Roller furling Genoa stuck

[steelfloats]

I had a flat calm, ideal time to drop the Genoa, set on a plastimo 1012 extrusion. Loosened the halyard, but the sail refuses to come down, tried two people pulling, but no joy. Has anyone had similar experience, any thoughts on why? My next thought is to go up the mast and eyeball the top...

 

[justanothersailboat]

I think I have had a similar experience, if I follow your description right. Old roller furler (a make that no longer exists), alloy-bodied top swivel. The top swivel had corrosion that effectively shrunk the hole through it so it gripped the forestay extrusion & wouldn't let the sail down. I had to climb the mast and thump the top of the swivel with a hammer to unstick it - I can't say that was my favourite thing to do!

Sadly, once I got the sail down, the top swivel jammed immovably on the lowest section of the extrusion. The lower drum was also knackered so I ended up swapping the lot.

 

[steelfloats]

Ouch, that sounds a possibility. I will pop up and check ,..maybe this weekend..flat calms are infrequent in the N.E. of Scotland.

 

[justanothersailboat]

I hope yours is not as bad as mine was. Good luck! (mine was a Colnebrook and well over 40 years old and had been left up far too long - the latter my fault - so fingers crossed yours might be better)

 

[neil_s]

Maybe you have a halliard wrap. This happens if your halliard diverter (little pulley) becomes detached from the mast and the halliard winds around the forestay as you unfurl the sail - instead of the top swivel swivelling. Some systems have a 'doughnut' above the top swivel instead of a halliard diverter and these are also less effective.

 

[justanothersailboat]

Good point. That would be a less worrying possibility.

 

[Biggles Wader]

Another possibility is that the halyard is stuck in the masthead sheave or the sheave has broken up.
Or-----If the sail has been in situ for a long time has the boltrope degenerated and expanded in the foil?