TAB Sailing Sytems furling gear

[Fingalcat]

Hi,
The time has come for me to renew the standing rigging on my 1986 LM30 Rockabill, home port Skerries, Ireland. I want to spread the expense over three years, beginning with the forestay and backstay this winter.

My forestay runs through a Tab Sailing Systems furling gear. Tab Sailing Systems were in Poole, Dorset but are now defunct, no information on Google.

My rigger is iffy about running a new forestay through the Tab furler - he would prefer to sell me a new furling gear and forestay. (Well he would, wouldn't he).

Can anyone give me tips or advice on renewing a forestay through the foils of the Tab Sailing Systems gear - with a line to pull through the new stay? Any risks involved in dismantling the furler? It looks as if you have to cut off the fitting at the top of the stay to pull it through the foil, thereby destroying it. So once you start, you're committed!

 

[zalophus]

I did this on a former boat a few years ago. I found it impossible to mouse the forestay without first separating the foil sections. The issue is that the foil connectors are reassuringly chunky, and have a centre hole only slightly larger than the forestay. 10 mins with some magic shock / unlock spray and an impact driver was all that was needed to draw the machine screws in each section, you then thread the new forestay and re-assemble section by section.

I had the top fitting swaged by my rigging shop beforehand and then fitted a Norseman terminal on the bottom. Bit of Hammerite Smooth on the bottom drum, and it still looked and worked great when I sold the boat 5 years later.

If you do need to go rummaging for any spares, it may help to know that Tab used Colnbrook components (I was told by an ex Tab employee).

 

[Fingalcat]

TAB Sailing Systems furling gear

Thanks Zalophus, I'll give it a go. Not sure what an impact driver is - would a power screwdriver, or a manual one aided by the occasional tap of a mallet, be an equivalent? And the magic freeing-up stuff, would that be WD40 or similar?
Best regards for 2012.

 

[Fingalcat]

Tabs sailing System Furling Gear

Zalophus thanks for your advice, great stuff. Bought an impact driver in Halfords (never knew of their existence before I read your contribution!) and it easily freed up the studs on my old TAB furling gear foil. As you say, Magic.