus has a Schaefer Wire Furling (no reefing)110 jib. When I try to furl in anything over 10 knots of wind, the top part of the sail won't completely furl and it jams up. At that point I have to drop the sail.

Anyone else have one of these wire furling systems? What can I be doing wrong?

Albert Iturrey
al@comhertz.com
Abacus': http://www.comhertz.com/abacus

Edited by - albert on 02/02/2003 02:55:36

Edited by - on

Arlyn Stewart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2984 Posts

Response Posted - 02/02/2003 : 09:52:36

While not familiar with your furler... many furlers which use the jib halyard, need to use a turning sheave foreward on the mast and a short distance down from the mast head to lead the halyard away from the stay. This accomplishes two things.... it prevents the halyard from wrapping and fouling on the stay and provides a better lever for the halyard to hold the upper assembly from turning.

Arlyn C-250 W/B #224
R&R N/E Texas and Great Lakes

[url="http://www.cox-internet.com/arlynstewart/"]Arlyn's C250 Mods n Cruisin Stories[/url]

Edited by - arlyn stewart on 02/02/2003 09:54:51

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dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 02/02/2003 : 12:56:53

I, too, am not familiar with your wire furler, but remember to keep a little tension on the jib sheet as you furl it in. If you just let the sheet go, then the bottom of the sail will wrap tighter than the top and eventually the bottom of the sail will "lap" the top and cause it to bind(jam).

When furling, I take hold of both the furling line and the jib sheet. As I haul on the furling line, I let the sheet ease out while keeping a sufficient amount of tension on the sheet to keep the headsail from binding.

Don Lucier, 'North Star'
C25 SR/FK
<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b2cc32b3127cce92e981259d130000001010" border=0>
Cradled on the hard, 200ft from Lake Erie

Edited by - on

LeighMarie
Navigator

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USA
188 Posts

Response Posted - 02/03/2003 : 10:56:25

I had a huge issue with my furler (Snap-Furl) when I installed it last year. I had not installed the halyard retainer on the top of the mast, and the jib halyard would wrap and eventually not allow it to roll anymore. I completely decimated my forestay, requiring me to buy a new one and a new foil!

I also found that as my forestay stretched a bit and developed more slack that the furler rolled much less easy. After tightening the forestay it rolled much, much easier. I think I also had the backsaty adjuster way too loose also and that didn't help.

Dave & Sharon on "Leigh-Marie"
Hull #5128

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ronrryan
Admiral

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USA
561 Posts

Response Posted - 02/04/2003 : 17:43:43

Of course, one cannot diagnose at a long distance, but I have owned three of the Old Schaefer furlers. (1) The upper swivel usually has a two-pronged "keeper" which is turned sideways and then straightened to hold the swivel in correct position behind the headstay. If this is missing, the upper swivel wants to roll up with the sail and will jam. You would need to figure out a way to keep the upper swivel from doing this, possibly a shackle from upper swivel upper toggle to and around the headstay. or...?? (2) When rolling in strong winds, one must experiment to find the correct point of sail to allow a rollup. Sometimes if too far off the wind a wrap around the headstay will occur.(3) A considerable tension must be retained on the sheet. Somertimes this is hard to achieve. Often one must accept a "barbershop" roll and then re-furl at the dock. Having said all these nasty things, the old system, which is similar to the English Wykham-Martin system, is simple, robust, and usually reliable. If the upper swivel is actually jammed or binding, you can try sending it back to Schaeffer, they have a good rep for standing behind their products, tho I have no personal experience with that, godspeed, ron srsk 1981 #2343 Orion SW FL

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albert
Captain

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USA
262 Posts

Response Posted - 02/05/2003 : 00:24:52

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
Of course, one cannot diagnose at a long distance, but I have owned three of the Old Schaefer furlers. (1) The upper swivel usually has a two-pronged "keeper" which is turned sideways and then straightened to hold the swivel in correct position behind the headstay. If this is missing, the upper swivel wants to roll up with the sail and will jam. You would need to figure out a way to keep the upper swivel from doing this, possibly a shackle from upper swivel upper toggle to and around the headstay. or...?? (2) When rolling in strong winds, one must experiment to find the correct point of sail to allow a rollup. Sometimes if too far off the wind a wrap around the headstay will occur.(3) A considerable tension must be retained on the sheet. Somertimes this is hard to achieve. Often one must accept a "barbershop" roll and then re-furl at the dock. Having said all these nasty things, the old system, which is similar to the English Wykham-Martin system, is simple, robust, and usually reliable. If the upper swivel is actually jammed or binding, you can try sending it back to Schaeffer, they have a good rep for standing behind their products, tho I have no personal experience with that, godspeed, ron srsk 1981 #2343 Orion SW FL

<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>

That's my setup. When the wind pipes up it appears that the wire luff doesn't have enough torque on the upper end to roll the upper part of the sail. The bottom half furls fine. I like the suggestion of blanketing the jib with the main. Heading into the wind doesn't work well with this setup.

Albert Iturrey
al@comhertz.com
Abacus': http://www.comhertz.com/abacus

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Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.