Pulling new forestay through furler

[SAWDOC]

Hi
I'm renewing my forestay. First part of the operation is to pull the old forestay through the furler. I've tried pulling it both ways and it seems to jam whichever way I try. Anyone got any suggestions before I cancel sailing for the year?

 

[sailorman]

Hi
I'm renewing my forestay. First part of the operation is to pull the old forestay through the furler. I've tried pulling it both ways and it seems to jam whichever way I try. Anyone got any suggestions before I cancel sailing for the year?

did it have a staylock type of fitting if so did you cut it off or open it up.
if opened up it will have splayed on the end.
Done my Harken easy on Saturday as John the Rigger was finishing it as i arrived

 

[srm]

Having dismantled two different types of reefing gear and assembled a third type last summer I suspect that you may be attempting the impossible. It all depends on what is inside the foil by way of bearings and bushes to keep the foil off the wire.

I suspect that the only reliable way is to dismantle the drum and foil sections and rebuild it as per the original fitting instructions. This will enable you to replace any worn spacers / bearings.

The bad news is that we took a hacksaw to the foils of the two furling gears we dismantled as they were well worn and corroded after being up for 15 years.

 

[MrCramp]

What make of forestay is it? If it is a Rotostay then you have to take the sections to bits.

 

[Katouf]

New forestay for furler

"If it is a Rotostay then you have to take the sections to bits."

Don't think this is true. I did my Mk1 Rotastay on a Centaur by cutting off the top fixing (a conventional squeezed eye) and pulling the complete length of forestay out of the bottom of the furling drum. I supplied the rigger with the old wire AND the top bearing / fitting for the foil, he made a new wire to the correct length complete with the same sort of tack fitting to go on the stem head and the foil top fitting with the top eye beyond that. All refitted from the top of the foil while it was laying flat on the ground.
Mast was still erected with temporary forestays using genoa halliard.

Simples - and only cost£42 for a 6mm 1 x 19 stainles steel wire.

Alan

 

[SAWDOC]

Having dismantled two different types of reefing gear and assembled a third type last summer I suspect that you may be attempting the impossible. It all depends on what is inside the foil by way of bearings and bushes to keep the foil off the wire.

I suspect that the only reliable way is to dismantle the drum and foil sections and rebuild it as per the original fitting instructions. This will enable you to replace any worn spacers / bearings.

I think you may be right! Had a look at the base of the drum - there are three screws holding it in place which are refusing to budge. I've sprayed WD40 on and left them for a while. Don't mind taking the thing apart but would like to be able to put it back together again - don't really fancy the hacksaw option!!

 

[Poignard]

Rotostay dismantling

It depends on what model of Rotostay you have. If it is model D,E or F (which do not have halyard sliders) you will have to dismantle the foils because the slots in the couplers (item 6 on attached datasheet) are not wide enough to allow the D-shaped pieces on the end fittings of the forestay to pass through.

Getting the foil sections apart can be difficult even after the 4BA s/s screws have been removed because the aluminium has corroded and swelled.

 

[Dipper]

I replaced the forestay on my Rotostay E a couple of years ago without dismantling the foils. The forestay comes out of the top of the foil along with the black top fitting. Rotostay made up a new forestay with the old top fitting prefitted on the wire and I pushed the new forestay back into the foils (on the ground).

 

[Poignard]

Here are photos of the D-shaped blocks on my early Rotostay forestay. There is one at the top of the stay and one at the bottom, and they will not pass through the coupling pieces. Later models did not have one at the top end and had some kind of plastic block instead. With that type you should be able to withdraw the forestay downwards through the foil. What you are faced with depends on what model you have.

You could also ring Rotomarine, Gosport for advice.

 

[SAWDOC]

Thank you all for comments. I have no idea what make of furler is fitted. It appears quite old but is working well and does not require replacement. I have examined my furler from top to bottom and can see no identification marks anywhere - very strange.
I had noticed a join in the foil about 2 metres from the top. I managed with difficulty to extract the screws from this and that enabled me to pull clear the old forestay plus the inner "tubing" of the furler. That is the extraction complete - now for the insertion and the fitting of the sta lok terminal!

 

[Poignard]

Thank you all for comments. I have no idea what make of furler is fitted. It appears quite old but is working well and does not require replacement. I have examined my furler from top to bottom and can see no identification marks anywhere - very strange.
I had noticed a join in the foil about 2 metres from the top. I managed with difficulty to extract the screws from this and that enabled me to pull clear the old forestay plus the inner "tubing" of the furler. That is the extraction complete - now for the insertion and the fitting of the sta lok terminal!

If it came apart that easily it can't be an early Rotostay

 

[SAWDOC]

Drum of unknown furler.....