Re-newing our forestay with Harken roller reefing

[garvellachs]

I'm planning to re-new the forestay on our Dehler 372. She has a Harken Unit 1 (Mark I?) furling system. Obviously I need to feed the new wire through the foils. Do it take the roll pins out and take the foils apart individually, or feed the wire in somehow with the foils joined? They are glued together with Loctite so parting them may be fun. But I imagine the wire will be reluctant to go though the joining pieces inside the foils?

Has anyone done this and learned the hard way?

Thanks as always. Mike.

 

[30boat]

Easy.Lay the entire extrusion with the old wire still inside on the pontoon or other flat surface.Cut off one of the ends of the wire and butt weld the new wire to it.Smooth the weld,pull through and you're done.It doesn't need to be a deeply penetrating weld.On this size of boat the wire should be at least 10mm so two or three well done tack welds will have enough strength to pull the wire through.The new wire should be a bit overlength so you can cut off the heat affected part and then fit a Stalok or similar type of terminal.

 

[Pye_End]

Put a thin mouse down it. The foils are very difficult to get apart and I wouldn't consider it an option. The new forestay will go down it ok, but the mouse may be necessary to get over any ridges.

 

[garvellachs]

Thanks Guys - sounds like the foils need to stay together and it's a threading job.