Best rope for in mast furling drum?

[Tim Good]

My line that controls the drum which turns the in mast furling has started to slip. So every 3-6 furls it has moved by about 1m and eventually needs resetting by removing the drum. Very annoying.

What sort of line is ideal? Something with a sheath than won’t slip but also something with very little stretch?

 

[V1701]

An extra grippy rope such as this one? Clean & lube sparingly any blocks that it runs round as well but the slippage is going to be on the main drum, I wonder if that could be given some sort of coating or finish to make it more grippy?

 

[NormanS]

I don't understand your problem. Is your furling line not an endless loop?

 

[Laysula]

I have just got ordinary braid on braid on mine I think it's 10mm. When I replaced it with new it did slip a bit as it seems to have some sort of coating on it. However that settled down after a bit and it's fine now. Domake sure that there is a little tension on the tail as you are pulling on the other end.

 

[Tim Good]

I don't understand your problem. Is your furling line not an endless loop?

To be fair it could well be. That would be a solution. But of course I’d need to splice it myself to go through all the blocks or some rigger comes out and does it in situ.

 

[Tim Good]

I wonder if that could be given some sort of coating or finish to make it more grippy?

Thats a fair suggestion. Ive used stuff in the past you could spray on to give things a surface that grips but I can’t recall where I what.

 

[V1701]

Thats a fair suggestion. Ive used stuff in the past you could spray on to give things a surface that grips but I can’t recall where I what.

Or maybe try emery clothing it at 90 degrees to the direction of travel of the rope & see if that helps? Or remove the drum and have a knurled finish machined into it?

 

[JumbleDuck]

Sailspar recommend Liros double braid for their endless-line foresail systems.

 

[NormanS]

To be fair it could well be. That would be a solution. But of course I’d need to splice it myself to go through all the blocks or some rigger comes out and does it in situ.

Mine is an endless (ie spliced) loop. In my ignorance I thought that was the normal way. If it's not endless, you must have a lot of extra line. I would recommend splicing, or getting it spliced. Unfortunately it goes through umpteen sheaves, so has to be spliced in situ.

 

[ip485]

Mine is an endless (ie spliced) loop. In my ignorance I thought that was the normal way. If it's not endless, you must have a lot of extra line. I would recommend splicing, or getting it spliced. Unfortunately it goes through umpteen sheaves, so has to be spliced in situ.

Not necessarily. Mine isnt, furling lines runs from cockpit to worm screw in mask, pull it one way to furl, pull the outhaul to unfurl, they are seperate ropes.

 

[Tranona]

Not necessarily. Mine isnt, furling lines runs from cockpit to worm screw in mask, pull it one way to furl, pull the outhaul to unfurl, they are seperate ropes.

The OP clearly has a Selden as shown which does need a continuous line. You obviously have a different type.

 

[Tranona]

To be fair it could well be. That would be a solution. But of course I’d need to splice it myself to go through all the blocks or some rigger comes out and does it in situ.

Selden recommend 10mm braid spliced into a continuous loop (instructions on their site or just google). If the rope is in good condition it should not slip, but if the drum has not been serviced this may well make smooth furling difficult. On my last boat I only changed the line once after 7 years of hard chartering and the replacement was still OK 8 years later when I sold the boat.

 

[Travelling Westerly]

Selden recommend 10mm braid spliced into a continuous loop (instructions on their site or just google). If the rope is in good condition it should not slip, but if the drum has not been serviced this may well make smooth furling difficult. On my last boat I only changed the line once after 7 years of hard chartering and the replacement was still OK 8 years later when I sold the boat.

I had this exact issue as discussed with Tranona a while back. Took his advice, removed gear box, serviced, new bearings, new endless line fitted and it's like a new inmast set up. Night and day difference in operation now

 

[neil1967]

Should be continuous line - we have the same set up. Make sure it is 10mm - PO changed ours to 12mm which kept jamming at the splice.