The Best Cruising Roller Furler?

Howdy All! I hope everybody has gotten their wind back after the "Wheel v. Tiller" ruckus. (I prefer tiller sometimes and wheel others). I actually learned a lot by reading those posts. Thank you! Beth and I leave for Florida to get our new Cal-40 next Friday. Our surveyor states that the roller furling on her now needs to be consigned to Davy Jones. We haven't any roller furling experience on our previous boats (Both Cal's are doing fine with their new owners and actually sailing. Unlike so many other slip-queens) Our question is this: Which is the best roller furler for a cruising Cal-40 with a bow sprit? Sorry, fiver, I don't have an extra boom for your mast. Not yet anyway... Thanks! Mike & Beth Cal-40, #44

Hi Mike, Wait until you get your boat over to my dock. We have a bunch of blue water cruisers, with opinions ;-), plus a consignment store, "The Scurvy Dog" across the bayou. Richard, "Jack - a hearts" Cal 46 got a super deal on a roller furler there. I think Cal 40 and 46 have the same rig. Tom and Bobbie Vandiver --- mkmcelhaney <mi… [at] wahini.org> wrote: > Howdy All! I hope everybody has gotten their wind > back after the > "Wheel v. Tiller" ruckus. (I prefer tiller sometimes > and wheel > others). I actually learned a lot by reading those > posts. Thank you! > > Beth and I leave for Florida to get our new Cal-40 > next Friday. Our > surveyor states that the roller furling on her now > needs to be > consigned to Davy Jones. We haven't any roller > furling experience on > our previous boats (Both Cal's are doing fine with > their new owners > and actually sailing. Unlike so many other > slip-queens) Our question > is this: Which is the best roller furler for a > cruising Cal-40 with a > bow sprit? > > Sorry, fiver, I don't have an extra boom for your > mast. Not yet anyway... > > Thanks! > Mike & Beth > Cal-40, #44 > >

I'm looking forward to hearing those opinions over a beer or two. However, if the furler is in as bad shape as the surveyor has led me to believe, I won't be able to get there without replacing it. I think I will end up going with the Harken Mark whatever since it seems to be pretty common and parts are available. I don't want to be cheap on essential equipment, but I don't want to be ripped off either. It's just a chunk of metal that winds up a sail for crying out loud! Some of these companies are very proud of their fancy window shade thingy. Arrgghh! By the way, Beth and I will try to make it to Pensacola by the 10th. Her, by our luxurious land yacht 1978 Winnebago 21',"Minnie Winnie", and me by sailing with our friend Dave on the 40. You are in Bayou Chica, right? --- In Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com, Tom Vandiver <bshmarine@...> wrote: > > Hi Mike, > > Wait until you get your boat over to my dock. We have > a bunch of blue water cruisers, with opinions ;-), > plus a consignment store, "The Scurvy Dog" across the > bayou. Richard, "Jack - a hearts" Cal 46 got a super > deal on a roller furler there. I think Cal 40 and 46 > have the same rig. > > Tom and Bobbie Vandiver

Hi Mike, Yes, I agree Harken is tops. Catch em off list and I may be able to save you $$ on it. Depending on where you are sailing from to Pensacola, sorry, I don't remember, WX is chancy. This time of year we go from strong northerlys 25 - 40 knots, short lived then dead calms. So watch your WX window. If you are coming from the south or east, wham bam into the short square waves or wait and motor like hell to Applachacola and take the ICW to Port St. Joe, 75' bridges and real FL old country. If the norther is still blowing, keep one foot on the beach and reach on down to P'cola. The bridges are too low for our masts. So, you may be able to strap on an old #3, reef the main and giver 'er hell or waitWX and motor. Keep in touch 850-572-1225. I hope to be out of the hospital before Christmas, so will be able to talk you in. From pensacola Pass, northerly leaving the Naval Air Station bouys to your port,( they are pretty anxious these days). Parrallel the beach to the Bayou Chico Channel, GPS current, STAY in the channel as they seagulls rarely have wet ankles off the green side. Call me ahead of time on the cell or call "Chico Limo" on VHF 16, that is our pontoonboat. From the Bayou Chico pass come on in by the yacht club and up the channel toward the big bridge. I will meet you there and lead you through the shallows, wrecks and other hazards. Did you get me off list reply? Looking forward to meeting y'all! We have a RV electrical hookup out front, so will be able to plug you in. Gonnaa be good seeing another Cal Boat at our dock as our Cal 25 is getting painted. Tom and Bobbie Vandiver --- mkmcelhaney <mi… [at] wahini.org> wrote: > I'm looking forward to hearing those opinions over a > beer or two. > However, if the furler is in as bad shape as the > surveyor has led me > to believe, I won't be able to get there without > replacing it. I think > I will end up going with the Harken Mark whatever > since it seems to be > pretty common and parts are available. I don't want > to be cheap on > essential equipment, but I don't want to be ripped > off either. It's > just a chunk of metal that winds up a sail for > crying out loud! Some > of these companies are very proud of their fancy > window shade thingy. > Arrgghh! > > By the way, Beth and I will try to make it to > Pensacola by the 10th. > Her, by our luxurious land yacht 1978 Winnebago > 21',"Minnie Winnie", > and me by sailing with our friend Dave on the 40. > You are in Bayou > Chica, right? > > --- In Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com, Tom Vandiver > <bshmarine@...> wrote: > > > > Hi Mike, > > > > Wait until you get your boat over to my dock. We > have > > a bunch of blue water cruisers, with opinions ;-), > > plus a consignment store, "The Scurvy Dog" across > the > > bayou. Richard, "Jack - a hearts" Cal 46 got a > super > > deal on a roller furler there. I think Cal 40 and > 46 > > have the same rig. > > > > Tom and Bobbie Vandiver > > >

--- In Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com, "mkmcelhaney" <mike@...> wrote: > > I'm looking forward to hearing those opinions over a beer or two. > However, if the furler is in as bad shape as the surveyor has led me > to believe, I won't be able to get there without replacing it. If you think you've got troubles with a delivery voyage, read this: http://www.sail-world.com/australia/Rolex-Sydney-to-Hobart-build-up-Maximus- Update/39983 This is why these steady old Cals are good enough for me. High tech is OK when there is ground under you. Offshore, I'll take strong and stable over fast and tricky. Mike Kennedy Conquest Cal 40 # 96

--- In Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com, "mtkennedy1" <mtkennedy1@...> wrote: > > --- In Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com, "mkmcelhaney" <mike@> wrote: > > Mike, The site page wouldn't load, but I went to the home page and navigated to a couple stories about Maximus and her canting keel being all boogered up. After reading that it just confirms my opinion that adding complexity isn't always a good thing. I do not envision having any of these kind of problems with the structure of the boat. However, I have taken to heart the mast removal procedures posted by you and Mike Jr. in another thread. We dismasted last spring on my Cal-25 during a 35kt wind. It turned out to be a stress fracture on the bolt inside the compression sleeve holding the inner shrouds that let go after 40 years of use. When I get to Marathon, I will take the existing furler apart and see if it will be able to get me up to Pensacola. If not, I will add replacing that to my list of chores to do before I re-launch. If the boat is not reasonably safe, We will not go. We've got a self-imposed schedule We're trying to keep, but not to the point where I will be stupid about it. After all, I have minimal sea experience on a boat of this size. I can sail the snot out of smaller boats on our "little" Lake Mead, but we won't fool ourselves. Tom Vandiver seems to recommend the Harken furler, and I have been contacted off-list about a Reef-Rite imported from New Zealand. What's your opinion on these? > > I'm looking forward to hearing those opinions over a beer or two. > > However, if the furler is in as bad shape as the surveyor has led me > > to believe, I won't be able to get there without replacing it. > > If you think you've got troubles with a delivery voyage, read this: > > http://www.sail-world.com/australia/Rolex-Sydney-to-Hobart-build-up-Maximus- > Update/39983 > > This is why these steady old Cals are good enough for me. High tech is OK when there is > ground under you. Offshore, I'll take strong and stable over fast and tricky. > > Mike Kennedy > Conquest Cal 40 # 96 >

- > Mike, > snipped >We dismasted last spring on my Cal-25 > during a 35kt wind. It turned out to be a stress fracture on the bolt > inside the compression sleeve holding the inner shrouds that let go > after 40 years of use. Rigging needs to be replaced. After I sold the Choate 40, it went to San Francisco where the new owner lost the rig again about 10 years later. Rod rigging is supect, to me anyway, after ten years. You can't really inspect it as well as you can wire. > When I get to Marathon, I will take the existing furler apart and see > if it will be able to get me up to Pensacola. If not, I will add > replacing that to my list of chores to do before I re-launch. If the > boat is not reasonably safe, We will not go. We've got a self-imposed > schedule We're trying to keep, but not to the point where I will be > stupid about it. After all, I have minimal sea experience on a boat of > this size. I can sail the snot out of smaller boats on our "little" > Lake Mead, but we won't fool ourselves. > Tom Vandiver seems to recommend the Harken furler, and I have been > contacted off-list about a Reef-Rite imported from New Zealand. What's > your opinion on these? We kept the old furler that was on our boat and it seems to be OK. With a double track foil, you can always ignore the rolling aspect and simply change headsails. Ours is a Harkin that is probably 15 years old. MIke Kennedy Conquest Cal 40 # 96

mtkennedy1 wrote: > > > Rigging needs to be replaced. After I sold the Choate 40, it went to > San Francisco where > the new owner lost the rig again about 10 years later. Rod rigging is > supect, to me > anyway, after ten years. You can't really inspect it as well as you > can wire. > Good point. I've only had two rigging failures from fatigue or stress. On my Cal 20, the backstay lost a strand. It was visible and I knew it was time to replace it, right now. (Steve Seal sells a heavier-gauge backstay because this was apparently a design weakness). On my old DN iceboat, a shroud started unravelling in the same manner, and since those rigs are marginal at best, it meant that it was time to replace it yesterday. Wire lets you know when the failure process is underway. Maybe I've been lucky not to have it start under extreme stress, when it would probably proceed more rapidly. I was warned and was able to replace the item before anything bad happened. And from what I've read, you can often detect swage-fitting failure by inspection. I've never had one go (knock on wood). My third rigging failure was when I ran the forestay into a power line, but that wasn't the rig's fault. Chris Campbell

The wire rigging didn't fail, just the bolt. All wires were inspected closely prior to reuse. There were no meathooks. Out here in the desert on fresh water, wire tends to last a lot longer. The bolt seemed to have a manufacturing defect that took 40 years to give way. Anyway, the mast and rig on that boat is solid as a rock now. The rigging on our new 40 has been replaced 2 years ago and the surveyor (Rick Krepps an ex-Cal-40 rigger) stated that it was oversized and in excellent condition. Just that the CDI roller furler is crap. --- In Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com, Chris Campbell <clcampbell@...> wrote: > > mtkennedy1 wrote: > > > > > > Rigging needs to be replaced. After I sold the Choate 40, it went to > > San Francisco where > > the new owner lost the rig again about 10 years later. Rod rigging is > > supect, to me > > anyway, after ten years. You can't really inspect it as well as you > > can wire. > > > > > > > > > > > > Good point. I've only had two rigging failures from fatigue or stress. > On my Cal 20, the backstay lost a strand. It was visible and I knew it > was time to replace it, right now. (Steve Seal sells a heavier-gauge > backstay because this was apparently a design weakness). On my old DN > iceboat, a shroud started unravelling in the same manner, and since > those rigs are marginal at best, it meant that it was time to replace it > yesterday. > > Wire lets you know when the failure process is underway. Maybe I've > been lucky not to have it start under extreme stress, when it would > probably proceed more rapidly. I was warned and was able to replace the > item before anything bad happened. And from what I've read, you can > often detect swage-fitting failure by inspection. I've never had one go > (knock on wood). > > My third rigging failure was when I ran the forestay into a power line, > but that wasn't the rig's fault. > > Chris Campbell >