Rotostay II manual/maintenance pdf

Eeyore

Eeyore

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Location
Kudat, Malaysia
www.yachtrhumbdo.co.uk
My Rotostay II has jammed (again!). Does anyone have a maintenance manual for the Rotostay II? I'm particularly interested in the top bearing assembly which consists of three pieces - two thrust faces and a ball race. One of the thrust faces has a smaller inside diameter than the other, yet both fit onto an un-tapered 20mm shaft and I want to know which way round the two faces should be installed. The bearing will go on either way without problems. I've searched the forum for others who experienced jamming furlers and most suggest the forestay unfurling within the foil to jam the system. This does not happen in the Rotostay II because the complete stay revolves with the foil, turning on top and bottom bearings.
 
Try e-mailing XW riggers at Haslar Marina in Gosport. They are very helpful and i think they took over Rotostay support whenthe company went TU.
 
alahol2 said:
Anything like this one? This is actually a type D (vintage 1986).
You could try an email to barry.b.j.locke AT btinternet.com he used to make them (at Rotostay) and now runs Barry's reefing and rigging services.
Click to expand...

Looks like the top part of one on my old boat. It must date from around 1980 and was still going strong when I sold the boat in 2009. Maintenance was very easy.

Foil lifted from base at start & end of season, cleaned and a little grease applied (otherwise it siezes to the top of the drum)

Bottom bearing cleaned & greased every 2-3 years. I replaced the ball bearings when it was about 25 years old. I could feel a slight amount of wear on the bearing track and simply reversed them when assembling.

Top bearing dismantled, cleaned & greased every 2-3 years. Very easy job and never saw any signs of wear. I wouldn't be surprised if the bearing surfaces could also have been reversed. However, you say that they are different so wonder if your gear is a later design.

If your unit is similar to the one described in previous post then the ball bearings are always pulled against the lower face. This leaves the top face completely unmarked so that they can be swapped if needed. I certainly swapped the ones on the deck level fitting.

I expected bearing parts to be symetrical to keep cost down. So surprised to hear that yours are different.
 
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alahol2 said:
Anything like this one? This is actually a type D (vintage 1986).
You could try an email to barry.b.j.locke AT btinternet.com he used to make them (at Rotostay) and now runs Barry's reefing and rigging services.
Click to expand...

Yes, it is like this one but the bearing shown looks to be a 'one piece' assembly. I willl send e-mail as you suggest. Perhaps someone has fitted the wrong SKF bearing to mine in the past?
 
Eeyore said:
Yes, it is like this one but the bearing shown looks to be a 'one piece' assembly. I willl send e-mail as you suggest. Perhaps someone has fitted the wrong SKF bearing to mine in the past?
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No, the bearing is very simple, 2 cups exactly the same and a set of loose balls, not even a cage. I made the diagram when I had mine apart to re-grease it. The diagram is not to scale but otherwise it is a pretty accurate representation. You need a simple bearing which is slightly smaller than the outer cup, which fits accurately over the swivel spindle and deep enough to allow the thrust nut to be tightened enough to hold it together. I guess the thrust nut could be packed underneath with a spacer if you can only get a thinner bearing.
Good luck.
 
No, the bearing is very simple, 2 cups exactly the same and a set of loose balls, not even a cage. I made the diagram when I had mine apart to re-grease it.


OK thanks. I guess mine has been modified at some time for ease. The balls are not loose but caged. It's a SKF bearing and it lasted from when Noah had the boat until I got to India, where it seized. I replaced it with an identical bearing and that has lasted a few years but again failed here in Borneo. I've just replaced it again with the same bearing.
 
alahol2 said:
Good to hear you're up and running. If it's of any interest the drum and bottom bearing diagram is here.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the link. I have a Rotostay 11, it was fully refurbished 3 years ago.
Looking at the diagram it does not appear to be the same as mine. Am I correct in assuming with the model shown the forestay turns with the drum?
 
KREW2 said:
Thanks for the link. I have a Rotostay 11, it was fully refurbished 3 years ago.
Looking at the diagram it does not appear to be the same as mine. Am I correct in assuming with the model shown the forestay turns with the drum?
Click to expand...

Same as one on my old boat. The drum turns and this rotates the foil and that's how it furls the sail. The foil slides over a fitting on top of the drum and should be lifted, cleaned and greased 1-2 times each year. The fitting is swaged to the forestay and that also rotates. So the whole thing spins right up to the top bearing and that is fitted to the mast with some toggles. Mine didn't have a toggle and fractured after I bought the boat but was fine when toggles were fitted.
 
KREW2 said:
Thanks for the link. I have a Rotostay 11, it was fully refurbished 3 years ago.
Looking at the diagram it does not appear to be the same as mine. Am I correct in assuming with the model shown the forestay turns with the drum?
Click to expand...

Yes, as Mistroma says, the foil and forestay turn together so the bearings are taking the full tension in the forestay. This particular furler is a type D+, it would be interesting to know just how many different models rotostay produced.
As well as lifting and greasing the base of the foil regularly, Barry the rigger suggested enlarging, and adding to, the drain holes inside the luff groove at the base of the foil.
 
alahol2 said:
Yes, as Mistroma says, the foil and forestay turn together so the bearings are taking the full tension in the forestay. This particular furler is a type D+, it would be interesting to know just how many different models rotostay produced.
As well as lifting and greasing the base of the foil regularly, Barry the rigger suggested enlarging, and adding to, the drain holes inside the luff groove at the base of the foil.
Click to expand...

Mine is the rotostay11. I believe the foil is connected to the drum with a left handed thread fitting. The forestay does not turn with the drum, only the foil, but it still has a swivel attachment at the mast head, what for, I don't know.
What I am not too keen on is that the the drum and bearings are part of the forestay, as is the model D, diagram you posted, I don't know if this could be a weak link. Having said that I have not heard of one failing.
 
alahol2 said:
Good to hear you're up and running. If it's of any interest the drum and bottom bearing diagram is here.
Click to expand...

Many thanks for the drawings. I'm wondering if the bearing I originally took out in India was in fact the correct one, as I can see no reason why one thrust face should be of different dimensions to the other. I will find out when I get back in the water and see how long it lasts this time!
 
KREW2 said:
Mine is the rotostay11. I believe the foil is connected to the drum with a left handed thread fitting. The forestay does not turn with the drum, only the foil, but it still has a swivel attachment at the mast head, what for, I don't know.
What I am not too keen on is that the the drum and bearings are part of the forestay, as is the model D, diagram you posted, I don't know if this could be a weak link. Having said that I have not heard of one failing.
Click to expand...

Are you SURE that your forestay does not turn with the foil? Mine (Rotostay II), does - hence the swivel bearing at the top of the forestay. The foil isn't connected to the drum by a thread fitting but slides over the forestay spigot and is held in place by a locating screw as shown in Alahol2's diagram.
 
This is a Photo of one similar to mine. Maybe you are right the forestay may turn. As the mast is down I will check it tomorrow.
The piccie is from another thread showing one that has been unscrewed and dropped down
 
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Eeyore said:
Are you SURE that your forestay does not turn with the foil? Mine (Rotostay II), does - hence the swivel bearing at the top of the forestay. The foil isn't connected to the drum by a thread fitting but slides over the forestay spigot and is held in place by a locating screw as shown in Alahol2's diagram.
Click to expand...

Well I'll be, it does.
The foil is connected to a fitting that has a left handed thread which screws into the drum.
 
KREW2 said:
Well I'll be, it does.
The foil is connected to a fitting that has a left handed thread which screws into the drum.
Click to expand...

There we go! Sounds like we have a similar system. My drum bearing housing is held in place with a grub screw (same as the top bearing) but as I didn't have it apart on this occasion, I cannot remember whether the housing was left or right hand thread.
 
Eeyore said:
There we go! Sounds like we have a similar system. My drum bearing housing is held in place with a grub screw (same as the top bearing) but as I didn't have it apart on this occasion, I cannot remember whether the housing was left or right hand thread.
Click to expand...

Well, this is where I get confused, because my drum is not the same as the one in the drawing posted by alahol2 but the top bearing that allows the forestay to rotate is identical.
 
KREW2 said:
Well, this is where I get confused, because my drum is not the same as the one in the drawing posted by alahol2 but the top bearing that allows the forestay to rotate is identical.
Click to expand...

As alahol2 says..."it would be interesting to know just how many variants Rotostay made." My drum is not the same either, I don't have the two long vertical bolts through the drum. Mine is held by a horizontal screw through the rope guide - drop that down, then punch out a plastic pin and the drum drops down. Is that anything like yours? Top bearing is the same. I'll try to take and upload a photo of the drum when it stops raining!!
 
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