Roller furling boom

[KAM]

Has anyone found a simple way to lock a Proctor roller furling boom. It's the one where the drive runs through the mast.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Has anyone found a simple way to lock a Proctor roller furling boom. It's the one where the drive runs through the mast.

Not sure how the proctor one works, but our roller boom on a Corsair trimaran had a crank handle on the front of the mast, direct drive to the boom. You hinged the handle to the crank position to reef, reverse it and it fitted into a socket on the mast. Thought through and designed on the KISS principle.

 

[KAM]

Similar idea but it's a removable handle. Doesn't appear to be any way of locking it. Could leave a handle in a strap it to the mast but not very elegant.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Could you not just fit it backwards, and have the handle rest on a riveted on bracket?

 

[Refueler]

My mast is Proctor and has the handle locked in front. Interesting reading that yours has removable handle.
I wonder if there's a pin or something that secures handle ?? When I finally get mobile again and onto boat - will have a look.
I still like the old roller boom ... ally with reef ties in the sail ... you can roll and then use reef ties to set shape and boom level. Just means losing the kicking strap .....

 

[Chiara’s slave]

I liked my roller boom too. And on the tri we had no kicker, just a curved traveller over the aft cabin.

 

[Refueler]

I liked my roller boom too. And on the tri we had no kicker, just a curved traveller over the aft cabin.

I know you can get the kicker with a roller band to go round the sail on the boom ... but I've seen too many sails with damage from them. If you really want to have a kicker - then I preferred a webbing strap round the sail back to the kicker ... line to aft end to control its position.

 

[KAM]

The square socket for the winch handle is pinned to the shaft with roll pin. I assume its standard.

 

[Refueler]

The square socket for the winch handle is pinned to the shaft with roll pin. I assume its standard.

I wondered if the HANDLE could be pinned to the through mast shaft ? Because my handle is permanent - cannot really see point of it being removed except if dismantling for service. My mast has a spring bracket that handle locks into.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Thats kind of what I was thinking, but maybe rivet a fitting onto the mast to get a flat face to pin it to, if that makes sense? My system just had a handle sized hole in the mast with an alloy tube welded into it. You flipped the handle upside down and in it went. Quick to to, when you’re up by the mast. You could maybe just use a loop of dyneema to slip over the handle and see how it worked.

 

[ashtead]

I assume a detachable handle is designed so you are not knocked out by a spinning handle when you unlock it without easing the halyard tension but you tend to only do that once??

 

[Refueler]

Sorry about poor photo ..... but its p***** down out there ... so had to find something in my archive.

The handle : the actual 'hand' part folds out to 90 from the main part - which then allows the whole to be turned. Once reefed / unreefed - handle is again put in line with main and clipped to lock into small bracket on mast face.

 

[Refueler]

I assume a detachable handle is designed so you are not knocked out by a spinning handle when you unlock it without easing the halyard tension but you tend to only do that once??

Actually - its unlikely to spin ... lets say this - when I've used it - I've never had it spin or even try. When it reefs the main - the boom drops at aft end due to sail shape .... making the action to spin more difficult.

The OP has asked how to lock the roller boom .... so it appears his may be un-useable till he solves that ??

 

[ashtead]

The spinning Must be a feature only fitted to Centaurs maybe. I could not really think of reason why it would not be a one piece locking handle as per the picture though. I’m guessing the Op might advise us as to make of boat which might attract certain forumites etc.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

The F27 handle could bite back if you let it. Just the once though, like you said!

 

[Refueler]

The F27 handle could bite back if you let it. Just the once though, like you said!

I agree it can bite back ... but I've never known one to spin.

Whether Centaur or not - Proctor mast is a Proctor mast ...

I did modify later my reefing so even that bite back is unlikely. The previous owner obviously never used it ... I had to 'prise' the handle out of the clip and clean it all up. He'd fastened topping lift to fixed point on boom instead of the sheet 'ring'. Basically meant boom could not revolve. He had reef ties set into the main but nothing at luff / leech points. But he'd altered to slugs - which I hate with a vengenace ! The system was a mishmash of umworkable design. It relied on two reef ties along the sail to boom.
I added a luff line so I could secure whichever cringle was appropriate and also a leech based reef line after release of slugs from luff groove.

Sequence :
1. Drop sail to desired reef cringle, while exiting slugs ... make off halyard but not tight
2. Remove kicking strap
3. Rotate boom to tidy up sail
4. Moving along boom and lifting - make off sail ties so boom stays level.
5. Make off luff line at that cringle
6. Harden up halyard
7. Secure leech cringle at aft end of boom.

It looks like a lot of unnecessary and extra - but in fact once understood - is done easily and quick - creates a neat solution with no sail hanging loose or baggy ...
Of course always better to do before committing to journey .. but if out there and need to reef .. various steps can be ignored ...

Note = The one item that is missing and I believe may have been removed by previous owner when he opted to 'slug' the main : The disc at gooseneck that keeps rolled sail from bunching up against mast.