Trouble with Furling Headsail spar, Sun Odyssey 37

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seumask

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On returning from our 2 week cruise at the weekend I discovered a small rip in the Genoa caused by a seperation of the top 2 sections from the bottom section of the furling "spar". The bottom 1/3 of luff foil is rotating independent of the top 2/3rds. and it appears that the luff rope had been keeping it together until it ripped through.
The furling system is probably from around 2001 and has a single track for the jib and I think it is a "Facnor" but there are no obvious trade marks on it. I have not been able to ascertain how each section of the spar attaches to the next one but clearly the joint has failed . There is no resistance to rotation in either the bottom part or the top part of the furling system, so I suspect a "Joiner" has come loose

Can any one shed any light on how the join might be made and any suggestions as to how to reattach them?
 
seumask said:
On returning from our 2 week cruise at the weekend I discovered a small rip in the Genoa caused by a seperation of the top 2 sections from the bottom section of the furling "spar". The bottom 1/3 of luff foil is rotating independent of the top 2/3rds. and it appears that the luff rope had been keeping it together until it ripped through.
The furling system is probably from around 2001 and has a single track for the jib and I think it is a "Facnor" but there are no obvious trade marks on it. I have not been able to ascertain how each section of the spar attaches to the next one but clearly the joint has failed . There is no resistance to rotation in either the bottom part or the top part of the furling system, so I suspect a "Joiner" has come loose

Can any one shed any light on how the join might be made and any suggestions as to how to reattach them?
Click to expand...
If it's a Facnor (I haven't seen one with a single luff but then I haven't seen many...), then the sections are joined with internal profiled aluminium pieces that have pairs of SS machine screws to locate them. I guess the screws could have failed, allowing the internal bit to drop down, or it could simply have snapped.
In theory, you could secure the mast, undo the forestay and drop the whole thing off the wire, disassembling as you go. I've done this ashore on a fractionally rigged 32' boat but I'd think twice about trying it on anything much bigger...
If it's the same as mine, I don't think a repair in situ would be possible, even if its just lost screws, as I don't see a way to either reposition or replace the internal bit without dismantling...

I think I'd be trying to get the boat to a cherry picker (or similar) to take off the whole unit and fix it ashore, hopefully you can arrange that without needing to get lifted out...?

Sorry,
W.
 
WGWarburton said:
If it's a Facnor (I haven't seen one with a single luff but then I haven't seen many...), then the sections are joined with internal profiled aluminium pieces that have pairs of SS machine screws to locate them. I guess the screws could have failed, allowing the internal bit to drop down, or it could simply have snapped.
In theory, you could secure the mast, undo the forestay and drop the whole thing off the wire, disassembling as you go. I've done this ashore on a fractionally rigged 32' boat but I'd think twice about trying it on anything much bigger...
If it's the same as mine, I don't think a repair in situ would be possible, even if its just lost screws, as I don't see a way to either reposition or replace the internal bit without dismantling...

I think I'd be trying to get the boat to a cherry picker (or similar) to take off the whole unit and fix it ashore, hopefully you can arrange that without needing to get lifted out...?

Sorry,
W.
Click to expand...
As long as at least one screw remains in situ then missing items can be replaced by being lowering a volunteer down the forestay in a bosun's chair.
 
Quiddle said:
As long as at least one screw remains in situ then missing items can be replaced by being lowering a volunteer down the forestay in a bosun's chair.
Click to expand...
I was thinking that the failure mode described couldn't occur without the internal section being displaced beyond the point where that repair would be possible but maybe that's just the way mine works, and other types would permit it.. if so, that's a result! :-)
 
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