roller furling

[Mark Kelleher]

I have a Typhoon Weekender and would like to have a roller furling to avoid going out onto the bow and also give me the ability to sail alone. Questions I have are:
Do you use the existing genoa or does a new one come with the order.
How is it to install?
I saw an article about Alado Furler. Any feedback on that supplier.

Any help would be appreciated.
Mark Kelleher
Chatham, Ma.

[eb1smith]

Mark: No you don't have to change out the sails but you might have to have your Sailmaker put a tape on the luff of the sail. I have a Schaefer 1100 on my CD-31 and really appreciate it. I do a lot of single handed sailing I would say it is almost a requirement.

Cheers,

Eric

[Sea Hunt]

Hello Mark:

I have been thinking a lot about installing a roller furler on S/V Tadpole, my 1977 Cape Dory Typhoon Weekender - primarily for convenience.

A well respected rigger and a local sailmaker who both do a lot of work at the local sailing club both recommend either Harken or Schaefer furlers for my CD Ty Weekender. They also strongly recommend against CDI furlers. The sailmaker said they would not fit a sail to a CDI furler because of all the problems with those furlers. The rigger said he would not install a CDI furler on any sailboat. The owner of a local sailing school has CDI furlers on his fleet of instructional sailboats. They came with the boats new. I have sailed them many times and they seem(ed) OK to me. He does not like them and also strongly recommends either Harken or Schaefer.

There are several prior posts on furlers and there are several (perhaps many) CD owners who have and like CDI furlers. If you search "CDI furlers" or "furlers" or similar you should get several posts discussing pros and cons.

I don't know enough to know whether CDI furlers are good or bad or somewhere in between. I know the rigger, the sailmaker and the sailing school owner. They have all been at their professions many, many years. If I decide to buy a furler it will be a Harken or a Schaefer.

The sailmaker recommended a new sail to go with a new furler but also told me they could usually modify the existing Genoa to a furler depending upon size, age of sail, material, etc.

P.S. Chatham is one of the most beautiful towns in Ma. I grew up in Western Ma. in the 1950s but never got to spend time in Chatham. Many years later while on vacation with a friend we drove from Boston intending to go to Provincetown. We stopped in Chatham for a meal. My friend fell in love with the New England quaintness and charm of Chatham and the people. She decided we would spend the next few days in Chatham and we would forget about Provincetown. I agreed with her. Wonderful 3-4 days. When I win the Florida lottery Chatham is on my very short list of New England towns in which I would like to have my "summer residence".

[Queen Elvis]

I purchased an Alado a year ago despite not being able to get any feedback in it whatsoever. Got it from a guy in Canada -

Wayne Gooderham
Shoreline Sails
#3 - 161 Thirteenth Street
Etobicoke, Ontario M8V 4E4
Canada
800.250.4625

I went to Wayne rather than the US supplier because he knew the product and knew exactly how to size my new headsail. My genoas were all completely shot, so it made sense to me to buy the Alado and one new sail, rather than 3 new hank-ons. You will only get a new sail if you order one. You will probably be able to modify your existing hank-ons.

Both the Alado and the headsail have been excellent. I highly recommend both this product and Wayne at Shoreline.

[Hymodyne]

I've got a schaefer snapfurl unit I'm planning to put on my 22 very soon.

hym

[Ron M.]

if you have a good sewing machine and the will , once you decide on a furler you can get a luff tape kit from Sailrite and make the conversion yourself. I have done a couple and it's not difficult and the kit comes with everything you need.
Look me up, I moor in Stage harbor........outer.
________
EXTREME VAPORIZER

[Neil Gordon]

Robert,

I've had my CDI for 10 years or more and have had zero problems with it. It also requires zero maintenance. I'm curious as to what the specific objections... they might be valid and still not apply to the type of sailing you are doing.

As for modification, changing the sail from hanks to a liff tape is straightforward and inexpensive. There might be a bit different cut between a sail orinally made for hanks vs. originally made for roller furling (to better maintain sail shape when partially furled) but I wouldn't worry much about that. Modification is lots less expensive than a new sail and you may not notice any difference in performance.

[drb9]

I've had a CDI as well, and have had no problems at all. In fact, when I've called the company with a question about rigging it, I ended up speaking with the owner, who was very generous with his time and advice.

[Sea Hunt]

Neil:

I do not remember what their reason(s) were, if they gave any at all, for not liking CDI. These conversations were more than a year ago, shortly after I took custody of S/V Tadpole and was thinking about installing roller furling before launching.

As I said, I have sailed many times on the sailing school racing boats all of which have CDI furlers and have never had a problem. And those CDI furlers get abused.

It may be that CDI does not give "tradesman" the same ordering discounts as Harken or Schaefer so most riggers and sail makers say they do not like CDI. I do not know.

I have never talked with anyone at CDI or Harken or Schaefer so do not know their customer service attitude.

From my memory, there are very, very few CDI furlers on sailboats moored at the local sailing club, although I may not have been looking carefully.

The rigger I would use (everyone says he is the best in town) recommends Harken or Schaefer. So, that is what I will install, IF I install anything. Right now, a hank on 130 Genoa or a hank on working jib work OK for me. I will probably keep it like that through the Summer season and make a decision in the Fall, after "H season". We in Florida do not use the bad word. We just say "H". Everyone knows what we mean.

[Ron M.]

I wouldn't sell CDI short ........They are well made and simple and I have not heard of any problems from users I know. I put one on my CD25 12 years ago and used it for a few years before selling that boat and it was great.Last I knew it was still in service on that vessel.
At the time they were sold at a considerable discount vs. Harken or other name brands. Their main office used to be here in Ma. - on the north shore.........management was available to advise with a phone call.
________
BUY BUBBLERS

[ronkberg]

I have installed a CDI on a Hunter 23 and two Cape Dory Typhoons and can speak from experience that they are high quality, their service response is excellent ( I also spoke directly with the owner ) and their price is very competitive. We have some good CD experienced positive recommendations and then some hearsay critique from others. Critique of our vendors are more respected when delivered first hand from our CDSOA members rather than from second hand experts w/o experience sailing on Cape Dory boats.

Mark, I had a 150% genoa modified for the Hunter and 130% modified for the Typhoon. Sail shape is not perfect but it sure is a nice feeling to haul the sail out w/o having to go out on the bow.

Respectfully, Ron

[Joe Montana]

I've had a CDI "Flexible Furler 2" for eight years. Zero problems. Zero maintenance. Furls and reefs.

[seajunkie]

I just purchased the Alado. I haven't installed it yet, but the hardware is substantial. There is no plastic, it’s all heavy duty aluminum. I got the A1 for my CD25 and I can't wait to get a new forestay and install it. Alado is running a sale where they will ship it Fedex for free from Brazil. The thing got to San Diego in three days. I was really impressed by that.

Not that I will use it, but the Alado allows you to install two halyards on the forestay to change sails or even fly two head sails at the same time if you choose.

I'm on a tight budget and thought about altering my older genoa, but I decided against it. My sail would need to be shortened because it comes down too low on the deck. I would have also needed to put on a UV cover.

Originally I planned on getting a CDI FF2. I doubt that I would have regretted it. I have read nothing but positive reviews in my research. The rigger I spoke to didn’t want to install it either, and then he said he would. I guess he made me give the decision a second thought. In hindsight I’m wondering if he just wouldn’t make money on the CDI hardware. I told him that I was buying the hardware anyway. If I hired him it would only be for labor, not for the parts. The CDI goes for $508 with ball bearings plus about $40 in shipping for $548. The Alado was $780 with shipping. I didn’t like that the extrusion in the CDI came in one piece and that they recommended caution when opening it because it unwound like a spring. The extrusions in the Alado come in aluminum sections that fit together. The engineering and design of the Alado appealed to me.

I was in the market for a furler, and when I received my copy of Practical Sailor, the positive Alado review sold me on it.

In my Internet research on this subject, of the hundreds of posts I have read, I maybe found two posts where people didn’t like their furlers. People are generally happy with what ever they have.

[Bill S]

I installed an Alado on my CD 28 without assistance. It was pretty easy. The installation hints are very good. The system worked flawlessly for me. On my current boat, I have a Hood that cost twice as much and was more difficult to install. It works well, too.

Bill

[Dick Villamil]

I sailed my TY for a year and a half and decided that the furler would be nice to have. I used the recommendations from this board and decided on the CDI #1. Make sure that you get the model with the extra bushing - merely a large washer that prevents friction when furling. I have had Harken and Furlex and for the money the CDI is as good as it gets. Easy to set up when raising the mast and easy to use. The sailmakers just want to sell you their brand of furler. Get a luff taps on the Genny and use it. Very convenient to come into the deck or mooring then furl the genny and you have a clean foredeck to handle mooring or dock lines. The CD1 works well but you may have to use a smaller diameter furling line with a 150 genny. I bought mine from Rigging Only - best price and Excellent Service - I recommend both very highly.