furler system for cd 27

[godspeed]

my cd 27 has the original hanked on headsails. looking for suggestions in changing the headsail to a furler system . any suggestions as to manufacturer and ease of installation and use. what do i need to order the correct size. i assume i will have to have my sailmaker convert the genoa to the particular system i choose. what is the collective wisdom on this?

[Warren Kaplan]

I had a furlex for many years. Worked quite well although it should be "serviced" each off season. I did that more as a precaution than anything else.
Many good furler brands out there.

[tjr818]

Steve, we have a Harken Mark III on Slainte for our 150 Genny. It is very old, it came with the boat when we bought hers years ago. Slainte has always been a fresh water boat, so we don't have the problems that salt water causes. We take apart as much as we can and lubricate with a dry spray lubricant. We have had no problems with it.

[Sea Hunt Video]

When I installed a new furler on S/V Bali Ha'i in 2014 the rigger recommended either Harken or Schaefer. He said stay away from CDI. This rigger is very well respected in the South Florida area.

The rigger installed the Harken Mark IV, Unit 0, on S/V Bali Ha'i. No complaints; works well.

Several (perhaps many) at the sailing club have Harken, Schaefer or Furlex. They seem to be the dominant brands.

The original furler's drum was very close to the bow anchor roller. When he measured for the new Harken furler I asked the rigger to install a 12"-14" tang from the bow stem to the Harken's drum so that the drum was 12" above the bow stem and I had more room for the anchor, etc. I purchased a new Genoa (130) so the sail maker got his measurements after the furler was installed.

[Bibster]

It depends on what type of sailing you are going to be doing. If you are strictly a day/weekend sailor who stays on a lake or in a bay, then the CDI would probably work quite well for you. They are easy to install and priced significantly lower than the competition, and they are actually fairly robust. However, if you are going to be offshore or otherwise sailing in more challenging conditions, then I would recommend the Harken or Furlex units. I have a late-90s Furlex on my CD26 and it has performed beautifully, but I just bought a new Harken Mk IV to replace it, simply because I didn't want to keep sailing with an almost 20-year old furler. The Furlex units are extremely well made with high quality steel ball bearings and are easy to service (simply rinse them with fresh water on occasion and lubricate the bearings with grease at the beginning of every season). However, they are also a bit pricier than the Harken units. For most cruising applications the Harken ESP model will work fine, but I bought the higher priced Mk IV simply because it is absolutely bullet proof (Matt Rutherford, who used a Mk IV when he did his circumnavigation of the western hemisphere, reported no problems at all in almost a full year of non-stop sailing and gave the Mk IV a grade of A+) and I got a killer deal on one because I work part-time at a boat store. Hood, Schaefer and a couple of others also make units that are supposed to be quite good, but I have received extremely positive feedback about Furlex and Harken from customers (and from my personal experience).

[Dick Kobayashi]

Schaefer 750 has been bullet proof for me since I bought it in 2001.

[godspeed]

thanks for all your replies. lots of good information that i much appreciate. my sailing is open atlantic out of cape may. a variety of wind and wave conditions, both of which are motivators for the switch to a furler, so i won't have to go forward, usually under less than ideal conditions. tim, your assessment of what salt does is correct. it takes a toll on everything, including me. thanks again.