Replacing the bearings and servicing a Selden Furlex 300 with the rig up

[MagicalArmchair]

After recently servicing my inmast furling, I note it is now easier to furl my mail than my headsail!

Can you get at all the bearings in the mechanism without dropping the rig?

 

[Neeves]

Not entirely sure what 'dropping the rig' means.....

You could run a dyneema line from the top of the mast, through a block on the bow and then to a sheet winch, tension and completely remove the foil and furler. Even easier if you already use dyneema halyards.

Jonathan

 

[vyv_cox]

After recently servicing my inmast furling, I note it is now easier to furl my mail than my headsail!

Can you get at all the bearings in the mechanism without dropping the rig?

Not Furlex but Facnor. I replaced my top swivel by disconnecting the forestay after fitting genoa and spinnaker halyards as a substitute. The lower drum was a bit awkward to remove because of the weight of it and the foil but hauling it off to one side with a strop around the pulpit solved that. Otherwise quite straightforward.

 

[MagicalArmchair]

Not entirely sure what 'dropping the rig' means.....

You could run a dyneema line from the top of the mast, through a block on the bow and then to a sheet winch, tension and completely remove the foil and furler. Even easier if you already use dyneema halyards.

Jonathan

"Dropping the rig" - Apologies, was posted in a bit of a rush. What I meant to say is can I access the bearings in the roller furling gear without taking the rig (mast) down. So, without unstepping the mast. Halyards are already Dyneema, correct.

Not Furlex but Facnor. I replaced my top swivel by disconnecting the forestay after fitting genoa and spinnaker halyards as a substitute. The lower drum was a bit awkward to remove because of the weight of it and the foil but hauling it off to one side with a strop around the pulpit solved that. Otherwise quite straightforward.

Thanks Vyv, I was hoping to avoid detaching it from the boat... perhaps I'll park that job until I do unstep the mast (which I might do next year for a general rig checkup). I might raise with the Selden technical guys to see if they have any guidance.

 

[vyv_cox]

"Dropping the rig" - Apologies, was posted in a bit of a rush. What I meant to say is can I access the bearings in the roller furling gear without taking the rig (mast) down. So, without unstepping the mast. Halyards are already Dyneema, correct.



Thanks Vyv, I was hoping to avoid detaching it from the boat... perhaps I'll park that job until I do unstep the mast (which I might do next year for a general rig checkup). I might raise with the Selden technical guys to see if they have any guidance.

My complete Facnor kit was installed at Dunkerque with the mast up. The rigger climbed the mast, disconnected forestay, lowered it onto the pontoon, fitted the kit, hauled it back, climbed back up and reconnected it.

 

[Neeves]

You are going to find, if its the same as Oz, that once the rig is around 7 to 10 years old you will need to replace the standing rigging to meet the demands of your insurer. Unless the furling forestay is causing you any issues I''d leave everything well alone until your insurance company starts to make demands - and then drop the rig and replace the rigging, including the forestay in the foil. The trouble with the forestay is - you cannot see it - and though it might last for 20 or 30 years the insurer will want it replaced. To satisfy the insurers, here, you would need certification from a rigger, who might do the work or supervise you doing the work.

You should be able to turn the furler by hand simply turning the drum. We found that simply replacing the furling line from 8mm to 6mm dyneema made furling easier.

It depends on the size of your yacht but removing the mast demands having a crane, or something to lift it, with all the standing rigging. The boom can come off first. You will also need to disconnect all the wiring and if you are lucky the wiring has a block at the mast base and the disconnect is easy.

But all of this costs money - and I'd consider the demands of the insurer as the schedule to follow - as having a survey next year and then finding you need to replace everything the following year, say, is not very sensible.

Masts don't fail often (or the rigging does not fail often) so the insurers have it right - but I think they are over cautious, rigging would last longer, - but we need follow their demands.

Jonathan

 

[seumask]

We recently put a second hand furlex 200s on to our boat and I found the manual very useful.
https://support.seldenmast.com/files/595-104-E.pdf

In short you can service ( put lubrication on) all the important parts without removing them for the furling spar. See section 15

 

[MagicalArmchair]

So the good news is the bearings are all stunning, and all greased up now and very free. The real (and much less complex) reason the furling was sometimes sticky is that the rope sometimes bunches up and is of too thick a gauge in the drum. It then snags on these machine screws here.

So, this rope is about 26 metres of 12mm braid on braid polyester. Could I swap to 10mm braid on braid polyester, thus giving much more space in the drum or should I switch to dyneema? The sail is not huge (41sqm ish), and the furling loads are not immense (not like the sheets, that get a lot of punishment)

 

[vyv_cox]

So the good news is the bearings are all stunning, and all greased up now and very free. The real (and much less complex) reason the furling was sometimes sticky is that the rope sometimes bunches up and is of too thick a gauge in the drum. It then snags on these machine screws here.

So, this rope is about 26 metres of 12mm braid on braid polyester. Could I swap to 10mm braid on braid polyester, thus giving much more space in the drum or should I switch to dyneema? The sail is not huge (41sqm ish), and the furling loads are not immense (not like the sheets, that get a lot of punishment)

My genoa area is slightly less, just under 40 m2. My furling line has always been 8 mm, as it came from new. For the past 12 years or so I have used the cheapest rope I can buy in Greece, the stuff sold in ironmongery and DIY shops by weight. It maybe tangles a little more than yacht shop stuff but ridiculously cheap and perfectly adequate.

 

[MagicalArmchair]

Cheap and cheerful 10mm stuff it is then! Thanks Vyv