New furler recommendations please

[All_at_Sea]

I have a Konsort Duo and the furling gear although working is getting increasingly stiff, so it maybe time for a new one. 29ft long boat, what do you have and what would you recommend for the refurb?

 

[john_morris_uk]

Furlex (or Harken if you’re feeling flush. )

 

[UK-WOOZY]

love my sailspar continuous line furler

 

[jwilson]

Anything but Facnor. I replaced a Facnor with Bamar last year. Sailspar seems good and expensive, as is Harken, but Harken now have two quality levels and prices.

 

[lustyd]

Do you mean furler or roller reefing?

Furlex every time for me.

 

[erich27]

We had a FURLEX 200S roller reefing fitted to our last yacht (SIGMA33) and did have problems with it jamming, seemed to be very sensitive to excessive jib halyard tension ( causing the halyard to wrap around the forestay. Our (relatively ) new to us SIGMA 35 has a HARKEN roller reefing system fitted when we purchased the yacht and have had no problems with it ! So my ( personal opinion only ) vote is for HARKEN

 

[pvb]

We had a FURLEX 200S roller reefing fitted to our last yacht (SIGMA33) and did have problems with it jamming, seemed to be very sensitive to excessive jib halyard tension ( causing the halyard to wrap around the forestay.

That's usually an installation error. Selden give specific instructions about the need to fit a halyard lead or a sheave box if the halyard angle is insufficient. There's nothing wrong with Selden Furlex systems, which is why they're so popular.

 

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

The Plastimo furlers are very good.

 

[tjbrace]

I have always switched to Harken.

 

[wilkinsonsails]

Sailspar for me too.

 

[Concerto]

I have a Konsort Duo and the furling gear although working is getting increasingly stiff, so it maybe time for a new one. 29ft long boat, what do you have and what would you recommend for the refurb?

The reason it is getting stiff is dried out old grease in the top and bottom roller bearings. Strip them out, making sure you do not loose any of the ball bearings, and clean with petrol. Apply new grease. If all the ball bearings do not hold in place with the grease, then using some shaving foam (not gel) will hold them and wash out once assembled.

 

[Minchsailor]

I replaced an ageing Harken with a Profurl, as it struck me as a good compromise between price/quality, on my Rustler 36.

Works OK, but the installation manual on getting the forestay the right length is nearly incomprehensible.

 

[chrishscorp]

Mine is a Plastimo 608S, we realised after a shakedown sail it was siezed solid just before our 2 week cruise down the west country, would reiterate what Concerto has said, strip the furler down, it is likely seized grease it will be like gone off cement and the only thing that will shift it in the bearings is petrol, soak them in it give them a frequent stir and they will shift, mine needed some fairly forcefull trying to turn them by hand to get them to start moving, but they will move, when freed up you can then lubricate but only 1/3 fill the bearing with grease too much grease in bearings is what causes the problems.

Lockdown has not been good for many boats with long periods of inactivity, OP does not say what make of furler they have.

 

[Yellow Ballad]

As others above, love my Sailspar

 

[All_at_Sea]

Not sure what this is, someone will recognise it, from 1985. It will only come off from the top so l will need to take the mast down in the winter anyway......

 

[Jmc1764]

We still have the original Pro-furl installed in 1971 and works perfect. It seems a simple enough system which always helps with reliability, not sure if they still make them.

 

[Telstar26]

May be a Z Spar furler. Is it a Z Spar mast?

 

[pvb]

Not sure what this is, someone will recognise it, from 1985. It will only come off from the top so l will need to take the mast down in the winter anyway......

I think it's a Rotostay.

 

[Aeolus]

I'm about to replace my indeterminate make, getting stiff, furler with an Alado ALADO - Furler and Roller - main page. It will be fitted to a 30' Seamaster 925.

I like the simplicity of the design and the price. I recently checked and they claim that shipping to the UK, including customs clearance (which they manage) takes about a week. The price includes shipping and duties.

Not used it yet, obviously, but other than one reviewer who apparently didn't like the concept, everything written about them is positive.

 

[wilkinsonsails]

That furler could be a Colnebrook as they used the same larger oval foils as the older rotostay.